Question about treating ich with time constraints and catfish.

[XimeD]

So, I just noticed white spots on my two leopard ctenopoma and I am pretty certain it is ich/ick. This is my first time dealing with ich so I did some research on diagnostic, treatments and life cycle of the disease but I have a few questions.

Here's the specs on the tank: 75gal moderately planted (no CO2 injection) kept at 80F with aeration (bubble wall), pH = 6.8, cycled 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates (my plants take up the nitrates, I am waiting for my dry fertz). I do weekly 25 to 50% PWCs

Fish:
- 2 red tail tinfoil barbs
- 2 giant danios
- 2 leopard ctenopoma
- 2 pictus catfish
- 1 raphael catfish
- 2 bristlenose pleco (1 common and 1 albino)
- 2 whisker shrimp (Macrobrachium sp)
- MTS and 3 assasin snails






Questions:

1. I will be going out of town for a week from Dec 14th to Dec 21st. This only gives me a week for treatment. I will have a friend come by and feed my fish but anything else is out of the question because she is not familiar with the hobby. For this reason I feel that the heat treatment might not be an option until after I get back. Thoughts on this? I am hesitant on leaving the tank at 86F while I am out of town and I can't keep an eye on it.
2. Having a planted tank pretty much rules out the salt treatment right?
3. Does anyone have experience with Kordon Ich-Attack? I am tempted to try this as it supposedly won't harm inverts, plants or kill the biofilter bacteria.
4. If I do use Ich-Attack should I half-dose due to the catfish?
5. My plan of action: gradually raise temp to 86F but bring it down to 80F before going of town and combine this method with Ick-attack. Feedback or changes to this plan?

So far only the ctenopomas show white spots but the red tails are flashing and I want to deal with this as soon as possible so quick replies are greatly appreciated.

Thanks for any help.

 

[XimeD]

No one?????? please help =(

 

[reefdiver]

from my own experience raise temp,that allways helps me> i never used meds so im lost thers.

 

[Coleallensmom]

((hugs)) Hopefully someone will come along soon with some advice! I've no experience with ich but you seem to be on the right track. Everything I've read calls for salt, higher temps (85 or 86 degrees), and PWCs w/gravel vacuuming. I googled pant safe meds for you and came up with Kordon Ich-Attack and Mardel Maracide.

I know some plants can withstand salt, but there are also some that can not. What kind of plants do you have?

 

[XimeD]

((hugs)) Hopefully someone will come along soon with some advice! I've no experience with ich but you seem to be on the right track. Everything I've read calls for salt, higher temps (85 or 86 degrees), and PWCs w/gravel vacuuming. I googled pant safe meds for you and came up with Kordon Ich-Attack and Mardel Maracide.

I know some plants can withstand salt, but there are also some that can not. What kind of plants do you have?

I have:

-Jungle and corkscrew vals
-Red ludwigia
-Anubias var nana
-Red tiger lotus
-Crypts (wendtii)
-Aponogeton ulvaceous
-banana plant
-java fern
-amazon sword

My main concern is that I am going out of town and whatever I do to the tank needs to be done by next monday (i've raising the temp and now it is at 86F). At most my friend can add Ich-attack while I am gone but that is about it.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Temperature

Ximena: I'm not an expert, but I raed a ton in different forums, what works for someone doesn't work good to a different person.
But a common in all is the temperatura rise to 86 degrees, and If I read correctly keeping the high temp(86) even when you are out is still an option. I read some people keeping high temps up to 3 weeks while treating for Ich.

This is my token of info to share

 

[XimeD]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Right now my tank is at 86F, and I will be adding the Ich attck as soon as I can find some (tried 2 LFS and they were out of it). I am still apprehensive about leaving the tank at 86F while out of town.

So what do people feel is the better option:
1) Leaving the tank at 86F while out of town for a week
2) Lowering the temp to the 80F I keep it at but keep adding ich-attack. I can always raise the temp back up when I get back (if there are still signs of ich) but I feel this tempature yo-yo might be stressful for my fish
Other options?

Right now I am going with 2 and hoping I won't need to raise the temp when I get back.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Option 2

I agree, you will be back in a week and the combination of med +temperature maybe not the best option.
Keep up posted, good luck and enjoy your time off, I'm sure your fish will be fine.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Let us know

Ximena:
Please keep us posted after your return. I would like to learn from your experience to see what happened...
Thanks

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Personally I would just keep the temperature high and leave it at that.

 

[Coleallensmom]

+1 on leaving the temp as high as you're comfortable with. Everything I've read says to leave the temp raised for at least a week after all signs of the Ich is gone. How are things going? Any better?

 

[XimeD]

So, I am going out of town in a few hours, Hawaii here I come =)

The fish are doing muuuuch better, I did lower the temperature from 86F to 80F. I ended up doing the combination of temperature and ich-attack and two days in the leopard ctenopoma lost their white spots. Now it had been a week and the are no signs of flashing or spots =) All fish are active and eating with no signs of stress.

My friend who is fish sitting will be dosing ich-attack for a few more days, but it looks like the tank is ich-free. Now I just need to get rid of that dammed BBA but that's another thread......i'll start one when I get back.

Thanks all for the help and support =)

 

[Coleallensmom]

So glad to hear this! Yay!

Have a good trip!

 

[ejaramillo01]

Yeah!!!
Enjoy your trip