Ugh, new fish and ich..

[cjldad]

I just got home with my son from replacing a gourami that died last week.. I looked over the fish as best as possible at the store.. We got home, aclimated, then put the fish in the tank.. (Everyone can yell at me for not having a QT now) Anyhow, under my bright lights, you can see the ich spots on the new fish.. As fast as I could, I grabbed a tote I use to make water for my sons tank and filled it with tank water to place the sad gourami in it.. Now............................

Am I screwed within the 5 min's he was in my tank? I guess the residual water on the net I used to grab him out of the bag is probably the biggest problem huh?

What do pet stores do with fish you return that have ich or other problems? I don't really have a setup for a hospital tank right now.....
Thanks for your insight!!!

 

[mfdrookie516]

I am in the same boat as you. i sold my qt because i didnt plan on getting more fish, got some, now my 150g is infested with columnaris.

It really depends on the store whether they will take back a fish with ich or not. Ideally, you could run to walmart and buy a $12 10g tank and treat the fish, then put it in the tank and keep the 10g as a qt. As far as the ich affecting the other fish, its hard to say. 5 mins is 5 mins. Hard to say, just keep an eye on them and be prepared to treat them at first sign.

 

[cjldad]

It's not so much the tank.. I have another tank and the tote I'm using is about 15 gallons, so it's large enough.. But I don't have the "stuff" to go along.. Small heater, small filter or air bubbler.. You know.. Stuff..

 

[Blueiz]

What is your other stock in the tank?

Personally, I'd put the gourami back in the main tank and add 2 tsp of salt per gallon and let it ride out. The salt in the water will kill the ich when it transforms into the free swimming stage off of the gourami before it can affect the other fish, and there is a possibility (however great or small) that you may have introduced ich in it's free swimming form into the tank through the residule water on the net.

I personally have never had any trouble with this level of salt with any of my cats, inverts or plants. IME, the salt isn't left in the water at these levels long enough to have any advers affects. However, since I don't know what your stock is, I don't know if you have any really sensitive fish (such as clown loaches) that could be adversely affected by the salt.

 

[cjldad]

Bloodfin and Black neon Tetras..
Another gourami..
And some cory's.... (the problem ones for the salt treatment I believe)

 

[i3k]

You can give the Gourami a salt bath.

 

[cjldad]

I called the LFS to let them know they had Ich in one of their tanks.. They thanked me and told me to bring the fish back and they would treat it there since they had to treat the others anyhow.. So, off to the store I go I guess..

 

[h8z2luze]

I am also battling ich right now. Did the salt and heat method. Seems to be working. Since I added the salt there hasnt been any deaths and the white spots seem to be going away.

 

[Blueiz]

A salt bath will do nothing for the ich because it can only be killed in the free swimming stage.

My cories have always done fine with that level of salt.