First bout of ich... any suggestion

[dswiese]

Starting the fight with the first bout of ich in my new tank.
Most recent water test showed slightly high ammo. did a big water change. not sure if tank was just adjusting to the last fish added?
last fish/plants were introduced a week or so ago.
Unfortunately, no quarantine tank etc.


Plan is to slowly start raising the water temp tonight, medication, and ??

current population:

10 cardinal tetras
6 zebra danios
4 bronze corys
3 false Juli cory (was 4 till this Tuesday)
1 BN pleco

 

[Fishanatic]

Don't use any medication. It really hurts the fish, and can kill them.
Slowly raise to 80-85 degrees, on a period of 48 hours. Use aquarium salt+water changes to kill the ich. Slowly reduce the temperature back to normal when done.
Once i had ich, this worked for me.
If you wish to use medication, it is you're choice, but i suggest not as it can stress the fish.

 

[Fishanatic]

Also, make sure you're fish aren't susceptible of anything if you add aquarium salt/elevated temperatures.

 

[jlbfish]

+1 to temps. Slowly raise the temp and increase surface agitation to keep the water oxygenated.

No salt with the BN Pleco. It will definitely get worse before it gets better.

Gravel vac every day or every other day to get to get the ich that is in a free swimming stage.

I found this article very informative:
Understanding and Treating Ich or White Spot

Good Luck!

 

[molliwopp]

Depending on your heater you may not be able to reach and maintain the temperature needed to kill off the ich in this way. If you can great do it this way. I could only hold 82-83 and after 2 weeks it didnt work for me.
I ended up using medication: waterlife protozin. Which doesnt harm your biological filtration and is a 6 day treatment. Day 1 2 3 and 6. Make sure you take your carbon out your filter if you do it this way.
Obviously in an ideal world we would never use chems to medicate.

 

[Fishanatic]

Depending on your heater you may not be able to reach and maintain the temperature needed to kill off the ich in this way. If you can great do it this way. I could only hold 82-83 and after 2 weeks it didnt work for me.
I ended up using medication: waterlife protozin. Which doesnt harm your biological filtration and is a 6 day treatment. Day 1 2 3 and 6. Make sure you take your carbon out your filter if you do it this way.
Obviously in an ideal world we would never use chems to medicate.

The thing is that you need to vac the gravel+ temperatures up to 85.
Vaccing the gravel will prevent more reproduction, and high temperatures will speed they're life cycle, witch makes them age quicker.

 

[molliwopp]

The thing is that you need to vac the gravel+ temperatures up to 85.
Vaccing the gravel will prevent more reproduction, and high temperatures will speed they're life cycle, witch makes them age quicker.

Yeah, most people get it done this way. My fish seemed OK at 83 for alittle but wouldnt want to keep the tank at 83 for any longer than afew weeks and it didnt seem to get better, as soon as i saw it spreading to pristella id had enough. Being inexperienced with ich at the time i read it can take over and kill all your fish. The 83 Might of been ok for the tetra but my peppered cories prefer cooler water. I raised the temp alittle while treating and didnt lose anyone.
Just wanted to put another tested method out there incase the same things that happend to me happen to OP.

 

[Bish67]

I have fairly recently set up a new tank and had the ICH twice...I used the temp method...didn't work for me. So I tried a three prong attack...temp increase for a week...gradually though...aquarium salt and medication...I used the non dying med...para guard by seachem.Worked a treat...fish were all fine...and are still fine...lost a couple of my plants though which i expected.
Several weeks on....no return of ICH ...water quality near perfect....for me job done.
Hope this helps and whatever you choose....good luck.

 

[Fishanatic]

I have fairly recently set up a new tank and had the ICH twice...I used the temp method...didn't work for me. So I tried a three prong attack...temp increase for a week...gradually though...aquarium salt and medication...I used the non dying med...para guard by seachem.Worked a treat...fish were all fine...and are still fine...lost a couple of my plants though which i expected.
Several weeks on....no return of ICH ...water quality near perfect....for me job done.
Hope this helps and whatever you choose....good luck.

Did you use carbon filtration after you treated ich/ick?

 

[molliwopp]

I have fairly recently set up a new tank and had the ICH twice...I used the temp method...didn't work for me. So I tried a three prong attack...temp increase for a week...gradually though...aquarium salt and medication...I used the non saying med...para guard by seachem.Worked a treat...fish were all fine...and are still fine...lost a couple of my plants though which i expected.
Several weeks on....no rerun if ICH ...water quality near perfect....for me job done.
Hope thus helps and whatever you yes....good luck.

Shame about your plants. The med i used had little to no effect on my plants but theyre all hardy greens. Anubias, java moss and java fern.

 

[Bish67]

Yeah...I have those and they survived ok....I guess different plants react differently to the hundreds of meds out there.
Didn't want to med at all....but was left with little choice ...glad I did though.

 

[dswiese]

Thanks everyone. Going to start raising the temp tonight and every other day water changes.

 

[molliwopp]

Gravel vac is more important than water changes IMO. But while gravel vaccing youll suck water out anyway.

 

[dswiese]

That makes sense. Thankfully just getting this tanking an runnin and not full of plants

 

[molliwopp]

Is it your first tank, how long you had it set up? I know first hand how horrible it is, esp when setting up a first tank. It will probably get worse before it gets better but it looks and sound worse than it is. It will stress your fish but its only dangerous when left untreated so like you said vac and water changes will help the ammo and the ick. Dont let it get you down about your tank

 

[dswiese]

First tank in a long while. Not distressed just wasn't expecting it lol

Made a trip to get an air pump and air stone and bought some other fun stuff for the tank so that helped

 

[dswiese]

quick weekend update:
temp is holding steady at 85, though we have now lost a total of 4 cardinal.
broke down and got some Tetra Ich tablets last night.
Will see how this combo works.
Not holding out a lot of hope for the tetras, but the corys and danios seem to be holding their own.

 

[molliwopp]

Sorry for your losses. Cardinals are sensitive to anything including temperature :/ if youve got meds maybe lower it afew degrees. Corys like cooler water too and 85 is hooot for them. Its upto you, the combo of heat and meds might clear it up that little bit faster but your fish might not be too happy with mefs AND the added heat.

 

[dswiese]

good points. i will back it down (slowly) to just about 81/82.
i have been keeping a close watch on the corys and while they have been acting a bit sluggish, they still are eating and swimming like their normal selves most of the time.
hopefully the added airstore is helping.

I think the gf is taking it harder than anyone (even the kids)

 

[AngelFishGirl]

Starting the fight with the first bout of ich in my new tank.
Most recent water test showed slightly high ammo. did a big water change. not sure if tank was just adjusting to the last fish added?
last fish/plants were introduced a week or so ago.
Unfortunately, no quarantine tank etc.

Plan is to slowly start raising the water temp tonight, medication, and ??

current population:

10 cardinal tetras
6 zebra danios
4 bronze corys
3 false Juli cory (was 4 till this Tuesday)
1 BN pleco

I just got through my very first ich infestation in my whole life. It's very scary, I know. But I PROMISE, this will help. This is what I did in my big tank and it cured it within a week.
Google how much salt you should add to your tank. Everybody has different amounts. I have a 55 gallon tank and I ended up using a whole cup of salt. No fish losses and it cured the ich. They measure it in tablespoons but I converted to cups.
Now, slowly heat your tank 2 degrees every 2 hours. This is very important. This speeds up the cycle of the ich making it go faster. Heat it up to 88 degrees tops.
Add the salt into the water premixed if possible.

Now let the heat an salt do it's work for 3 or 4 days. Then do a water change using a gravel vacuum. This is VERY important because spores go into the rocks. This should be a 50% water change. Add half of the previous amount of salt to keep the salt going through. Now, keep it in another 3 days after the last spec of ich is gone. Then, do another 50% water change to clear out lots of the salt and get the rest of the spores.
Don't forget to slowly return your temp to normal.

~~~~~

Or you can buy ich treatment for the max 10 bucks. but salt and heat is safer and healthier for fish.

This cured it perfectly for me. Hope I can help. Let me know if you want my email or Skype so I can help any way i can.