jsnuffaluff
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2015
- Messages
- 11
Dear experts,
I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions over this past weekend. I have Archie, a three year old red oranda. I added a new black moor who apparently brought ich home with her, but that's just the beginning. Let me start with my specs.
55 gallon freshwater planted
Marineland Penguin 350 filter
Whisper 10 gallon filter
UV sterilizer
Heater
Sand substrate
API liquid test kit, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5ppm nitrate, currently 82 degrees, pH 8.2 (always high). I've had a cycled tank for over three years now, weekly water changes (Seachem Prime) and monthly deep cleaning, I leave my biowheel untouched for my much sought after biological filtration. I feed shelled green peas, variety of sinking pellets, daphia and blood worms.
This adventure started Thursday, Archie likes to scare my husband and I just about every day by rolling around and occasionally upside down (i know what you're thinking), but after years I realized this is just his personality. Thursday he didn't become upright again. Friday night I did a 50% water change due to being a little worried. Saturday I saw the dreaded white speckles of ich and started researching. I bought Melafix, Pimafix and aquarium salt, (i've spent an obscene amount of money at the LFS lately.) Forums said bump up the temperature to 82-86 degrees, add 1 Tbsp per 5 gallons of water (dissolved before adding), Pimafix + Melafix at 5ml per 10 gallons, and do 90% water changes daily until better. I did this for three days. Everything has just gotten worse. Nothing online tells you what signs to look for or what constitutes as "better," just a foreboding "it gets worse before it gets better." Archie looks like death, with a multitude of things going on - tattered, white, red fins, he's breathing hard, he isn't upright, the white spots are now patches. The moor is in better shape, upright but clamped fins in a bottom corner. I am all out of options. I don't know how he is still alive.
I'll add that I'm a veterinary technician and although it's hard for me to watch him suffer, my husband wants to keep trying. I'm thinking of giving it one more day. Tonight I've replaced 95% of my water with Prime treated water only in some last ditch effort.
Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. I feel like a horrible fish mom.
I have been on a rollercoaster of emotions over this past weekend. I have Archie, a three year old red oranda. I added a new black moor who apparently brought ich home with her, but that's just the beginning. Let me start with my specs.
55 gallon freshwater planted
Marineland Penguin 350 filter
Whisper 10 gallon filter
UV sterilizer
Heater
Sand substrate
API liquid test kit, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5ppm nitrate, currently 82 degrees, pH 8.2 (always high). I've had a cycled tank for over three years now, weekly water changes (Seachem Prime) and monthly deep cleaning, I leave my biowheel untouched for my much sought after biological filtration. I feed shelled green peas, variety of sinking pellets, daphia and blood worms.
This adventure started Thursday, Archie likes to scare my husband and I just about every day by rolling around and occasionally upside down (i know what you're thinking), but after years I realized this is just his personality. Thursday he didn't become upright again. Friday night I did a 50% water change due to being a little worried. Saturday I saw the dreaded white speckles of ich and started researching. I bought Melafix, Pimafix and aquarium salt, (i've spent an obscene amount of money at the LFS lately.) Forums said bump up the temperature to 82-86 degrees, add 1 Tbsp per 5 gallons of water (dissolved before adding), Pimafix + Melafix at 5ml per 10 gallons, and do 90% water changes daily until better. I did this for three days. Everything has just gotten worse. Nothing online tells you what signs to look for or what constitutes as "better," just a foreboding "it gets worse before it gets better." Archie looks like death, with a multitude of things going on - tattered, white, red fins, he's breathing hard, he isn't upright, the white spots are now patches. The moor is in better shape, upright but clamped fins in a bottom corner. I am all out of options. I don't know how he is still alive.
I'll add that I'm a veterinary technician and although it's hard for me to watch him suffer, my husband wants to keep trying. I'm thinking of giving it one more day. Tonight I've replaced 95% of my water with Prime treated water only in some last ditch effort.
Any advice at all would be greatly appreciated. I feel like a horrible fish mom.