pretreating ick?

[James_in_MN]

I'm about to go on vacation for a bit. Unfortunately, I'm running into a couple of problems with my 20g beforehand.

Yesterday, I noticed one of my five banded barbs swimming wobbly, listing to one side, and seeming to have swim bladder issues in general. One suggestion I was given was peas, which I gave them all yesterday. I have to hope that solved his problems, because my hospital tank was recently used and is in the process of getting sterilized.

Today, while scrutinizing my five banded barbs to find my odd swimmer, I noticed one of them was flashing against decorations in the tank. I know that's one of the signs of ick, which is troubling.

Today I bought two natural remedies for fish diseases, Pimafix and Melafix; one is an antifungal, and the other is an antibacterial. I'm pretty sure I saw someone suggest Melafix for ich treatment, which was anther reason I snagged it at the store.

My problem is, not only am I not 100% sure that it's ich (haven't noticed white spots), but I'll be gone for a while, which doesn't allow me to use this for the amount of time it suggests. I also don't have the time necessary to safely raise the temp high enough to help kill the ich, assuming it is ich.

Should I just bite the bullet and wait to do anything until I return? I'd like to avoid coming home to a tank full of dead fish, if possible.

 

[jetajockey]

I don't think melafix is going to do anything to ich.

It might be a leap to even assume it is ich at this point, are the fish new? Ich doesn't materialize out of nowhere. Flashing is a symptom for a few different issues. I would lean more towards gill flukes initially, but wouldn't treat it unless I saw a lot of flashing.

 

[James_in_MN]

I just realized I should give more info.

20g high tank
running since January 2011
AquaClear 50 and Duetto 100 filters
planted tank (corkscrew vals, amazon swords, crypts, anubias, others)
10 black neon tetras
5 five banded barbs
3 ottos
2 female bettas
4 pygmy cories
2-ish ghost shrimp (most finished by the fish)

prior to today's PWC
0 ppm ammonia
0 ppm nitrItes
20 ppm nitrAtes

last tested 05/01/11
7.8 pH
6 degrees GH
4 degrees KH

Only fish to be flashing was one of the five banded barbs.
The five banded barb that was flashing isn't the same one with swim bladder issues.
None of the black neons seem to have any signs of ich.
Neither of the bettas have signs of ich.
No ich noticeable on the pygmy cories or ottos.

 

[jetajockey]

how long are you going to be gone?

 

[James_in_MN]

I don't think melafix is going to do anything to ich.

It might be a leap to even assume it is ich at this point, are the fish new? Ich doesn't materialize out of nowhere. Flashing is a symptom for a few different issues. I would lean more towards gill flukes initially, but wouldn't treat it unless I saw a lot of flashing.

I bought the five banded barbs in late March.

I'm guessing I should wait and see from your response. I guess that because I have the one five banded barb swimming oddly then find another one flashing the day before I have to leave just bugs me.

 

[James_in_MN]

how long are you going to be gone?

I'll be gone for about a week.

 

[jetajockey]

I consider melafix/pimafix to be more of a homeopathic type thing so I don't see how it would hurt in any way. It's not like pre-treating the fish with certain antibiotics and then having the bug develop a resistance to it at some point. So if you think it'll help, then why not?

It doesn't sound like Ich to me btw.