Best ich treatment? Urgent, pls help me.

[roydooms]

I was told by Tim Wheatley(remember the link?) when I was fighting ich, that if I still see ich on the 11th day that to stop salt treatment and do a PWC. He said that 11 days is too long to have salt in the water for the fish. That's when I used ich cure instead.

Do you still see white spots?

 

[siva]

2 days without spots so far.

 

[roydooms]

That's great. How often do you do a PWC?

 

[siva]

I wasn't doing any at the very beginning, then started every other day. How often should I be doing them?

 

[roydooms]

PWC helps with treating ich. When you vacuum the gravel it sucks out most of the ich in the gravel. Every other day should be fine. But remember to add the salt again depending on how much water you took out.

 

[siva]

Yes..so tired of bleaching that gravel vac. Almost went out and bought another one just for this but..I'm cheap

 

[henry1245]

I have ich which is reposning well to treatment (my molies are now spot free and my clown loaches are clearing up with just one or two spots left). I am using interpet anti white spot, which says to remove the carbon from the filter.

My question is: what should i do with the carbon filter once the treatment is complete? i was thinking of cleaning in boiling water, then washing it with water from a water change several days after the last sighting of a spot, is this ok?

Thanks
Henry

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I have ich which is reposning well to treatment (my molies are now spot free and my clown loaches are clearing up with just one or two spots left). I am using interpet anti white spot, which says to remove the carbon from the filter.

My question is: what should i do with the carbon filter once the treatment is complete? i was thinking of cleaning in boiling water, then washing it with water from a water change several days after the last sighting of a spot, is this ok?

Thanks
Henry

Once carbon adsorbs anything, short of pressurized cooking at 1800, it's there to stay.

Fluval 405 media? - Page 2 - Aquarium Advice - Aquarium Forum Community

 

[henry1245]

So should I invest in new carbon filter pads?

 

[siva]

Ok wait, just to clarify, you should cut open your filter cart and remove the carbon from inside, not remove the entire filter cart. Maybe that's what you did but from the sound of it, I'm not sure.

I think you do have to replace your filter media after treating with meds, but I'm not positive. I think you need carbon to remove the meds from the water. I'm just using the salt and heat method. I'm sure someone else will know and clarify for us.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

Ok wait, just to clarify, you should cut open your filter cart and remove the carbon from inside, not remove the entire filter cart. Maybe that's what you did but from the sound of it, I'm not sure.

I think you do have to replace your filter media after treating with meds, but I'm not positive. I think you need carbon to remove the meds from the water. I'm just using the salt and heat method. I'm sure someone else will know and clarify for us.

+1

You have it correct on all point siva, except replacing the media IMO.

How you remove the carbon from a cartridge varies with the cart. Carbon is used to remove meds, but if your cart has been in the tank for a while, the carbon is loaded and fresh is needed (carbon has a finite load it can adsorb).

To keep OT, how's your tank looking today?

 

[siva]

Ok great, that's what I thought. It might be a good time to start seeding new filter media then, after the treatment is done. You'll want fresh carbon to remove the meds anyway, so at that point, start with a new cart, but leave the old cart in as well, either shove them both in if they fit, or just take fiber part of the old filter off of the plastic frame and wrap it around the new one. That way you have the fresh carbon you need but you aren't throwing away all your good bacteria.

Thank you Mr. Limpet, my tank is looking great. Still spot free since the 5th, knocking back the salt by atleast 1/3 today

 

[henry1245]

The tank is only 4 weeks old... It has three carts, two either side with the carbon pads and one in the middle with the bio pellets, I've left the bio pellets in and taken out the carbon carts (the ones with black and white sheets in them)... It's a fluval U2 if that helps...

 

[siva]

Oh that's ideal! Much easier to work with the media than a HOB.

 

[henry1245]

Ahh I see what I've done! I screwed up a bit, in my filter the cartridges have a white pad and a black pad... The black pad is the carbon one, so should have removed that rather than the whole cartridge!

The biomax cartridge was still in place, do you think I've done any damage (been 3 days without the white foam pads!)

 

[siva]

Do you have a master test kit too see what effect this may have had on water quality?

 

[henry1245]

No and unfortunately I can't make it to the LFS until the weekend... The fish all appear to be fine though and the water has been clear... Just hope the biomax pellets held enough bacteria!!!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

No and unfortunately I can't make it to the LFS until the weekend... The fish all appear to be fine though and the water has been clear... Just hope the biomax pellets held enough bacteria!!!

The pellets are kinda the main place for bacteria to colonize. I think the worst that might have happened is that you didn't filter any gunk out for the duration and might get a mini cycle. I'd suggest keeping an eye on your fish and if they start breathing really heavy/fast or hang out trying to breathe from the surface then do a 50% PWC with extra Prime added.

The API FW test kit is one of the most valuable tools in my fish cabinet, you'll be glad once you have it and so will your fish .

 

[henry1245]

By prime, do you mean cycle?

I'll deffo invest in a test kit this weekend... When I bought the tank after a disgorge cycle the LFS tested my water for me, so didn't need one then but agree it is essential to have one in case of instances like this!

 

[ejaramillo01]

By prime, do you mean cycle?

I'll deffo invest in a test kit this weekend... When I bought the tank after a disgorge cycle the LFS tested my water for me, so didn't need one then but agree it is essential to have one in case of instances like this!

PRIME is the dechlorinator, it's a brand name product.