Sand and ICK

[Bushido]

iv had ick in my take before and i used quack cure for 14 days. but
about 2 weeks ago the send was looking bad brown stuff growing on the top i clean the bottom off every 2 weeks but this time i got every thing out tank and mixed the sand up..iv been told by people to mix sand up because of gas? after i did this the water turn green in one day so i did water changes ever 2 days to the water was clean. last night i got 2 neon tetras i looked at the fish good and put them in the tank and not 1 hour later ick all over them my other fish have no ick all them only the 2 i got last night

what i like to know is after using quack cure on ick, is there any for it to live under the sand with out even knowing its there? im using playsand if that matters..

sand looks nice when its not geting brown, maybe it be best to use rocks?
and if i do buy rocks what kind of rocks is best to use

 

[Zagz]

Welcome to AA! I'd recommend instead of meds, turning the temp on your tank up to 86 F, for 2-3 weeks. I've got sand and I mix it up to eliminate gas pockets occasionally. To remove the meds from the water you can use fresh carbon in your filter and that should remove it as well as pwc's. How long has your tank been set up and how big is it? Do you test your parameters?

 

[Bushido]

i dont have a test kit..
20gal

do i need to be worryed about the brown stuff on the sand?

and turning the heat up that high wont it kill some fish??

 

[PBirdsong]

The brown stuff is probably diatoms, which is common for newly established tanks. It is commonly called brown algae . . . but it isn't algae exactly. The Otocinclus Catfish will eat it up, though.
Gas pockets do build up in sand, and stirring the sand will help eliminate that . . . or you can buy Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They are nocturnal so during the day they bury themselves in the sand stirring it up for you. I have eight in my 55 gallon . . . which has playsand on the bottom.

HTH

 

[Zagz]

The heat will not harm the fish. You should invest in a liquid test kit to keep an eye on your parameters.

 

[PBirdsong]

P.S. I agree with Zagz too. Turn the temp up slowly over the next couple of days until you reach 86 degrees. Ich can't survive in that heat and your fish will be fine. Just raise the temp slowly. Last time this happened to us I raised it two degrees a day.

 

[Zagz]

LOL, I forgot that part, yes one degree every 12 hours is recommended.

 

[wavetide]

Nope!

fish will be fine

i've had mine up to 90 degrees

the thing is you have to keep it at 86-90 and never below 85 for 2 weeks and all the ich will be dead.

it speed sup their life cycle.

no salt or chemicals needed.

 

[PBirdsong]

the thing is you have to keep it at 86-90 and never below 85 for 2 weeks and all the ich will be dead.

Exactly. Even though you will not SEE the ich after only a couple of days, it is still in the tank. So to make sure its dead keep your tank temp at 86+ for at least two weeks. Then start to drop it slowly. Again . . . two degrees a day.

 

[Bushido]

does ick need water to live?, is there any thing i need to clean, like filter things where it may hide?

i think a air stone maybe needed with the high temp?

 

[rich311k]

An airstone is a good idea O2 levels go down as heat goes up. Your fish will be fine otherwise under higher heat and it will kill the ich.

 

[Bushido]

well the temp is now 80 2 tetras have died... im sick of wasteing my time on this tomorrow morninng i will be flushing the fish i do have, because there is ick all over them i dont have the time for this or the money..

 

[BlazerFRS]

wouldn't it sace you more money to save the fish you have then to flush 'em and buy new ones?

If you do get any new ones the ich is still present in the tank, so you'll still have to leave the temp way up high for 2 weeks anyway...

 

[PBirdsong]

With all DUE respect . . .

If you don't have time to take care of simple things like ich, then you shouldn't have a fish tank. I would see if there is someone else who would take your fish. Where do you live? If you are close enough I will take them. If not, see if a local fish store is willing to take them and nurse 'em back to health. Especially since it is ONLY ich. Freshwater ich maybe deadly, but it's such an easy fix.

 

[PBirdsong]

Also . . .

Getting rid of the fish will NOT get rid of the ich in your tank. Ich encysts itself into your substrate during it's life cycle.
But . . . turning your temp up to 86 degrees for two weeks will completely eliminate it. It's SO easy . . . :?

 

[amitnarain]

also small fish resist less well to ich than big fish. and tetras are small fish. so if youve got bigger fish dont throw them away.

be humane.

try to save your fish and u will achieve interior contentment.