convicts with ick

[robalanc71]

I hve a newly set up 55 gallon tank with about 22 convicts in it. I noticed about 2 fish have ick. Im trying wardleys ick away. I need to know if I need to do water change with treatment. It doesnt say on label to do it. I have dicontinued charcoal while treating. temp is at about 77-78 and holding. How long until fish show improvement and how many times do I treat the tank. Any thoughts would be great its been about 2 years since I have had a tank set up. Thanks all.

 

[robalanc71]

 

[robalanc71]

I have been treating my 55 for 7 days now and ich is almost gone. Should I keep up with meds either full dose or half dose. Or should I just turn up temp to finish off with. Temp is currently at 80. Only large female has a couple of spots on her rear fin the rest seem to be fine now. I do notice that when I treat the tank most of them start rubbing on the rocks but stops as the meds weaken. Any advise would be good since Im just now getting back into the fish thing again.

 

[Allivymar]

Continue to treat for a few days AFTER the spots are gone. Ich has a 3 stage life cycle and the part that you see on the fish is NOT affected by the meds. What you are doing is killing the free swimming ones, and you can't see em. So even if they are off the fish, they may still be cruising around the water column. Take a peek here for a more extensive explanation: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/fish/notes_ich.html .

 

[yellowjacket171]

I also have ich in my tank. I've only had my tank up and running for three months now. My Ich is from newly added bleeding heart tetras, and no I didn't quarentine them. I'm now getting a quarentine tank. My only fish affected so far are the three new ones. I am doing a good gravel vacuum every other day and doing daily 50% water changes, is this ok? I'm also adding Kordons Rid-Ick and Melafix as the new fish have slightly frayed fins, and 1 tsp of aquarium salt per gallon. I've kept my temp at 78 degrees, no carbon in the filter, my water tests are excellent. People always comment on how clear my tank looks. I'm very commited to my little fish. Will everything I'm doing stress the fish? Very stressful for me as I always try to do everything right and hate to have something wrong.

 

[Punkymom]

You might want to kick your temp up to 80. That always worked better for me to keep ich at bay. I have kept ich prone fish and had only one case when I first brought them home. Once I got rid of it, they only got it when the temp went below 80 degrees F. Carbon in your filter might be a good idea. Unless there's a reason you don't have it? I hope you get rid of the ich soon.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I've read to take the carbon out while medicating. and I'll raise my temp to 80. I have cory's also. Will they be alright. So far they seem ok.

 

[Allivymar]

I would can the salt. Corys are apparently (and this is not scientifically verified so far as I know, just from word of mouth) one of the few fish that do not handle salt well at all.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I quit the salt and did a real good gravel vacuum and another 50% water change and also the increase of temp to 80. Should I always keep my tank tem set to 80? I'm going on four days of treatment. I vacuum real good every other day and change 50% of their water every day. Is this ok to do everyday for as long as I have ich. I know to continue to medicate even after the ich spots are gone, maybe 4 days after? My bleeding heart tetras are looking better. Still a little frayed on some fins and tails and their ich spots are coming off. They seem more picky at eating time than my other fish. I feed a wide variety of food every day. My tiniest tetra is starting to eat. I hope as they get hungry they'll take what I offer. All my other fish look good, not sure when ick spots will appear if they are affected. Went to the caloriesperhour web site and read about ich. I sure learned alot more than on some other web sites. This web site has been so helpful to me. Excellent!

 

[Allivymar]

Sounds like things are moving in the right direction. Yay!

You don't need to keep the tank temps at 80 all the time; it depends on the range your fish normally live in. Actually, temps of 86f and above are generally lethal to ich; if your fish normally aren't at 80f then no reason to keep it there. I don't remember the range for tetras off the top of my head so you may want to check.

I'm also dealing with a case of ich in my tank (my clown loaches). I'm using the high temp/salt method as all my fish can handle that. Noticed spots last week; as of today no fish has any ich parasites visible (my poor littlest loach was covered). My salt ppm is around 3 and the tank temp is around 88-89f. I will be keeping those parameters, as well as regular gravel vacs for another week. If there are no other signs/outbreaks I'll slowly lower the temps to about 82-84 (where I keep it) and no longer add salt to the water changes.

Keep an eye on your water parameters (ammonia/nitrite) since you are doing such drastic changes, and you may want to pick up some Melafix (a mild antibacterial made from teatree oil) at the lfs as it seems to promote fin healing.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I'm adding Melafix and still doing a 50% daily water change. Will this affect the biological filter or cycle? My only difference is my PH went from 7.6 to 7.2. Its probably been that way for a while as I had no reason to test my water lately. Everybody told me I would be fighting to keep the PH up. I have some PH Up on hand just in case. I am still noticing new spots on my new tetras. How long will this go on? Nothing yet on anybody else. I want everything to get fixed fast and don't want to lose any fish. My husband didn't want me to get any more fish. He keeps saying I just couldn't leave well enough alone. I just had to have three more and thats my limit I told him. I know if any die he'll say I told you so. He's not too interested in the fish as I am. I call them my little water pups. Boy can they beg.

 

[Allivymar]

Melafix won't touch your biological filter so no probs there However, the ich meds might; keep a close eye on your water parameters.

New spots are showing up huh. Are you still using the ich meds? Ignore the med schedule it comes with; if you remember from that website, keep treating 2-3 days after the you no longer see the spots.

Oh, and are you using Amquel? I'm sure I read somewhere it somehow interferes with certain ich meds and makes em less effective.

 

[e-cat]

robalanc71, you have WAY too many convict cichlids in your tank, the best way too prevent ick is too have 80-82 for the temp and have salt in your tank. allivymar iv heard the smae thing about salt and corys , but is still went with the salt in there tank also and there where no ill effects too them they even bred, just remember for every one that doesnt know when your water evaporates dont add more salt the salt stays only add more salt too the appropriate amount with the amount of water you change during water changes.

 

[e-cat]

what ever brand of ick treatment youu are useing make sure it has malachie(sp.) green, if found that when i get ick the brand "quick cure" works ever good, along with the salt and higher tempatures.