I have ich!!!!

[willy1094]

Hello,
I need some advice! I have at about 1" each: 3 angels, and two gold sevrums. About 2" each: 3 catfish, 2 plecos, and 6 garami. About 4": 2 peacock eels and at about 6" a feather fin cat. Several of these guys have ich. I need to know what medication I can use that will not kill my plecos, eels and catfish. The tank is 125gal with gravel, rock, driftwood, and plastic plants. I'm running two tetra 30-60 and one marineland c-360. I could remove the carbon but worry that the other media in the canister, gravel, rock, etc will hold residue of the medication. I can get a hospital tank but will have to put all my fish in there with one of the tetra filters and a glass bottom. What is my best method and do I have to worry about the 125 still being "infected". I know ich will die out w/o fish to feed on but not sure how long it takes. The tank is established so I don't want to tear it all the way down and clean it. I just chanced from a Jack Dempsey tank to a community so the above fish (with exception of the feather fin cat) are all new as of the last few weeks.

Thanks for the help!!

 

[neilanh]

Read up on the heat method - that's what I'd recommend for you. The jist is that you slowly raise the temperature in your tank (1-3 degrees every 12 hours is what I do) until the temperature is above 85, preferrably 86 or 87. leave the tank at these higher temps until 2 weeks after all visual signs of Ich have passed.

You'll need some serious heater power to take a 125g tank up to those temps, but it's an effective method to clear an entire tank of the Ich outbreak.

 

[Jnam]

I second that motion Heat always works best for me. If you are having trouble raising 125G to that temp try moving the fish to a smaller tank and treating for the ICH there by moving that temp to 86, always aerate your water durring the heat method and if you have aggressive fish give everyone plenty of different size PVC pipe to hide in then take about half the water out of the 125 and heat the water thats left in the 125 to 86. Two weeks is a must no less. GOOD LUCK!

 

[willy1094]

Thanks for the advice. I went to my lfs and they gave me a ich treatment and said it would be safe for me eels. I now have two 300 watt heaters on the tank. I only had one before and it kept the water right at 78 so I'm hoping to get it up to about 83. I also picked up aquarium salt as I heard this helps also. Thanks again and please add any info if you think of anything!
nick

 

[Jnam]

IMHO try the heat method first and by itself. Retailers first and foremost concern is moving product and staying in business. ICH medications are somewhat harsh (they work but to what cost?) Formalin or Malachite green or some combination of the two is typicaly used and can be fatal to some fish (tetras for instance cannot handle a full dosage and must be given a half dosage). I have no other motives other than to hopefully hear that my advice helped with your ICH issues. Aquarium salt will help but only in conjunction with heat. 83 is not warm enough to kill the ICH 86 for me seems to be the minimum, and usually i can treat ICH effectively with only heat and no salt. The medication may not kill your cats or pleco or eels but it could help shorten thier life expectancy. Its kinda like treating a common cold with Chemo Therapy IMO.

If you decide to use the medication follow the directions perfectly and treat for at least two weeks and include extra aeration. Most ICH medication will also stain anything and everything blue or green. Silicon sealants and any air tubing will be stained.