quarantine procedure mistake

[KatyLLL]

I just posted an intro. I have a problem with my 60 gallon Rainbow Fish tank.

Due to something great happening in my life, I went out and bought some expensive rainbowfish at a LFS that tends to over-price, (so I don't know if the fish are actually worth what I paid). Anyway, I want to keep them alive.

I had found -- with another "baby" fish that I got from another store, that it had Ich, and some tail rot. 4 days ago. I put it into an isolation tank with some drops of Cordon Rapid Cure, and API Melafix. I also turned the heat up to 80 or so for a day. I did not want to stress or kill the fish. Water changes in that tank daily.

So that little fish (a Melanotaenia boesemani) was in the aquarium, and I came in with 4 bigger "rare" expensive fish and like an idiot, I put them in that tank with an uncured fish with possible ICH and Tailrot. So now, I have to treat all the fish. Such a stupid mistake!

So the New fish are a bigger Melanotaenia boesemani, a Glossolepis wanamensis, A Melanotaenia nigrans, and a Melanotaenia parkensonii.

All of them will need to be in the quarantine tank for at least one month. I was thinking about 7 days of rapid cure and then melafix. The melafix is mainly for the little one with tail rot so he can grow a new tail.

All are feeding really well, even the little one.

Any insights into what to do?

 

[Autumnsky]

What other fish are in your display tank?

 

[KatyLLL]

They all have ick now, so I'm taking care of it.

 

[Lokilow]

Sounds like you are already on the right path so just keep them in quantity and treat for ick and etc how you should. Also might not hurt to do a few doses of paragaurd but check if you can mix other meds with ick meds.

Read up on ick if you havent yet, it is tricky to get rid of due to its different stages. If you had the ick fish in your main tank, youll have to treat that tank for ick as well. The ick eggs will be in the substrate until they hatch to hunt for your fish.

 

[KatyLLL]

I got Kordon Rid Ich today. I raised the temp in the tank to 86, but I am confused about whether to both raise the heat and also to dose the rid-ich plus. I got a smaller tank ready as a QT tank, but since the Rid-Ich says that it is okay for most loaches and catfish I think what I should do is hunt for the shrimp and snails and get them out of there, and then treat them separately. You are right I should treat both tanks. I did not think of that-- because for a short while the ich fish were in that water too.

I have some "herbtana" which is supposed to be okay for snails and shrimp. I can treat them with that.

I am worried about Kuhli loaches and Brunocephalis catfish as well as Amano shrimp and snails.

 

[Caliban07]

I got Kordon Rid Ich today. I raised the temp in the tank to 86, but I am confused about whether to both raise the heat and also to dose the rid-ich plus. I got a smaller tank ready as a QT tank, but since the Rid-Ich says that it is okay for most loaches and catfish I think what I should do is hunt for the shrimp and snails and get them out of there, and then treat them separately. You are right I should treat both tanks. I did not think of that-- because for a short while the ich fish were in that water too.



I have some "herbtana" which is supposed to be okay for snails and shrimp. I can treat them with that.



I am worried about Kuhli loaches and Brunocephalis catfish as well as Amano shrimp and snails.

You only really need the heat and to add an airstone for extra oxygen. Expect things to get worse before they get better as the heat will speed the life cycle up but thats all you really need.

 

[KatyLLL]

You only really need the heat and to add an airstone for extra oxygen. Expect things to get worse before they get better as the heat will speed the life cycle up but that's all you really need.

Heat only will speed up their life cycle, and they will drop into the water, grow and multiply and infect other fish and it will start all over again. The heat does not kill them.

Heat with a protozoan killer will speed up the life cycle, they will drop off, multiply and be killed in that stage by formalin and malachite green medication.

They are like microscopic cockroaches.

 

[Caliban07]

My understanding is the free swimming part of the life cycle can not tolerate the heat and they will eventually die out. I’ve used this method in the past with success on a couple of occasions.

 

[KatyLLL]

It is true. The fish can also die. These are cool river fish, not warm tropical fish. They cannot take as much heat.

I am using the heat to speed their life cycle up. The medicine will kill them when they are most vulnerable. This method is the quickest and safest. And I do not doubt that your method worked. I waited a long time for someone to answer my post, and since no one did, I had to solve the problem by myself, and I am not backing down now.

I found up that these fish were caught in a "hard freeze" in their package without a heat pack. They are basically in intensive care now and still may not make it. I really would rather use the medicine because the sooner they de-stress the better. 86 degrees F can kill them, so can 90. The fish are already stressed out enough.

 

[Caliban07]

It is true. The fish can also die. These are cool river fish, not warm tropical fish. They cannot take as much heat.

I am using the heat to speed their life cycle up. The medicine will kill them when they are most vulnerable. This method is the quickest and safest. And I do not doubt that your method worked. I waited a long time for someone to answer my post, and since no one did, I had to solve the problem by myself, and I am not backing down now.

I found up that these fish were caught in a "hard freeze" in their package without a heat pack. They are basically in intensive care now and still may not make it. I really would rather use the medicine because the sooner they de-stress the better. 86 degrees F can kill them, so can 90. The fish are already stressed out enough.

Fair enough. No one is asking you to back down.

I use an oversized UV steriliser for fish that cannot tolerate heat.