Treating ick with red cherry shrimps

[mpulido0316]

Sorry if this is on the wrong catagory

Tank size: 5g hex shape
Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: less than 5ppm
Temp: 77*F
Stock: 3 RCS and 3 Ember tetras

So my tank has Ick and the medicine we need to use (Tetra Ick Guard) could possibly kill the shrimp. That's the last thing I want to do. I need to figure out if it'll kill them or if I can just put them in a holding container somewhere else and if this would kill them? I'm not sure what's happening. Some help would be appreciated. Thanks so much.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[ScotJudd]

Hi. The problem with reintroducing shrimp to a previously treated tank is that the smallest amount of copper could still be present, despite numerous water changes. I have previously used the heat method rather than medication. Plenty of gravel cleaning with regular water changes and Ick can be irradicated. Increase water surface movement to compensate for the reduced oxygen concentration at higher temperatures. I believe that increased temp is less stressful than medication. At higher temperatures any deaths would probably have occurred anyway, by the time the White spots are present on the fishes body they will have almost certainly have infected the gills as so much water is pushed through them.


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Linwood]

If you try heat (and I'm a fan -- two for two successful treatment, one with ghost shrimp), be sure to raise the temperature to at least 87F and keep it there two full weeks, no less, and if in doubt of accuracy of your thermometer go higher not lower.

The issue with heat is temps from around 80-84 make ich worse, but above 86F kills it, so you do not want to half-do heat.

Heat can be combined with salt (but salt is not needed), but cannot be combined at that temp with medication as it removes too much o2 (medication usually calls for 80-83 or so which is fine).

Raise temp fairly slowly, but not silly-slow -- A degree every hour or two is fine.

Heat may make ich worse for a day or so as it accelerates their lifecycle (it then kills them during reproduction).

 

[mpulido0316]

I ended up introducing them after a full change of water and washing out the gravel. They seem to be doing ok. They were in a Tupperware container with some plants and one of the shrimp was berries. I didn't want to risk losing the eggs so I tried to get them into the new tank as quickly and safely as possible. I ended up testing it out with one shrimp to see if he would be ok. After about 6 hrs he was fine. The rest were acclimated in after.
Unfortunately, none of the fish survived the ick.. so if I do happen to have this problem again, (I hope I won't) I will definitely be trying the heat method instead of medication. All the medicine did was turn all the plastic blue. ?

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[IllusionX]

Just a side note, tetras are schooling fishes. You want at least 5-6 of them together. So your fish either came with ick or they stressed out being so small number.

 

[mpulido0316]

I know. I had more in there but by the time I posted something I was down to three. So I guess they just came with Ick. I think for now, I'm just going to stick with a shrimp only tank until I get more experience.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[IllusionX]

Also, I don't know what filter you have, but I've always been suggested to remove the carbon before using any kind of chemical medication.

I've also had RCS survive ick treatment, but mostly adults, when I first had shrimps.

 

[Linwood]

Just a side note, tetras are schooling fishes. You want at least 5-6 of them together. So your fish either came with ick or they stressed out being so small number.

They came with ich.

Ich cannot be caused by stress. Stress can make it get worse and show up, but they must be infected to get it. So yes, they could have had a low grade infestation at the LFS, and being in a small group bought it out, but it is a myth that stress causes ich.

mpulido0316: DO NOT GET MORE FISH FOR A WHILE. Ich can live in the tank for somewhere between days and weeks (the warmer the temperature the shorter the life span). Consider raising the temp a bit, and let the ich burn itself out . Give it at least 3-4 weeks to be sure your tank is completely clear of Ich so the next set of fish can't be infected from the tank.

From what I understand RCS cannot get ich, but can carry the reproducing stage (this is a little tiny egg-like thing that lands on rocks and plants and sticks then explodes with free-swimming parasites that reinfect fish).