Ick

[Jamers80]

So for starters I have a 38 gallon bowfront
With penguin bio reel. I cycled the tank did all that started adding fish and everything was great. Woke up one day to a cloudy tank. Did a pwc ~20%. Water was still cloudy. Yesterday I noticed ick on few of my neon tetras. I did another water change and added ick guard fizzing tablets. Since doing this yesterday I have lost 3 more neon tetras. I am at a loss and could really use some advice. Just some additional info. I have 4 Dalmatian Mollies. 4 rio or flame tetra. And now 9 neon tetrasany help would be greatly appreciated

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Sounds like the tank didn't quite cycle, neons are actually quite sensitive to parameters and could be stressed which lead to ick and eventually death. I would check the water quality, then turn the heat up to 86° and add some aquarium salt along with the tabs.

 

[Angellove78]

Might wanta do a 50% water change. And check your filter. Pad might have to be dunked a few times in a bowl of tank water if the water change don't clear up the water. Vacuum the bottom before water change. For ich, salt works, so does kordon ich-attack,gotta take the carbon out for the ich-attack. But works good.

 

[flitabout]

Agreed my tank normally clouds on a nitrite spike

 

[Jamers80]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve lost 7 neons. But the other fish seem to be doing ok. Haven’t noticed any spots on them. I raised the temperature, added salt and been doing 15-20% water change every other day.

 

[Angellove78]

Thanks for the advice. I’ve lost 7 neons. But the other fish seem to be doing ok. Haven’t noticed any spots on them. I raised the temperature, added salt and been doing 15-20% water change every other day.

When you do salt you get better results by leaving it in for a few days without water change. I wait till I start seeing the white spots fall off. Then vacuum the bottom and do a water change. Then I add salt again till its all off. And only for a week with salt. Then I vacuum the bottom with & water changes the next week. But I do 40-50% water changes. And make sure your light is off while treating. Salt is not effective till the white spots fall off the fish.

 

[Discusluv]

Are you doing medication, high heat, and salt with your neon tetras? That is a sure fire way to kill neon tetras. I would do a large water change and get the salt out of your tank asap--- in high concentrations will do more harm than good as neon come from extremely soft waters, with low pH and mineral content.

Also, you want to either do the heat method to cure Ich or medication. Never both at the same time. The Ich parasite often attacks the sensitive tissues of the gills and the rate of its spread is temperature dependent ( the higher the temperature, the quicker it proliferates its growth inside gill cover and outside the cover).
Also, the addition of medications, Ich medications included, lowers the dissolved oxygen in the tank, making it harder for the fish, who is already oxygen-depleted, from taking up needed oxygen in water.

What this means: Use only one treatment at a time to treat ich, not both high heat and medications. Ich compromises oxygen uptake in fish--- both high heat and medication, used in combination, will kill the fish. But, one treatment at a time, either medication or high heat, with adequate addition of aeration with air-stone are well tolerated.

Misinformation is rampant on treating for Ich-- mostly because people dont consider the type of fish when deciding the best treatment for Ich or use, as in this case, all the methods known to treat Ich at once. Overkill. Salt may be a good choice for Platy's, but, a very poor choice for South American species like Angelfish, Discus, and tetras. Here is a very thorough article that will clarify what I am speaking about above:

https://www.myschnauzer.net/ich.html

 

[Jamers80]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I think im finally gaining the upper hand. No more losses! Also I haven’t seen any spots on the fish since Sunday. And the neons color has definitely came back to the vibrant blues and red and my flame tetras are starting to gain there orange back. My water is still a little cloudy. Not bad but not crystal clear I understand that there’s been a lot going on in there recently. Was planning on doing a pwc tomorrow. Do you recommend changing the filter again also?

 

[coralbandit]

Are you doing medication, high heat, and salt with your neon tetras? That is a sure fire way to kill neon tetras. I would do a large water change and get the salt out of your tank asap--- in high concentrations will do more harm than good as neon come from extremely soft waters, with low pH and mineral content.

Also, you want to either do the heat method to cure Ich or medication. Never both at the same time. The Ich parasite often attacks the sensitive tissues of the gills and the rate of its spread is temperature dependent ( the higher the temperature, the quicker it proliferates its growth inside gill cover and outside the cover).
Also, the addition of medications, Ich medications included, lowers the dissolved oxygen in the tank, making it harder for the fish, who is already oxygen-depleted, from taking up needed oxygen in water.

What this means: Use only one treatment at a time to treat ich, not both high heat and medications. Ich compromises oxygen uptake in fish--- both high heat and medication, used in combination, will kill the fish. But, one treatment at a time, either medication or high heat, with adequate addition of aeration with air-stone are well tolerated.

Misinformation is rampant on treating for Ich-- mostly because people dont consider the type of fish when deciding the best treatment for Ich or use, as in this case, all the methods known to treat Ich at once. Overkill. Salt may be a good choice for Platy's, but, a very poor choice for South American species like Angelfish, Discus, and tetras. Here is a very thorough article that will clarify what I am speaking about above:

https://www.myschnauzer.net/ich.html

Finally !

 

[flitabout]

I wouldn' change the filter pad just rinse it in tank water from the water change.