Ich and fin rot wont go away!!!

[STLharper314]

I've done 25 percent water changes every 2 days for the last 3 weeks. With the necessary medication, coppersafe for the ich and melafix for the fin rot. Yesterday I did a 50 percent and a 60 percent water change. I'm hoping this will help but if you have any suggestions for me I would GREATLY appreciate it!!! THANK YOU!

 

[Myfisheatsyours]

Do 30% wc then treat water w/meds. Wait 8 hours do 30% again and treat meds again continue this cycle until disease passes. Increase water temp 1 degree a day until 86 as the higher temp is supposed to kill off the ich. Make sure your using dechlorinater with the wcs.

 

[STLharper314]

You mean water conditioner?

 

[STLharper314]

And my heater will only go up to 82.

 

[Myfisheatsyours]

Yep water conditioner is what I meant and I would def turn it all the way up and maybe if it's in the budget I'd grab another heater to go higher. Ich sucks and it spreads fast, best way to stop that is the heat. Chemicals ahould always be a fall back as they aren't good for fish in the long run.

 

[calfishguy]

You could also add salt it will help with the ich and the fin rot. I also think that you should get another heater you can raise the temp a degree an hour.

 

[STLharper314]

What brand of heater should I get? I have a 200 watt aqueon with the dial all the way up it only gets to 82 degrees.

 

[Rivercats]

When using Mardel coppersafe you should only be using other mardel medicine products. They are made to compliment each other. Coppersafe stays in the water 30 days and if your doing WC's without readding the proper amount of coppersafe then that is why your ick isn't going away. Were it me, I'd do a WC, add the proper amount of Copper safe, then wait till almost day 30 to do another big WC, then redose your Coppersafe to be sure everything is dead and once again leave it without a WC for 30 days. Feed lightly since you'll be putting off WC's. Copper is the strongest parasite killer. And be sure you have no carbon in your filter (but check to see if Mardel recommends it's removal or not). I would also check Mardel's website to see if Melafix is able to be used with Coppersafe. Melafix is great for fin healing, it is the only product I use on my angels when their fins get torn up. Don't know if Maracyn or Maracyn 2 is for fin rot but if used properly with coppersafe your issues should clear up. If you heater only goes to 82 that is fine. It's just the higher the heat, up to 86, the faster the ick cycle goes. But with temps that high some fish become stressed just so you know to watch for that if you get a second heater. Hope this helps.

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

i'm just now getting over an ich outbreak and i'm returning my water temp back to 76-77 very slowly...

in my experience(for what its worth) the only things that i did were A) turned my temp up to 86, and B) 30%-40% water changes ever OTHER day or every three days. also because i havent seen it mentioned on the thread yet... KEEP your temp high for at least a week after you see the last white dot(ich) disappear.

now for the tricky part cause i don't want to offend the other people trying to help, but i don't really think dumping chems in your tank is going to help in the long run and some fish can have horrible reactions to copper so you may want to research the fish you have in the tank and see if they can stand copper... salt isn't a bad idea though, just be careful how much you put in. i bought some aquarium salt but opted not to use it.

last thing,

since your temp is "higher" then normal your fish will be more active and their metabolism(sp?) will be faster so you may need to feed them a little more during the time your temp is higher.

hope this helps

 

[Rivercats]

Regardless of how you d ecide to treat the ich, you are going to have to use some type of medicine for the fin rot. Either a natural treatment like Melafix, or chemical one like the Maracyns. Fin rot is usually a secondary infection, in your case most likely caused from the ich. I know some people that have fish only (no plants) have used salt for helping cure fin rot, but I know little about this proceedure. Melafix isn't a chemical, it's a natural product and is safe to use and usually very effective against fin rot. Fin rot is also associated with gram negative bacteria which needs to be addressed with chemical medications if natural remedies don't work. As with anything, using chemical medication must be used with caution and with full knowlege of how they work and their effects on not only the fish but the entire aquatic enviornment. Medications have their place, they are sometimes a necessary evil.

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

Melafix isn't a chemical, it's a natural product and is safe to use and usually very effective against fin rot.QUOTE]

i stand corrected, my apologies

 

[jlk]

Melafix isn't a chemical, it's a natural product and is safe to use and usually very effective against fin rot.QUOTE]

i stand corrected, my apologies

I am curious, how do you stand corrected? Melafix IS a chemical. Whether a product comes from a tree, a flower or is manufactured in a lab, they are all still chemicals. 'All natural' does not make it any safer or more effective. It also worth mentioning that Melafix contains other 'adjuvants' that remain unnamed as well as emulsifiers, surfectants, preservatives, defoamers, etc. These are all 'chemicals' as well. I am not a proponent of melafix/bettfix/pimafix and their use. I posted further information in the thread below.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f12/melafix-treatment-vs-filter-223392.html

 

[HopefulHobbiest]

I'm still learning to read apparently lol, English confuses me...

No seriously I dunno why I put that, maybe a blonde moment on my part lol