Is it time to give up on salt/heat treatment for ich

[SherryD]

Hi all, I see lots of info on ich on this site and maybe I am jumping the gun. Ok, seems most folks give info on tank/fish first so...
56 g column tank with HOB (aqueon?) filter rated for up to 70 g. Have 4 inch bubble stone, assorted fake plants and river rock type gravel, less than 1/2inch diameter. Fish-7 assorted swordtails, 4 spotted corycats, (I know they may have trouble with salt, but doing ok so far) and 5 bleeding heart tetras. Tank is not fully cycled, didn't know about that til after fact but keeping ammonia levels less than .5 with PWC every other day.
So found smallest bleeding heart with several spots about 5 days ago, did research on AA and started increasing heat to 86-87 degrees. Also started adding salt..now up to just over 1 TBSP per 10 g. Did salt over 3 days. 4 days ago second tetra had about 5-6 spots and first one looked like it had been rolled in salt or sugar! 2 days ago tetra with only couple of spots to start with seems to be spot free but first tetra still looked like it was rolled in salt/sugar. That tetra still today looks like it has same number of spots, maybe a few less,
but stll covered. Also she is staying away from group and seems to be "listing" to one side when she sits still. Still eating as of last night, havn't fed yet
today. Oh I am also doing PWC and vacuuming gravel every other day.
So, need advice, is there still hope for curing Little One, should I add
medications or stick with heat/salt? Please help, she looks miserable.
thanks for any help

 

[LyndaB]

Ich always gets worse before it gets better.

The standard timeframe for the heat/salt regimen is 2 weeks. Just keep doing what you're doing.

Sadly, the uncycled tank isn't helping so it might take longer. Also, their immune systems would have been weakened by the uncycled tank. They may not survive, but some might.

Good luck.

 

[Batt4Christ]

I personally would do daily pwc- any ammonia will weaken the fish/stress them.

Also- in a column tank, current flow can sometimes not keep all the water well oxygenated, and the same lack of flow can cause warm and cold spots in the tank-

But I would just stick it out and do daily water changes and wait it out.

 

[SherryD]

Thanks for help everyone, I will stick it out and let u all know how it goes

 

[LyndaB]

Any update?

 

[SherryD]

Update on ich

Treatment for one tetra worked! Had only a few spots and they went away within a few days but other tetra had very bad case and as it started to get better he got body fungus and died next day. Since then no sign of ich on other fish and I am just starting to decrease salt levels through PWC every day, only 10-15% each day. Fish are doing great, ammonia and nitrite levels kept at <.25 nitrates at about 10 so tank is still cycling but doing ok.

Thanks for all the help. And next tank will definitely be cycled without fish! I have learned! I have also set up a quarantine tank so won't have this problem when I am ready to add fish.

 

[LyndaB]

glad to hear things are working out....... yes, there are many risks involved when cycling with fish.