Ich- 2 questions

[Engel]

Hi all,
Sorry I am FULL of questions. I am trying to read as much as I can that has already been posted, but this one has not.
So I was doing daily water changes of 50% because I realized too late I did not cycle my tank. My readings are staying good at > .25 ammonia, and zero Nitrates and Nitrites.
Now I am I am treating ich. I have the temp up to 82.14, and I decided to go with medication over salt, since I'm a beginner. Also because as of today there was a spot on one of my angels too, and meds seem to be faster. Or is that dependent on the cycle of the ich?
Either way I've started medicating. First, do I lay off the water changes unless my ammonia spikes?
Second, I noticed that all the angels are hanging out near where the filter feeds back water. Do you guys think the oxygen in the water is getting too low due to the temp? I don't have air stones in there.
If it is too low, will they be ok until I can get some tomorrow, or should I lower the temp for now?
So much to learn.... My father made this seem so easy when I was growing up. I never saw any of this part... just the beautiful tanks!

 

[McLumpy]

Hi! You're definitely on the right track by using meds and increasing the temp. In regards to your question about oxygen, yes, when the temp of the water is that high you do need some type of airflow, (i.e. bubble wand, air stones, etc.). If you don't have any readily available, you can always remove some of the water from your tank so that your filter water outflow will splash, thus placing oxygen in the water.

Also, when you no longer see white spots this means that the Ich's lifecycle has changed and you should continue treating your tank in order to kill them.

Hope this helps! I'm dealing w/ an Ich situation too and although it's frustrating, the fine ppl of AA will help guide you.

 

[Engel]

Thank you! I am going to remove some of the water now. Although it seems so obvious, I hadn't even considered it! I can go get the air stones tomorrow.
How long AFTER the white spots are gone should I continue to treat them? I was in the middle of cycling too, so this is really inconvenient.

 

[McLumpy]

You're currently cycling your tank... w/ fish? I won't comment on that subject, but you may want to post more details about your tank, (i.e. size, current stock, etc.), so that others can assist.

Oh and you're very welcome! It was a trick I learned about when I was dealing w/ my first Ich outbreak. I had a bubble wand in the tank, but I wanted to make sure there was more than enough oxygen in the tank. Definitely do that tonight, it will give you some time to buy what you need and your fish will thank you!

I'm afraid you will need to treat your tank for at least 2-3 days after you see the last white spot... or longer. The duration of treatment depends on not only the visual effects of the Ich but how your fish are acting. Keep a lookout for flashing. Mine are currently doing this, (well my Shark anyway), so I have no doubt that I need to keep treating my tank.

Also, did you remove any carbon from your filter media? What meds are you using?

 

[Engel]

I did remove the carbon cartridge from the filter. I'm sorry to say I'm using the only thing available from WalMart today, Ick Guard. We are experiencing an ice storm, and I couldn't go further than that.
I know I'm a bad fish mom. I started it up before I read about cycling, and I've been doing water changes daily since I found out. I feel really bad for them, but I think I can pull them through!
My angel that has the spot started flashing yesterday, and I think the tetras are, but not as much. It actually started with them first.
I currently have six red minor tetras, five green coydra catfish, and four angels in a 40g.
I also know now that my angels need the tank to themselves as they grow, so if I can't find someone that would like the tetras, and two of the cats then I'm going to start a new tank for them. The right way.

 

[McLumpy]

Don't fret. Becoming a good fish mom takes time, (just like being a real mom in a lot of ways lol). I'm still learning new things and I can guarantee any advanced fishkeeper can say the same. Heck, I even made the same mistake w/ my first fish tank around 15 years ago. It happens. But always know there are a lot of really helpful ppl on here that will assist you in any way. Don't be afraid to ask questions and be sure to give extensive information about your situation.

I have never used Ich Guard, I usually use Ich Attack or Rid Ich. It should indicate on the bottle whether or not it's recommended that you make water changes between treatments. Regardless, if your water conditions are less than satisfactory, do NOT hesitate to do pwc's! I just had a situation w/ high Nitrates while treating Ich and, thanks to the advice from others on here, I did multiple pwc's and it decreased the Nitrates.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Look at you McLumpy!! Giving advice - that's the way it should be done!

 

[McLumpy]

Look at you McLumpy!! Giving advice - that's the way it should be done!

Hey man, I've been where she's at right now.

I just need help w/ balancing my stupid water parameters and learning about fish diseases.

 

[OhNeil1969]

Hey man, I've been where she's at right now.

I just need help w/ balancing my stupid water parameters and learning about fish diseases.

That's why we're all here!!! BTW, sorry Engel if we're hijacking your post. I'm going to stop now. Just know that after a while you'll be answering someone else's questions and saving them.

 

[Engel]

Hey no worries! It does seem like it'll be eons before I know what I'm doing, much less offering advice.
Update on a good note though... I watched for a while this morning while they woke up for breakfast, and didn't observe anyone flashing. The tetras are kind of schooling again, the coydras are out and frolicking for the first time in a week, and everyone seems a little better overall.
Now if I understand this right, I have killed any little bacteria colonies I had going with this ick med, yes? I did remove the carbon cartridge, and have it soaking in tank water.... the ich should be dead in that bucket with no fish to live on by the time I return it right? And maybe I will have salvaged some of my bacteria progress?
Here's a thing though. I freaked out about cycling when I read it on here after setting up and stocking my tank within two weeks. I started doing water changes immediately even though I had no ammonia testing capabilities. I figured it couldn't hurt to do them till I knew where I stood. Since receiving my API master test kit, I have been consistently getting zeros (near enough zero ammonia to really look more zero than .25 in color) across the board. Never had an ammonia spike much less a spike in NO2 or NO3. ??? Am I cycling?? The lfs sold me some of that bacteria jup start stuff, so maybe that is throwing things off? Or I am just that good with the pwc's?

 

[McLumpy]

Great news! Glad to hear you're having success!

There's no telling for sure if all of the Ich are killed off. But if you continued med application 2-3 days after seeing the last white spot, you might be ok. It doesn't hurt anything to continue the meds for longer.

You should be fine by rinsing out your filter media in a bucket filled w/ tank water. I don't really know if it "kills" any that are in your filters. However, given that they don't have a host to nibble on, it's possible. Chances are though, any that are in your filters are already dead.

I can't really help you w/ answering your questions about cycling. I just cycled my tank for a long time, (IIRC 6 weeks), then added a few fish at a time. Of course, back then, I was testing my water using test strips. Meh. I also didn't know but the basics of managing water parameters. But thanks to joining AA, I'm learning!

Anyone want to chime in and help Engel w/ her cycling questions?