How can I tell when the dreaded ich is gone?

[shezz]

I'm a beginner at this and I think I have experienced every problem possible in spite of reading and surfing... and of course doing all the done things.

We purchased our first fishe(s) 9 (I think that was the problem) and we developed major white spot 3 days later. That stuff is a nightmare to get rid of! Anyway, I think its gone but how can I be sure before I introduce any more fish?
I have two fish that survived but I'm not sure if they just developed a resistance to it (I read somewhere that this is possible once they have suffered from it).

I'm feeling pretty impatient about going out to get at least one new one because I miss my ddeceasedfriends...and it was terrible to watch them slowly drop off (not to mention heartbreaking when I had to fish them out!). Also the fish that are left are bbecomingaggressive towards one another (male siamese fighter and male dwarf gourami). I was hoping that the introduction of more fish might sort out the territory problems I'm having at mo.

Any advice?
shezz

 

[fishfreek]

What size tank is this? Did you add all 9 fish soon after setting up the tank? Did you check the ammonia levels during this process?

If you added that many fish right from the start then your fish where probably stressed from elevated ammonia levels giving them a lower resistance to ich. If ammonia levels where elevated then this would have also hurt the fish's chance for survival.

If you can test your ammonia an dsee if you have any. If your tank is ammonia free then you could add a 'few' more fish. If your tank is smaller than 15 gal then you should only add 2 fish at a time. If your tank is above 15 gal then you could probably do 3-4 fish at a time.

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya shezz and welcome to Aquariumadvice.

Give it about 2 weeks from the last ich spot. If there is no sign of ich in 2 weeks, you should be ok.

How long has the tank been up n running? As fishfreek says, if the tank isn't cycled, don't add any fish. Once ammonia and nitrites read zero, then its ok.

Oh, and gouramis and bettas inhabit the same areas of the tank, and are both anabantoids, which means they go up to the top for air. They are probably fighting for the same territory. Gouramis and betta generally don't do well together for that reason.

 

[shezz]

My tank is 120 ltrs. (30ish gallons) I did add all 9 fish at one time (UGH!) In fact Im a little disappointed with the fish store, they could have said something. But I have to give them a break, they are French and I don't speak French so our communication was handicapped to start with.

Checking the water confuses me. I have these dip things that turn colours which I am comparing to a chart. Its very hard to tell where I am with this system. I do know that the nitrite levels have been very high since I added the fish. I think it was the shock to the filter system with so much waste (am I right?) which hasnt help me get things under control with water quality.

I went to the fish shop today and they tested the water for me. Nitrates still very high - even after changing the water every day for a week. They suggested this chemical to add to the water every day for 10 days. Im a little nervous about adding it every day. It sounds a lot - have you ever used anything like that before? Any advice?
needless to say I didn't add any fish

Thanks for your reply.

 

[shezz]

Thanks for you reply.

Oh no Ive chosen the wrong fish now. How do I fix that? I couldnt possibly find either of them a new home. They are my only survivors. what about if I add some females? That always distracts the male species!

regarding the ich, I see no spots but I am going to work on the water quality for at least the 10 days that the med is supposed to work. I must master that or I will only have problems later.