I FIGURED IT OUT!!! ... bad news bears

[Viperboy]

Well after 3 dead cardinal tetras and 4 days i figured out what is causing my tank so my pain. My gourami was not eating today and looking ill and was not moving much thats when i noticed these white things on either side of him and noticed that one of the last two tetras had a white spot on his tail. So i immediately diagnosed them with Ich and went to the LFS and got a 10gal (which i had been planning to get anyway) and some aquarium salt. So i cleaned everything and set up the 10gal and moved this internal filter that i have had running on my 29gal throught the entire cycle and a little gravel since i had leftover and used some of the same color (hopefully this will close to instant cycle it) .... i added stress coat and the right amount of salt and turned this old heater i had all the way up. Then i moved the infected fish .... gourami and 2 remaining tetra to the new 10gal .... last i check the temp was staying steady around 84 and the gourami was showing lots of improvement. Anything else i should do? Plz let me know?
TIA

Ray

 

[exodus]

Well after 3 dead cardinal tetras and 4 days i figured out what is causing my tank so my pain. My gourami was not eating today and looking ill and was not moving much thats when i noticed these white things on either side of him and noticed that one of the last two tetras had a white spot on his tail. So i immediately diagnosed them with Ich and went to the LFS and got a 10gal (which i had been planning to get anyway) and some aquarium salt. So i cleaned everything and set up the 10gal and moved this internal filter that i have had running on my 29gal throught the entire cycle and a little gravel since i had leftover and used some of the same color (hopefully this will close to instant cycle it) .... i added stress coat and the right amount of salt and turned this old heater i had all the way up. Then i moved the infected fish .... gourami and 2 remaining tetra to the new 10gal .... last i check the temp was staying steady around 84 and the gourami was showing lots of improvement. Anything else i should do? Plz let me know?
TIA

Ray

Just keep the heat up for 2 weeks after the Ich dissapears. You'll be amazed at how fast it clears up, should be within days, but keep the heat up to keep it from coming back.

If I were you, I'd skip the QT because if they were infected in your main tank then I believe the entire tank is infected. I've never used aquarium salt, but to each his own.

If you keep the QT up and running, I'd make sure to crank the temp up in your main tank just incase.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

That was a good move using the salt and heat versus chemical meds. Be cautious though because a temp change too fast can cause stress. You need to bump the temp up to 86 degrees. That is the temp in which ich dies.

And I agree, no reason to QT the fish because the entire tank needs to be treated.

 

[SCFatz]

I'm thinking you are wrong...the ich is where the ich is...my guess its both tanks now.

Just becuase it doesn't present on the fish does not mean the fish are not infected.Only that ich matured enough on some fish to be noticable.

I don't know for sure...but i'm thinking you need to treat the primary tank as well.
Or at least I would.

Someone who knows better then me will chime in I'm sure and we'll learn together.

Edit:
hey have lol...dam dial up.

 

[Viperboy]

I have already moved the fish that i saw with Ich on to the QT and the heater on the 10gal is an old one that came with the 29gal when i got it used so i dont know if it will get up over 84 .... and tom i will turn the heat up in the main tank gradually to kill off any lasting Ich .... qustion. Should i add some salt to my 29gal or just use heat? ..... i dont know if my gourami or remaining two cardinals are even going to make it because they seem to have it pretty bad and the gourami who i love dearly already cant even seem to function every well .... so i was this close to just putting him down ... when i decided to give it a try and QT him and try to save him :/ ..... but ive done what i can in my eyes ....

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Heat is just fine alone, or you can add a little salt. Up to you. The key is 86 degrees though. And if you happen to get ick that is a little tougher strain like I had, had to bump it up to 90 degrees and add salt as well. At 86 degrees, mine was still spreading. But this last go around with ick, I turned up to 87 degrees, and it's now gone. Just waiting out the 2 week period now. Will probably go a little longer than 2 weeks, to be sure. But no more ick present, and no salt was added.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

If the temp will not get to 86 degrees, buy a new heater. The higher the temp, the faster that ich spreads. So sitting at 84 degrees is making the ich spread faster than sitting at 78. But once it reaches 86, it dies.

 

[Viperboy]

Well im sad to say that gordan the gourami and the two remaining cardinal tetras did not make it through the night ... ive started gradually turning up the temp in my 29gal to kill off the remaining Ich in that tank. sad sad day

Ray

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If there's no more fish in the tank, I'd turn the temp up gradually to 89-90 degrees for 2 weeks. That will ensure no ick will remain.

 

[Gena575]

If there's no more fish in the tank, I'd turn the temp up gradually to 89-90 degrees for 2 weeks. That will ensure no ick will remain.

Be sure to keep dosing ammonia throughout as well. You don't want to lose the cycle you worked so hard for!

 

[SCFatz]

sad sad day

Indeed...I can't imagine how frustrating that is Ray.

Sorry to hear its all went so badly so fast.

I don't know how you could have done a better job bringing the tank around to stocking after reading your posts over the last few months.

 

[Andyvette]

I don't know how you could have done a better job bringing the tank around to stocking after reading your posts over the last few months.

Use it as a learning experience Ray..... you did 90% of the things right.... now try to think, how can I fix the other 10%. From the little I have read, do a couple of things from now on-

First... keep your QT running. When you get fish again, get a couple different types. Put one type in your tank (2-3 fish), and the other 1-3 in your QT. Watch both tanks close for 2 weeks, then move the QT fish in with the 29gal fish. Then go get yourself a couple more fish.... put them in the QT tank for 2 weeks, and then add them to the 29 gallon. What this will accomplish is 2 things-
1- You will be able to check for signs of stress/disease/etc, and not infect your tank
2- You will be forced to stock your tank slowly, just a couple fish at a time every 2 weeks. Then after 2 months... you will be fully occupied once again, and everything will be MUCH healthier.

Second.... You got experience, and now you can help others who have the same issues. You also have a better idea of what kind of fish you want to keep...... you have ideas... use them next go round


Its like stressing out about the weather or traffic.... its gonna be there anyways, and you can't do anything about it... so why worry?
Learn from what you have done, and make the tank better next time.

HTH and keep your head up....
Andy

 

[Viperboy]

Not all was lost in my 29gal ... i still have my

clown pleco
4 zebras
3 bronze aeneus cory cats
3-5 cherry shrimp
some MTS snails

and they appear to be doing fine which is why im turning the temp up gradually to 86 today to make sure they dont get it and it all gets killed off in the tank (how long should i leave it there?)..... in the QT i now have which i got last night (10gal) i have the temp up at 90 so it all gets killed off and imma test water params in both tanks right now and see how those are doing.

The zebras appear to be more active than ever and happy as can be but i guess that is due to their hardyness and the cory cats seem pretty content as well. Today the pleco is hiding out in his usual cave which he has been coming out of during the day for long periods of time. So i hope he is ok as i cannot get a good look at him. Once im sure that this QT tank has cycled after a week or so and of high temps so the Ich is gone ill look into some new fish maybe.

I just dont know how i could have missed the Ich so clearly on gordan and the tetras after i had read about it so many times on here and thought o if i see a white spot ill know it immediately but no ... it had manifested to the point where i dont think i could have saved them ... but i tried anyways. I just hope that the remaining fish in the 29gal do not get it.

I am starting to see this bronze/gold/light brown looking stuff on my mayan decor that i think is brown algae cause it scrapes off so imma post a new thread about that ... thanks for all ur help guys and this definately was a kick in the butt

Ray

 

[Menagerie]

Now that you know the fish are sick and it wasn't poor stock from the LFS, I am going to move it to the proper forum.

 

[Andyvette]

(how long should i leave it there?)

2 weeks. And above 86 (they still live w/ that)... make it 88 degrees.

Good thinking on waiting a week. Wait two... turn the temp back down to 78-80 on both tanks, and then add a couple fish to the QT.... wait two weeks.... repeat untill you are good again