Ich! Pictus Catfish & Rid Ich

[Chris_]

My Aquarium,

5 Congo Tetras
1 African Leaf Fish
1 Pleco
1 Featherfin Catfish
2 Australian Rainbowfish (Still want to remove these)
4 Angelfish
4 Pictus Catfish

Hey! Last time I came on here was for advice on introducing 3 new angel fish to my already overstocked aquarium and lucky it worked out!

So a few days ago, Walmart had Pictus Catfish labeled as common plecos and I had to get some. Got 4 for 15$ Now I don't have quarantine tank so I just plopped them in to my main and they have been doing great until recently I noticed my one of Australian rainbowfish has white spots on its fin. (Im assuming ich) An Angel might have some as well. I'm afraid of it spreading to my catfish and wondering how to treat the whole aquarium! I know I can't use any meds with copper, zinc because they will kill my pleco and catfish.

I've used Kordon Rid Ich when I used to have a betta and neons. It worked great. I've also used Kordon Ich Attack because my sister's molly aquarium had got ich and there was no Rid Ich in store and it worked for them as well. Still have some left.

Now I'm wondering if Rid Ich will be safe for my catfish and pleco. I believe it is copper and zinc free but I'm still unsure if they can handle it. Do any of you have first hand experience with catfish and Rid Ich? I think Ich Attack would be safe because it's "natural" but i would most likely have to double the dose and treat longer. Rid ich is faster but "unnatural" I guess.

 

[Toad]

When I had a pictus with ick (also had cories and a pleco) I turned the heat up and did massive gravel vacs every day for two weeks, no meds, and it cleared up on it's own.

 

[Chris_]

I always do 50% water changes but I only vacuum one side. I'll do the whole aquarium tomorrow and a 60% water change. I'll do that weekly and if I notice it spreading or getting worse at all I'll throw in the 'Ich Attack" I have. Thanks man

 

[Potluck]

I couldn't use meds with my clown loaches, heat and vacuuming daily DID NOT WORK heat does not kill ich it speeds up the life cycle it stays on the fish for, ich attack is safe for scaless fish, inverts all fish I would up the temp to about 81 no need to go higher and dose with the ich attack, if you do heat & vac your risking a cacoon being left behind and it happening again in a week or 2, I wish I had this with my loaches cause all 3 succumbed to the ich with just high heat and vacuuming

Ich-Attack is safe for use in all kinds of aquariums and ornamental ponds, as well as on scaleless fishes (such as loaches, elephant noses, electric eels, knife fishes and catfishes), coral reef fishes, young fish and fry, reef aquariums, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates (such as snails, crustaceans, corals and sea anemones), amphibians and aquatic reptiles.*

 

[Toad]

You are right, heat does not kill ick. But ick is always present in an aquarium, it only gets a foothold in fish that are stressed, old or already diseased. I recommend it over meds because I am unfamiliar with them and their reactions with certain fish, as I've only ever had ick once years ago, and have heard stories of fish not reacting well to some treatments.

 

[Potluck]

You are right, heat does not kill ick. But ick is always present in an aquarium, it only gets a foothold in fish that are stressed, old or already diseased. I recommend it over meds because I am unfamiliar with them and their reactions with certain fish, as I've only ever had ick once years ago, and have heard stories of fish not reacting well to some treatments.

Yeah my loaches showed stress my first dose so I immidiately did 50% water change, then 25% 4 hours later, waited a day to start heat because you're not supposed to use heat with most meds as well cause of oxygen depletion, as far as ich being in the tank all the time that's false, it has to be introduced from a plant, fish, hands etc etc, yes ich can't attach to a healthy fish but that's also very false, once ich attaches to an ill /old/weak fish and falls off, that batch can infect healthy fish that's why it spreads, if this was the case only one fish would ever have it, I would also recommend presoaking the fish food in garlic guard or home made garlic juice for the fishes immune system.

 

[V227]

Potluck, I have been following your posts for the last couple of months, and I hope the tank
adversity you've been dealing with has passed and things are going well.
Like Toad, I treat my tanks by the well noted non med methods when problems arise. Thank goodness problems have been rare. It's been my experience that treatments with meds or non med usually end with the same results, the stronger fish shake it off, the weaker die. I understand why commercial breeders and dealers need to use meds. The shear volume of livestock, overloaded cramped tanks, poor water conditions and the need to make a profit all necessitate their use of meds. In a home aquarium those noted factors should not apply. Just my opinion, good luck.

 

[Chris_]

Here's what i'm dealing with.

That's the Australian Rainbowfish

 

[Chris_]

And this is the angelfish that might have it, might not.

I've been know to thinking my fish are sick when they arn't

 

[Chris_]

I couldn't use meds with my clown loaches, heat and vacuuming daily DID NOT WORK heat does not kill ich it speeds up the life cycle it stays on the fish for, ich attack is safe for scaless fish, inverts all fish I would up the temp to about 81 no need to go higher and dose with the ich attack, if you do heat & vac your risking a cacoon being left behind and it happening again in a week or 2, I wish I had this with my loaches cause all 3 succumbed to the ich with just high heat and vacuuming

Ich-Attack is safe for use in all kinds of aquariums and ornamental ponds, as well as on scaleless fishes (such as loaches, elephant noses, electric eels, knife fishes and catfishes), coral reef fishes, young fish and fry, reef aquariums, aquatic plants, aquatic invertebrates (such as snails, crustaceans, corals and sea anemones), amphibians and aquatic reptiles.*

Yeah my loaches showed stress my first dose so I immidiately did 50% water change, then 25% 4 hours later, waited a day to start heat because you're not stopped to use heat with most meds as well cause of oxygen depletion, as far as ich being in the tank all the time that's false, it has to be introduced from a plant, fish, hands etc etc, yes ich can't attach to a healthy fish but that's also very false, once ich attaches to an ill /old/weak fish and falls off, that batch can infect healthy fish that's why it spreads, if this was the case only one fish would ever have it, I would also recommend presoaking the fish food in garlic guard or home made garlic juice for the fishes immune system.

Your loaches showed stress to Ich Attack? I'm picking up the temp a degree every hour until I get to 81. I also just vacuumed the whole aquarium and the fish still look healthy and strong. I'll do the ich attack today as well since it's safe for scaleless fish. I ordered medicated food with garlic from kensfish.com as well as more ich attack. I don't know how fast the shipping is since I picked the cheapest one. As of now I have Minced Garlic here but one of the ingredients is phosphoric acid; i'm gonna see if can I safely soak the fish food in the juice from it If not i'll make my own juice form garlic I have here. I think my fish are gonna be fine.

 

[Potluck]

Your loaches showed stress to Ich Attack? I'm picking up the temp a degree every hour until I get to 81. I also just vacuumed the whole aquarium and the fish still look healthy and strong. I'll do the ich attack today as well since it's safe for scaleless fish. I ordered medicated food with garlic from kensfish.com as well as more ich attack. I don't know how fast the shipping is since I picked the cheapest one. As of now I have Minced Garlic here but one of the ingredients is phosphoric acid; i'm gonna see if can I safely soak the fish food in the juice from it If not i'll make my own juice form garlic I have here. I think my fish are gonna be fine.

No the reaction was to rid ich plus I just found out about ick attack after they died I tried just straight heat with frequent water changes but they ended up dying from it, and my loaches weren't weak, but loaches don't do good when they get sick.

As far as minced garlic I wouldn't use that, do you have a clove of garlic and a zest grater? If so that's how you make it, you don't have to soak it everyday, I do it twice a week sometimes 3, it doesn't hurt them just turns them into Italians lol jk.

 

[Potluck]

Potluck, I have been following your posts for the last couple of months, and I hope the tank
adversity you've been dealing with has passed and things are going well.
Like Toad, I treat my tanks by the well noted non med methods when problems arise. Thank goodness problems have been rare. It's been my experience that treatments with meds or non med usually end with the same results, the stronger fish shake it off, the weaker die. I understand why commercial breeders and dealers need to use meds. The shear volume of livestock, overloaded cramped tanks, poor water conditions and the need to make a profit all necessitate their use of meds. In a home aquarium those noted factors should not apply. Just my opinion, good luck.

So far so good but one of my emerald rainbows has Lymphocystis or whatever it's called, the viral infection thingy, looks like she has a wart on her back, my oldest fish my very first fish I bought 7.5 years ago died today a black skirt tetra, I'm assuming from age, ate till his last meal rip lil buddy, that's pretty good tetras don't have a long lifespan. And ty, yeah it's been sketchy at times for the last couple months, nothing big except the ich, my plants are even growing like crazy now... Dunno what I did but I'll take it lol.

 

[Autumnsky]

Always remember the to not mix meds and heat unles it specifically says it is okay and the part about increasing as much available O2 when the heat is up, and clean water will also help as mentioned all up in previous posts. Good Luck with this info and treatment.

Freshwater Ich? Yuck! - Aquarium Advice

 

[Potluck]

Always remember the to not mix meds and heat unles it specifically says it is okay and the part about increasing as much available O2 when the heat is up, and clean water will also help as mentioned all up in previous posts. Good Luck with this info and treatment.

Freshwater Ich? Yuck! - Aquarium Advice

+1 totally realized I left that out, meds decrease oxygen so it's imperative to make sure your filters splash if you have hob's or add a couple air stones to reup the o2, and yes don't do both at the same time as heat depletes oxygen, meds deplete oxygen, + if you get a secondary bacterial infection (common with ich), the bacteria will spread at a much faster rate at higher tank Temps, also don't add salt with meds either.

 

[Chris_]

I got garlic juice, fish didn't seem to mind the taste at all. I'm putting the air stone from my sis's aquarium in mine to help with the oxygen. My kensfish order is arriving Wednesday I will be able to manage with the ich attack and garlic juice I have till then. Thanks for the help!

 

[Potluck]

Garlic juice is candy for fish so no they won't mind it, don't cross contaminate tanks aka putting your sisters air stone in your tank, get a pump and your own air stone but if you have good surface agitation you probably won't need one.