Bad Ick problem - when to replace fish after treatment?

[omaha_frisbee]

I have a ten gallon aquarium with only four remaining fish alive - they include a small catfish, and three tetras. Two platys, two guppies, and a plecostmus have died in the last few days (all with similar signs of Ick - white spots, almost like bubbles that covered their bodies which came on very rapidly). The other four fish appear normal/healthy.

After a delay in treating this disease, I went to a local pet store to get an idea what to do. I have added aquarium salt, increased the temp to 79-80 F, and started Rid ICH + (for use once a day for several days). My question is - how long do I need to keep treating them? And how long do I need to wait before replacing some of my fish? The bottle doesn't say anything about this.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya omaha_frisbee and welcome to Aquariumadvice:

Check the articles for the Ich article I wrote; it will answer most of your questions.

As for when to add more fish, I'd wait a week after treatment has finished and the meds have been removed. This is assuming you have QT the new fish for at least 2 weeks to be sure you won't wind up having to treat for disease again.

Also, it sounds like your tank was pretty overstocked to begin with; those plecs can get big. If that was a common plec, they get to be around 2 feet long and they grow fast! Do be sure to research your new guys and be sure the tank will accomodate them all before you get em

 

[William]

Read Ally's guide. The Heat treatment works wonders!

I'm using it myself and I only lost one fish [ He was the first infected and died before the heat treatment began ]


Since I started all my fish have lost their ich spots, and their acting healthy as can be.

The best part of the heat treatment is it gets rid of the ich from the tank totally! So unless you add a new source of ich you'll never have ich again!


Thanks ally! [ gives alli kudos..as soon as he figures out how ]

 

[Allivymar]

LOL keep em for someone who needs em William.

I do prefer the high temp treatment; I've used it twice very successfully. However, one needs to be sure all the fish can handle the high temps.

 

[sweetsuvvyb]

I just found this article, thought ya'll might like to take a look.

http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v44/n1/p41-45.html

(it was william's comment on getting rid of the ich "totally" that got me wondering!). If ich can indeed infect a fish internally...I wonder if that means the ich can live on...

 

[omaha_frisbee]

HELP!!!!

So, the update on my tank:
after two treatments for the Ich, the catfish is looking more sick than ever. I removed him from the tank and have him quarantined in a different tank, but is there something I should do for him at this point? Should I leave him in the tank with the meds that seem to be killing him? This is frustrating, since he had no problems until I started putting stuff in thte tank.

any help would be much much appreciated.

 

[cindywindy]

Omaha,

Catfish generally don't do well with regular-strength doses of medications. I always recommend half-strength treatment with meds for a longer period of time - and this can save catfish a lot of stress and possibly a worsening condition.

I would normally advise to raise the temperature in your tank as well, but this time I have to go against the grain of the rest of your responses and say I believe the heat method at this point would be too stressful on your fish if its condition is deteriorating. I would, however, continue the medication but at half-strength doses for an extended length of time until the course is complete.