Pleco wih ich?

[dkpate]

Do you have somewhere else to put them? If you do, you can try that, but not if there are other fish in the other tank. I am not sure about amphibians getting ich.

 

[WendiDell]

I just did some quick research on amphibians and ick. The answer is a big YES the can and do get ick just like fish.
BUT, NEVER TREAT AMPHIBIANS WITH MALACHITE GREEN, FORMALDIHYDE, or COPPER.
I couldn't find a lot on the subject but, it did say to try Acriflavine to treat amphibious frogs.
They didn't say anything about Mud Puppies, but I would imagine that they would be closer to frogs than fish, when it comes to treating them for ick.
Good luck

 

[mudraker]

Polyguard contains malachite green. It is also harmful to inverts and is not always easy to remove, even with chemical intervention.

Stick with the Kordon Dk remommended. It also is effective against secondary infections common after ich infestation.

 

[dkpate]

Ok, I just did a bunch of reading on Ich-Attack and the stuff in the bottle you got (Herbtana). According to www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com the Ich-Attack is:




For netting, handling or adding new fish, amphibians, turtles and other aquatic reptiles: Add 1 teaspoonful (approx. 5 ml) of Ich-Attack for every 10 gallons (approx. 40 liters) of water. Repeat dosage daily, 3-7 days of treatment will usually be sufficient. Cold water conditions may require a longer treatment time. If the animal's condition appears to be less than satisfactory during this time, treat as recommended for severe infections. After the treatment period is over, make a 25% water change.

• Safe for fishes normally sensitive to medications including "scaleless" fishes such as loaches and catfishes, coral reef fishes and fry
• Will not harm eggs
• Will not harm plants or reef aquariums
• Can be used with amphibians and reptiles
• Does not stain aquarium decor, aquarium sealants or equipment
• Will not permanently discolor the water
• Ich-Attack can be used with all Kordon Water Conditioners such as NovAqua, AmQuel, and PolyAqua, all Kordon Water Clarifiers (TransClear and Sea Clear) and all AquaTru Water Quality Test Kits.

Herbtana:
Benefits of Ecological Laboratories Microbe-Lift Herbtana and Microbe-Lift Artemiss
Nontoxic
Environmentally friendly
Does not result in resistance
When used as directed they are safe for all salt, fresh, and brackish water fish. Also reef-safe and safe for plants.
Does not affect nitrifying bacteria (bio-filter bacteria)
Does not color the water or stain or affect silicone sealing
No harmful residues- Microbe-Lift Herbtana and Microbe-Lift Artemiss are completely biodegradable
More effective than home remedies

I don't see anywhere where it says that the Herbtana is okay for reptiles and amphibians, but the Ich-Attack is.

 

[WendiDell]

Polyguard contains malachite green. It is also harmful to inverts and is not always easy to remove, even with chemical intervention.

Stick with the Kordon Dk remommended. It also is effective against secondary infections common after ich infestation.

Yes, I know, that's why I did some research and found out that,
1. Aquatic Amphibians can and do get ick as easily as fish.
2. You can not treat them for ick the same as you do fish.
3. It was suggested on an amphibian website that Acroflavine
would be a good choice. But, I don't have any personal
experience with it.
I don't have any Aquatic Amphibians of any kind and I know nothing about them. So I looked it up, to help someone having trouble.
Being disabled, I have more time than most people to do a little extra research. Plus I thoroughly enjoy learning about new things. So it's never a burden for me to look something up for someone else.
As far as Polyguard goes, I've used it for years now and I've never had a problem with removing it with regular carbon filtration. And it has helped my fish when they've been ill but I had no idea with what.
Once I took someones advice and used Tetracycline. What a mess, I had yellow gritty foam everywhere and both fish died.
So now I stick with what has worked well for me.

 

[Luna112]

Thank you all for the awesome info
I used herbtana in my tank last night. I didn't want anyone to suffer any longer. I took the mud puppy out and also the frogs. This morning everything looks pretty much the same. But no deaths. I'm going to continue the treatment. I was wondering if I should do the common pwc before the new dose. But it doesn't say it on this bottle. And does for all the other kinds of ich treatment. Maybe I don't need to for this one?

 

[WendiDell]

PWC

Even if it doesn't say so on the bottle, PWC are our best bet during illness/crisis. With the PWC you remove what ever may be in the water that caused the illness, ie...Ick, Ammonia/Nitrite toxicity. Keeping anything that may be toxic diluted gives your fish one less thing to fight against while in a weakened/compromised condition.
And you don't want to give something bad in the water a chance to grow stronger.
Doing smaller, but more frequent PWC helps keep the fish stress to a minimum, STRESS KILLS. In fact stress is bad for every living thing, from people to plants.
So I would would do PWC every day until everyone is back to full strength. But it's up to you, your the one looking at the fish not me. So you know better than any of us if your fish are showing signs of stress or signs of improvement.
Also if you need anything researched right now, I know your hands are full with ill fish, please don't hesitate to ask.
I will be happy to look up any info. you may need. Just let me know what it is you need to know about.
Best of luck and many Blessings.
Wendi

 

[Luna112]

Will do. Thanks. I hope this ends soon. This is just horrible. I'm watching my fish suffer.

 

[mudraker]

As far as Polyguard goes, I've used it for years now and I've never had a problem with removing it with regular carbon filtration.

Carbon will remove the green coloration but will not rid the tank fully of malachite, which is highly undersireable once the aqauria is back to health.

 

[WendiDell]

Will do. Thanks. I hope this ends soon. This is just horrible. I'm watching my fish suffer.

I agree with you, watching a fish lying about gasping for air is horrid. It causes me physical pain to see anything else suffer.
Take heart, everyone at AA is here for you.

 

[Luna112]

I've been treating for two days now. And I see no improvement.

 

[WendiDell]

Are they getting worse or just the same? The fact that none have died yet is good.
I don't know about amphibians, but have you tried giving your affected fish daily salt baths? It really does help the fish breath better while giving the medication time to work.
I know some people don't like using Salt in FW tanks, but a salt bath is different than salting your tank.
If your not sure about the salt bath, just try it on one fish. See for yourself that your fish can breath better.
But remember, the salt bath isn't a cure. It just helps with the symptoms. like cough syrup or decongestants do for people.
It only takes 5min. per fish and it's just 1 TBS in 4 cups of clean water. Don't use the tank water that has ick in it and don't reuse the salt water. Each fish needs it's own fresh bathwater.
Give it a try, if your fish aren't getting better it can't hurt to try this.
Let me know how it goes. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'll do what I can to help

 

[dkpate]

It will look worse before it looks better, heating the water will speed it up even more.
The meds kill the ich when it is in it's free swimming stage, not when it's on the fish.

 

[Luna112]

I have the temp at 82F. Should I raise it more? Oh an what kind of salt should I use. The one that has it worse is my little historinica Boris. I think thats what they are called. He is flinching. And scratching. It's making me so upset.

 

[dkpate]

82* will make it go through the cycle faster, 86* is the temp that they can't reproduce in. If you raise the temp, make sure you add an airstone or lower the water level to make the filter water splash more. Warmer water has less oxygen.
I would get aquarium salt.

 

[Luna112]

I'll get the salt tomorrow. No fishies have died yet. Thank goodness. I keep treating. So should I buy R/O water and fill a bowl with it add some salt and bathe each fish with new water and salt each time?

 

[dkpate]

I would use the exact same water that is in the tank, then you don't have to worry about pH swings or anything. I would fill a 5 gallon bucket up with new water, scoop some water out of the tank and fill the bath bowl, replace the water in the tank with the water from the bucket, repeat. That way you can keep the water in the bowl as close as possible to the water in the tank, and the fish won't be as stressed.
Yes, she said to use new water every time.

 

[WendiDell]

Salt Bath

I'll get the salt tomorrow. No fishies have died yet. Thank goodness. I keep treating. So should I buy R/O water and fill a bowl with it add some salt and bathe each fish with new water and salt each time?

The Salt Bath doesn't have to be a big difficult production.
How much salt and water you use depends on the size of your fish.
The normal water to salt ratio is 1 TBS for every 5 gallons for everyday tank use. For a 5 minute Salt Bath you'll need a much higher Salt content.
I always use 1 TBS of API Aquarium Salt for every 28 oz of warm (78-84degrees) water and 5 ml of API Stress Coat, or similar Aloe Vera water conditioner. Then one at a time I soak each fish for 5 minutes. Because you'll be using Stress Coat, you can use tap water and easily change it for each fish.
I have both a 1/2 gallon and 1 gallon buckets that I use just for Salt Baths. 90% of the time the 1/2 gallon is plenty big enough. The water doesn't need to be very deep, just a couple inches above your fish's Dorsal fin.
If it would be easier for you, I could log onto the AA chat room when you do the Salt bath for the first time. That way if you have any questions, I can answer them in real time. Just let me know what time you'll be giving your fish a bath, so I know when to be home and log on.
Either way, good luck. I know how horrible it is to watch them suffer and feel so helpless to do anything.

 

[Luna112]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it today after I get home from work. This morning I woke up and checked the tank and still no causalities. I'll be home around 9:30-9:45pm. If this is too late let me know please I live in florida, are you in a different time zone?

 

[WendiDell]

I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it today after I get home from work. This morning I woke up and checked the tank and still no causalities. I'll be home around 9:30-9:45pm. If this is too late let me know please I live in florida, are you in a different time zone?

9:30-9:45pm isn't a problem for me at all. I'm a bit of a night owl anyway.
I'm really happy everyone is still swimming for you.
As far as the time zone thing goes, there are only 2 states further from you than me. I live in the Lovely Pacific Northwest, A small town called McMinnville, Oregon. I'm about 45 min. South West of Portland, Oregon. And About an hour North West of Salem, Oregon.
Those are the only cities anywhere near me that anyone has ever heard of.he rest of them are to small for anyone to know about.
It:s 6:30am right now. I have to get my grandson off to school then get some sleep. I'm not sure but I think you are 3-4 hours ahead of me.
So depending on which one it is then you'll be doing baths at 5:30 or 6:30pm. That's usually dinner time, but I'll feed my grandson early so I can be available to you in the AA chat room.
I'll log onto the chat room 6:00pm pacific standard time and see if you are there. If not I'll try every 15 minutes until we meet up and get this done for you.
Have a good day at work.
Wendi