Trying to cure Ick

[crzybilly]

Hello, my first post!

I just recently set up my 30 gallon tank after sitting in my garage for 8 years. Since I am an impatient person, I set up my tank quickly, so I have about 20 fish and various plants. I have already been struggling with certain fish getting ick. I've lost a few fish already trying to treat them in a seperate one gallon tank. The medicine I use, claims it cures it in 2 days with one drop per gallon, but so far it seems to do not much. I've mistakenly put some of them back in my tank only to see it get worse and eventually die. Most of my fish are fine, but so far I have lost 2 clown loaches, 2 bala sharks, 1 silver dollar, and a pictus cat to ick . Now I have 2 "new" clown loaches, 1 bumblebee gobie, and a pitbull pleco that have ick, that just seem impossible to cure :? . Anyone know any good methods and medicine brands to use?

 

[William]

By the description...

are you using QuICK Cure?


and I believe [ Don't act on my words, wait for osmeone else or look it up on the forums ] if you up the tank temputure up to around 86degrees , a degree or two at the time every few hours, and leave it at that for a bit, the ich should all die off.

Also, you should treat the entire tank since the ich IS in the main tank

again, wait for more advice or look around on the forums, since I'm a novice myself and not quite sure.


Hope I helped

 

[Allivymar]

Hiya and welcome to AquariumAdvice crzybilly

Ok, coupla things:

What are your water parameters? Ammonia/nitrites/nitrates. Without good clean fresh treated water your fish will not be strong enough to fight off ich AND deal with the nitrogenous poisons and will most likely continue to keel over. Keep in mind, ammonia and nitrites are deadly to fish; ammonia burns the gills, nitrites compete with oxygen and both suffocate the fish.

As for treating ich, at this point you'll need to treat the entire tank; I'm guessing they ALL have it even tho some may not be showing signs yet (subclinical infections of ich aren't always visible, and sometimes the infection sits in the gills where you can't see it). I strongly suggest you read this site; it explains what ich is, as well as its life cycle and different ways to treat it: http://www.caloriesperhour.com/fish/notes_ich.html

Personally I have never treated ich with medication; when my clown loaches came down with it after a big move, I used salt and high temps (and made sure all the fish in the tank could handle it first; not all fish can take high temps or salt). They have been ich free and healthy for almost 2 months now. I also had a couple of cardinal neons arrive with ich; I treated them with high temps only (again making sure all the fish in the QT could handle it) as tetras don't do well with salt. Again, they are healthy and ich free, and have moved into their new home last week.

Things to know is 1) ich treatments must continue even AFTER you don't see any spots on the fish. It has a stage where its free swimming (the only stage meds can kill it) and you can't see them. and 2) the temps need to be above 86f as William mentioned. Need to be very careful as some fish cannot handle it, and higher temps means less O2 in the water (warm water holds less O2 then cold) and additional surface agitation may be necessary.

 

[gregg604]

Know how you feel

Just put some new driftwood from the beach into my tank, looked great and thought I saved myself a couple bucks. Then things started dying. All the large expensive fish first... Argg. Sounds like you are doing all the same things I am. I am on the third day of the treatment drops. Lady told me to boost the tempurature a bit and keep the treatment going for five days so it completely dies off. Good luck...

 

[crzybilly]

Well, I've decided to start using reverse osmosis water from the local tropical fish store for my water changes. So far my tank is real clean, as I've been during 5 gallon water changes once a week, but I think my tap water is the problem. Where I live too the water is real hard and has high pH. As far as my sick fish, I'm gonna try the Mardel brand medicine for my quarantined fish which was recommended to me. I gonna use Aquari-Sol brand for my main tank, but not too often as I have plants, a crab, tiger prawn, and african frogs, which I understand can affect them. So I'll see how it goes from here.

Thanks,

 

[cindywindy]

Billy,

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but 20 fish or so in a 30g was just a recipe for disaster. That is just far, far too many fish for that size tank, and some of them that you have started out with are extremely sensitive to water conditions, namely the clown loaches, which also happen to be extremely susceptible to ich outbreaks.

I understand that you are anxious to get rid of your outbreak as fast as possible, but you have been given very good advice here to try the natural route before medicating. The reasons for this are many, not the least of which is that most medications have an adverse effect on the biocolonies of your tank, reducing the number of healthy and helpful bacterial population. Raising the temp in your tank along with salt treatment (be careful tho, not all fish and most reptiles are not compatible with salt, better check first !) is extremely effective, without affecting your bacterial bed. Your bacteria colonies staying intact with that kind of a fish load will prove to be invaluable ... it might even mean life or death for your fish.

The other reason to avoid medication as much as possible is because the addition of medication to your fishes' environment which are already stressed from overcrowding, disease, and poor water conditions will further stress them and could weaken them further.

Make sure you continue your water changes, at least 50% or so every couple of days, taking care to vacuum your substrate completely to clean your tank of any disease-causing bacteria caused from an accumulation of decaying food and waste products in the gravel or sand.

Gregg,
I suspect your fishes' deaths were caused more from the leeching of sea salt from the driftwood you found at the beach. Using any decor for a FW tank that is found on the beach (shells, rocks, wood, etc) will significantly change the appropriate osmotic gradient in your water to one with too much salt for most FW fish to tolerate.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I started my tank in May 2003. And I also was anxious but took my time setting up and introducing my fish. I still lost some. One of my very first fish has been in my tank for 4 months now. About a month ago I introduced Ich into my 29 gal tank by adding and not quarentining 3 bleeding heart tetras. Unfortunately all 3 tetras died. I was afraid my remaining original 8 fish would get Ich and die. I raised my temps to 82 and treated with Kordons Rid Ich. I didn't use the salt method because I have cory cat fish. I did water changes and gravel vacs an awful lot. Today 3 weeks later my tank is looking great. None of my original 8 got Ich and my tank is healthy. I have no desire to add any more fish at this time.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I started my tank in May 2003. And I also was anxious but took my time setting up and introducing my fish. I still lost some. One of my very first fish has been in my tank for 4 months now. About a month ago I introduced Ich into my 29 gal tank by adding and not quarentining 3 bleeding heart tetras. Unfortunately all 3 tetras died. I was afraid my remaining original 8 fish would get Ich and die. I raised my temps to 82 and treated with Kordons Rid Ich. I didn't use the salt method because I have cory cat fish. I did water changes and gravel vacs an awful lot. Today 3 weeks later my tank is looking great. None of my original 8 got Ich and my tank is healthy. I have no desire to add any more fish at this time.

 

[yellowjacket171]

I started my tank in May 2003. And I also was anxious but took my time setting up and introducing my fish. I still lost some. One of my very first fish has been in my tank for 4 months now. About a month ago I introduced Ich into my 29 gal tank by adding and not quarentining 3 bleeding heart tetras. Unfortunately all 3 tetras died. I was afraid my remaining original 8 fish would get Ich and die. I raised my temps to 82 and treated with Kordons Rid Ich. I didn't use the salt method because I have cory cat fish. I did water changes and gravel vacs an awful lot. Today 3 weeks later my tank is looking great. None of my original 8 got Ich and my tank is healthy. I have no desire to add any more fish at this time.