I gots the Ich >.<

[Jaydizzle707]

Okay I'm FREAKING OUT my fish I think have ich I've had random deaths in my tank and just discovered these bubbles on my fish. I read the sticky now I need help I'm EXTREMELY new to fish keeping in lamens terms what do I do?

I have 4 Neon Tetras

1 Cherry Barb (in picture)

and 1 Orange Guppy ( In picture)


in step by step what do I do to treat them I don't want my buddies to die


Here is the picture

 

[Jreidsma]

Hi,
If you don't already have it, then it would be a good idea to go to the local pet store and pick up some medication and freshwater salt. A medicine I recommend would be a maracyn/Maracide brand one. The better ones are the dry powders, you want one that says ich on it, because that is what you said your fish have.

Copper safe doesn't seem to do much when I use it, not that it doesn't work that well. I just prefer the powders.

Then also if you could get it, some freshwater aquarium salt would be a good idea also. It's a good add in for the water to help fight off the infections and problems fish get. Every time time you drain the water of the tank, add the amount on the salt it says to add.

Once you get the medicine and everything I would also clean the tank pretty well. Drain some of the water and give them new water. Let the tank run a couple minutes then add in the medicine (make sure to follow the instructions) and possibly the salt ( directions also). Just make sure to try and not to cause much stress on the fish, more stress equals more infection and disease.

There are good medicines other them Marcel brand ones. They just seem to work a bit faster for me. But there are equally good all natural ones, but they are a bit harder to find.

 

[Jreidsma]

Also, try to look at the pet store on the papers in the medication. And make sure it is ich.

 

[LyndaB]

Okay I'm FREAKING OUT my fish I think have ich I've had random deaths in my tank and just discovered these bubbles on my fish. I read the sticky now I need help I'm EXTREMELY new to fish keeping in lamens terms what do I do?

I have 4 Neon Tetras

1 Cherry Barb (in picture)

and 1 Orange Guppy ( In picture)


in step by step what do I do to treat them I don't want my buddies to die


Here is the picture

I cannot view the picture.

Are they raised bubbles or do they resembled grains of salt?

You don't need meds to treat ich, if that's what it is.

Raise the temp slowly to 86 degrees F

Add an airstone to increase oxygenation

Gravel vac every 2-3 days to remove ich spores from substrate

Continue treatment for 2 weeks

What size tank and is the tank cycled?

 

[Jaydizzle707]

not sure why the picture didnt post but here it is again its also a 10g tank and not cycled yet but is pretty close. I already have an airstone

 

[Jaydizzle707]

accidental double post

 

[LyndaB]

Yep, that's ich alright......

It's really hard to treat for ich in an uncycled tank. If you purchased the fish sick, then you should be able to return them to the lfs. You should really not cycle with them in their already weakened state.

 

[Jaydizzle707]

so I should just round them up and take em back to petsmart? So ar its just the two in the photo that show signs of it, my tetras seem ti be okay but yeah I'm really bummed right now >.<

 

[jsoong]

not sure why the picture didnt post .....

All new members need to have links & pics approved by a mod before it will show. Once you establish a reputation (or not being a spammer) this requirement will disappear.

 

[LyndaB]

so I should just round them up and take em back to petsmart? So ar its just the two in the photo that show signs of it, my tetras seem ti be okay but yeah I'm really bummed right now >.<

With ich, you must get in the mindset that the entire tank has it, not just a single fish or a few fish. You believe they sold you fish with ich, definitely take them back.

 

[jsoong]

so I should just round them up and take em back to petsmart? So ar its just the two in the photo that show signs of it, my tetras seem ti be okay but yeah I'm really bummed right now >.<

If you have ich in one fish ... you have it in ALL, spots or no spot.

Generally, a cycling tank is very stressful to fish & bring on all sorts of illnesses. Phone & see if the lfs will take the fish back, but Petsmart likely will not, esp. with ich. <My local PS will however, give you free meds to treat them ....>

Ideally, you want to return all the fish & do a proper fishless cycle. <BTW - how do you know your cycle is "close"? do you have levels?> Next best is to keep a couple fish & finish the fishy cycle. The hardest is to keep all your fish & complete the cycle while treating for ich.

My suggestions:
1. Check your water parameters - ammonia & nitrites at minimum. Do as much pwc as needed to keep ammonia less than 0.5 & nitrites less than 0.25. <Eg, if ammonia is 1.5, change out 2/3 of the water. Make sure water is dechlorinated & temp & parameter matched when doing large pwc.>
2. Do the parameter check & pwc EVERYDAY until the cycle is complete.
3. Treat ich with either high temp (88F x 2-3 weeks), salt (0.3% final conc., increasing level over 2 days. Note you need to maintain the salt conc. during pwc's. This may get difficult when you are doing lots of pwcs due to the cycling tank.), or meds. <Quick cure is prob the best med for ich ... but again, when doing lots of pwc's it is imperative you maintain med concentration.>

Due to the need for pwc's during cycling, high temp with good aeration is prob the most fool proof method to treat the ich. All you need to do is to make sure the change water is at the same temp as the tank. <So when you get the temp up to 88, you need to heat the change water to that before hand .... or just use hot water from your tap if it is hot enough.>

 

[Jaydizzle707]

Basiclly my Ammonia is usually undr 1ppm everyday. I pwc everyday after I check my levels. I have ~20ppm nitrates and my nitrites are about 0ppm but I'm thinking its because of the tap water. I use water conditioner and ammonia thingy in my new water everytime i pwc.

I called up Petsmart and they said they'd take them back. I'm gonna keep 2 of my tetras and give back all the ones with obvious spots.

With getting the ich medicine, if I get it I've heard its a bit harsh so won't it stay in my filter and always be in my tank if I use it.

Is just using high temp and aquarium salt not enough to kill those ba$tards (ich)

 

[LyndaB]

I'm gonna keep 2 of my tetras and give back all the ones with obvious spots.

As mentioned above, if one fish shows symptoms of ich, presume that all of your fish are sick. Even if you return all the others, the two tetras are most likely still sick and you'll have to continue treating the tank for ich anyway.

 

[Jaydizzle707]

good point, do you think if I use the Ich treatment meds it wont get sucked up and absorbed by the filter thus getting into the filter and always end up secreting low levels of medication anyways? even after treatment is finished?

 

[librarygirl]

If your ammonia levels are reading anything over .25, you're not doing enough water changes. How many gallons do you change out at one time? Small pwc aren't doing to keep the ammonia levels low enough in a cycling tank.

I'd honestly take ALL the fish back. Then you can properly fishless cycle the tank and eradicate the Ich in the tank at the same time. Then when you introduce new fish (after the tank cycles) the environment will be more suitable for them.

 

[Jaydizzle707]

If your ammonia levels are reading anything over .25, you're not doing enough water changes. How many gallons do you change out at one time? Small pwc aren't doing to keep the ammonia levels low enough in a cycling tank.

I'd honestly take ALL the fish back. Then you can properly fishless cycle the tank and eradicate the Ich in the tank at the same time. Then when you introduce new fish (after the tank cycles) the environment will be more suitable for them.

If I end up taking them all back what do I do to restart the cycling process with no fish and still kill the ich in a fast manner


OR better yet

I've decided to do high temp and salt for treatment but whats the safest max temp I can take my neon tetras to? I understand about slowly raising the temperature. but I'm kinda nervous about going all the way to 88 on them .

 

[BHead707]

someone correct me if im wrong but if he hasnt used any meds yet could he just re-home the fish and finish up the cycle? cause ich needs a host to survive, how long would he leave the tank empty to get rid of it?

(i asked cause im wondering as well)

 

[librarygirl]

someone correct me if im wrong but if he hasnt used any meds yet could he just re-home the fish and finish up the cycle? cause ich needs a host to survive, how long would he leave the tank empty to get rid of it?

(i asked cause im wondering as well)

Yes, that's what I suggested. If he rehomes the fish and uses pure ammonia to do a fishless cycle he'd cycle the tank and get rid of the Ich b/c the Ich needs a host. I think at least 3-4 weeks without a host should be enough time to kill it.

 

[librarygirl]

If I end up taking them all back what do I do to restart the cycling process with no fish and still kill the ich in a fast manner


OR better yet

I've decided to do high temp and salt for treatment but whats the safest max temp I can take my neon tetras to? I understand about slowly raising the temperature. but I'm kinda nervous about going all the way to 88 on them .

Cycling happens in its own time whether its with fish or without. With fish you can have sick/stressed fish (which you have now) and have to contantly monitor the water and do water changes for 3-8 weeks until the tank cycles. Without fish you just add pure ammonia regularly and let the tank take care of itself.

I don't know that you can safely treat Ich in a cycling tank with heat and salt. You'd need to do water changes to keep the ammonia levels down which would then remove the salt you are using to try to combat the Ich. You could just try the heat treatment without salt.

 

[BHead707]

Cycling happens in its own time whether its with fish or without. With fish you can have sick/stressed fish (which you have now) and have to contantly monitor the water and do water changes for 3-8 weeks until the tank cycles. Without fish you just add pure ammonia regularly and let the tank take care of itself.

I don't know that you can safely treat Ich in a cycling tank with heat and salt. You'd need to do water changes to keep the ammonia levels down which would then remove the salt you are using to try to combat the Ich. You could just try the heat treatment without salt.

How long has he had the fish? if he had the fish for a while couldnt the tank be partly cycled? and in that case would you just bleach the whole tank and just restart it?