the dreaded ich

[wrmiller]

Sounds like your treatment is moving along nicely. Unfortunately the cory I was concerned about died last night and the other one is showing the same symptoms tonight. This is so disappointing. My perimeters are and have been picture perfect, I don't understand what happened. I've been concerned since they were in a new tank that they simply didn't have enough to eat. This sounds silly, but I watched carefully during feeding and between the neons, black neons, and my DG (who is like a vacuum during feeding) I never saw any food land on the bottom. Oh well, I will try again after the ich treatment is over, except I will avoid the fs where I purchased them. I have really become attached to panda cory's so hopefully I can find a decent fs to get some more. Good luck with the rest of your treatment.

yes, i have 2 panda corys also and they are very nice indeed. I'm really sorry to hear about your cory! I'm sorry that my hunch about it being okay wasn't right. Just get through the Ich treatment and then get some more and QT them first of course.

I looked about an hour ago and my clown barbs now seem to be clear of all white spots. Woot woot!!! Now just to hope that my fishes fair well in the 85-86 degree water for the next 9 days. They seem to be thriving and doing well and seem to be happy so I am optimistic.

 

[LyndaB]

Corys can be really sensitive. The weird thing is that they'll be fine for months and then just crash on you.

 

[Reygan2]

Well my other cory is still hanging in there. It is acting fine now. If my water conditions are fit for neon tetras I would think anything would thrive. My water is cloudy and I can't figure out why. I just tested and my numbers are the same, really good. There are bubbles stuck to everything and when I look closely into the tank it kind of looks like millions of tiny bubbles floating around. I know it's not an algae or bacteria bloom. It sure is irritating. Could it be the temp and the extra surface disturbance? QT tank finally arrived. I'm getting 3 or 4 more black neons this weekend to finish the school. Poor cory, he's all alone.

 

[Reygan2]

yes, i have 2 panda corys also and they are very nice indeed. I'm really sorry to hear about your cory! I'm sorry that my hunch about it being okay wasn't right. Just get through the Ich treatment and then get some more and QT them first of course.

I looked about an hour ago and my clown barbs now seem to be clear of all white spots. Woot woot!!! Now just to hope that my fishes fair well in the 85-86 degree water for the next 9 days. They seem to be thriving and doing well and seem to be happy so I am optimistic.

Wow, that ich cleared up quickly. My fish, with the exception of the panda have done really well in 88 degrees for several days. I couldn't get my heater to do the job for the first few days, then it occured to me to cover the air conditioner vent. Everybody is fine. I hope your little guys do well.

 

[Reygan2]

Corys can be really sensitive. The weird thing is that they'll be fine for months and then just crash on you.

Will different types of corys do well together or do I need to get all of one kind? I want more panda's, but if I can't find them I will consider buying a couple of another type this weekend.

 

[wrmiller]

Will different types of corys do well together or do I need to get all of one kind? I want more panda's, but if I can't find them I will consider buying a couple of another type this weekend.

All types of cores do well so mix it up. They are very social and love to have company.

I would think that 88 is probably getting a little too warm. I would try to keep it between 85 and 86 degrees. That's just my 2-cents though.

The Ich did clear up quick. It only takes a few days for the spots to be gone after introducing the heat and salt. Still have to wait out the full two weeks though to be sure that the ichy Ichs are gone for good. This should be the last time ever I will treat my main tank since everything will be QT for now on.

I'm making the trip to That Peg Place in the next month or so and going to get a new 60 gallon (48x13x24), stand, canopy and canister filter. I'll be keeping my 10 gallon QT and will be selling my 37 gallon. I was considering 90 gallon but I think 60 will be perfect for me. Plus, it's about half the cost overall.

 

[Reygan2]

I'm cooling down the tank VERY slowly. I started Wed. evening and I just checked and the tank is between 84/85. Still no signs of ich. I will continue to slowly reduce temp.

 

[wrmiller]

I'm cooling down the tank VERY slowly. I started Wed. evening and I just checked and the tank is between 84/85. Still no signs of ich. I will continue to slowly reduce temp.

Good for you! Congratulations! What is your goal temperature? I aim for between 77 and 78 degrees. I thought you still had like 2 or 3 days to go yet. I probably lost count though.

My fishes are also not showing any spots but I did notice one of them still flashing today. I still have a full week to go yet though. I won't start to lower my temperature until at least next Friday and then Saturday next week I will do a water change to start reducing the salt level.

 

[LyndaB]

Will different types of corys do well together or do I need to get all of one kind? I want more panda's, but if I can't find them I will consider buying a couple of another type this weekend.

Don't buy new fish yet! I would wait at least 3-4 weeks after the last sign of ich (don't forget ich spores in the substrate, not just what's visible on the fish).

Yes, corys of different species will hang out together.

 

[Reygan2]

All types of cores do well so mix it up. They are very social and love to have company.

I would think that 88 is probably getting a little too warm. I would try to keep it between 85 and 86 degrees. That's just my 2-cents though.

The Ich did clear up quick. It only takes a few days for the spots to be gone after introducing the heat and salt. Still have to wait out the full two weeks though to be sure that the ichy Ichs are gone for good. This should be the last time ever I will treat my main tank since everything will be QT for now on.

I'm making the trip to That Peg Place in the next month or so and going to get a new 60 gallon (48x13x24), stand, canopy and canister filter. I'll be keeping my 10 gallon QT and will be selling my 37 gallon. I was considering 90 gallon but I think 60 will be perfect for me. Plus, it's about half the cost overall.

Wow, I envy you. I would LOVE to have the set up you're getting. What do you plan to have in it? Are you going to do sand or gravel? I'm thinking about changing to sand at some point.

My temp is 84 now. I'm shooting for 76/78. There are varying opinions on the time to wait before lowering temperatures. I've read that waiting 5 days after seeing no spots is sufficient so that's the route I'm taking. I might regret it, I'll keep you posted. You have to post pics of the new set up. I'm so excited for you! (I'm such a fish geek now)

 

[LyndaB]

I've read that waiting 5 days after seeing no spots is sufficient so that's the route I'm taking.

I won't say more except to offer this link to the life cycle of ich....

Cause, Treatment, and Prevention of Ich in Freshwater Fish

 

[Reygan2]

(Quote from link)
"It should be noted that these tomites will only survive for 48 hours, if they do not find a fish to attach to. These tomites will also attach to plants, filter material, etc. Depending on the water temperature, the whole cycle can take from 4 days to several weeks."

Doesn't this indicate that in high temps such as 87/88 degrees, the cycle can be completed in about 4 days? I haven't seen ich on my fish in at least 6 days. By the time I lower the temp below 80 degrees it will be 8 days. So could it be that the parasites have burrowed but the cysts haven't developed yet? Or could it be that no reproduction took place because of the temp and the ich is gone? Why wait?
BTW, thanks for the link.

 

[wrmiller]

(Quote from link)
"It should be noted that these tomites will only survive for 48 hours, if they do not find a fish to attach to. These tomites will also attach to plants, filter material, etc. Depending on the water temperature, the whole cycle can take from 4 days to several weeks."

Doesn't this indicate that in high temps such as 87/88 degrees, the cycle can be completed in about 4 days? I haven't seen ich on my fish in at least 6 days. By the time I lower the temp below 80 degrees it will be 8 days. So could it be that the parasites have burrowed but the cysts haven't developed yet? Or could it be that no reproduction took place because of the temp and the ich is gone? Why wait?
BTW, thanks for the link.

Based on my read of the article, if you have had your temperature raised and have been treating with salt (salt not mentioned as a treatment method in the article) you should be good as you have allowed three times the necessary time for treatment. According to the article you only have to move the temperature to 78-80 degrees to make the life cycle 4 days. With the aquarium being at 86-88 I would think that then life cycle is increased even more so.

That being said, I'm still not seeing any more Ich in my tank on any fish. Fish are no longer flashing and I'm confident that they are doing well as they are all eating like pigs. I tend to pamper them when I'm treating them so I overfeed them to help keep them fat and happy.

I am also excited about getting my new tank sometime soon. Here is what I am planning:
- 60 gallon aquarium (48x13x24)
- Black wood Majesty stand and canopy
- 2 24" glass canopies
- Fluval 405 canister filter
- Fluval E300 advanced heater
- Zoo Med AquaSun T5 two bulb lights

Decorations are the last thing I will decide on. I will pick those up when I make the trip to That Pet Place to get everything. To answer the question about gravel or sand, I like the look of gravel and I think it is easier to deal with and clean. I don't want to worry about every time I want to move a plant or adding a new plant that I will stir everything up and then have to clean the filter, etc. I am going to do a natural looking smooth type gravel. Natural tan colors and the I will get some natural looking artificial drift woods or rocks, etc. I think I'm going to do maybe one larger piece and then several smaller pieces to provide lots of hiding places.

Fish. I'm just going to keep my current fishes. I have semi aggressive and then some corys. My favorite fish are my 3 clown barbs. He is what I currently have:
- 3 clown barbs
- 4 tiger barbs
- 2 albino tiger barbs
- 1 Chinese alga eater
- 2 panda corys
- 1 albino cory
- 1 green cory
- 2 very small Bala Sharks

I'm thinking of maybe getting the filter first before anything else so that I can go ahead and seas it on my 37 gallon for a bit. That way I shouldn't have to wait for the new tank to cycle if my filter is already seeded with all of the Beneficial Bacteria.

 

[Reygan2]

Based on my read of the article, if you have had your temperature raised and have been treating with salt (salt not mentioned as a treatment method in the article) you should be good as you have allowed three times the necessary time for treatment. According to the article you only have to move the temperature to 78-80 degrees to make the life cycle 4 days. With the aquarium being at 86-88 I would think that then life cycle is increased even more so.

That being said, I'm still not seeing any more Ich in my tank on any fish. Fish are no longer flashing and I'm confident that they are doing well as they are all eating like pigs. I tend to pamper them when I'm treating them so I overfeed them to help keep them fat and happy.

I am also excited about getting my new tank sometime soon. Here is what I am planning:
- 60 gallon aquarium (48x13x24)
- Black wood Majesty stand and canopy
- 2 24" glass canopies
- Fluval 405 canister filter
- Fluval E300 advanced heater
- Zoo Med AquaSun T5 two bulb lights

Decorations are the last thing I will decide on. I will pick those up when I make the trip to That Pet Place to get everything. To answer the question about gravel or sand, I like the look of gravel and I think it is easier to deal with and clean. I don't want to worry about every time I want to move a plant or adding a new plant that I will stir everything up and then have to clean the filter, etc. I am going to do a natural looking smooth type gravel. Natural tan colors and the I will get some natural looking artificial drift woods or rocks, etc. I think I'm going to do maybe one larger piece and then several smaller pieces to provide lots of hiding places.

Fish. I'm just going to keep my current fishes. I have semi aggressive and then some corys. My favorite fish are my 3 clown barbs. He is what I currently have:
- 3 clown barbs
- 4 tiger barbs
- 2 albino tiger barbs
- 1 Chinese alga eater
- 2 panda corys
- 1 albino cory
- 1 green cory
- 2 very small Bala Sharks

I'm thinking of maybe getting the filter first before anything else so that I can go ahead and seas it on my 37 gallon for a bit. That way I shouldn't have to wait for the new tank to cycle if my filter is already seeded with all of the Beneficial Bacteria.

Temp at 82, shooting for 78. Everybody seems great. I did a 60% pwc and filled the tank to the normal level. At least once a day I pull a chair right up to my tank to check everything out closely, that's how I found the 3 spots of ich on my DG initially, because it wasn't visible just peering around in there. Anyway there's not a spot on anyone now. So I'm really hoping that it's gone and I can finally fill out my schools this weekend. The bnt's are staying out in the tank now, but I'm sure they would appreciate more buddies.

Good idea about seeding your filter media. You're getting yourself quite an impressive setup. I can only dream at this point. I always admired the barbs but since they tend to be nippers I haven't gone that route. I'm eventually going to add an angel. I should have my larger setup by this time next year and I'll move him then. I need to do some more research on sand...it's starting to sound like too much trouble. I found some light colored natural gravel at Pet Supermarket. They have some really great decor, but I every time I check out their live stock..there's always dead fish and I usually see ich on a fish or two. They have a setup like Petsmart, so it is in reality one huge tank with sections. So if I see ich on one or two..it's more than likely on more of them. That's too bad too, because they sell their dw that have been in their tanks forever, so they don't leak tannins and change the color of the water. They've got some nice pieces but I'm afraid to buy any. (I've wanted to ask their employees what they charge for the ich, but that wouldn't be nice would it?)

Happy setting up! That's one of the best parts of the hobby for me

 

[alex07]

Temp at 82, shooting for 78. Everybody seems great. I did a 60% pwc and filled the tank to the normal level. At least once a day I pull a chair right up to my tank to check everything out closely, that's how I found the 3 spots of ich on my DG initially, because it wasn't visible just peering around in there. Anyway there's not a spot on anyone now. So I'm really hoping that it's gone and I can finally fill out my schools this weekend. The bnt's are staying out in the tank now, but I'm sure they would appreciate more buddies.

Good idea about seeding your filter media. You're getting yourself quite an impressive setup. I can only dream at this point. I always admired the barbs but since they tend to be nippers I haven't gone that route. I'm eventually going to add an angel. I should have my larger setup by this time next year and I'll move him then. I need to do some more research on sand...it's starting to sound like too much trouble. I found some light colored natural gravel at Pet Supermarket. They have some really great decor, but I every time I check out their live stock..there's always dead fish and I usually see ich on a fish or two. They have a setup like Petsmart, so it is in reality one huge tank with sections. So if I see ich on one or two..it's more than likely on more of them. That's too bad too, because they sell their dw that have been in their tanks forever, so they don't leak tannins and change the color of the water. They've got some nice pieces but I'm afraid to buy any. (I've wanted to ask their employees what they charge for the ich, but that wouldn't be nice would it?)

Happy setting up! That's one of the best parts of the hobby for me

What i like about the sand is that everything stays on top unlike gravell, the food and all types of junk can get deep in the gravel that your siphon wont pick up and can cause your water parameters to rise.

 

[Reygan2]

The main problem is that I tend to rearrange things, and I've heard that the sand gets disturbed and goes all over the place everytime something is moved. It also gets in the filter. But I really love the way it looks.

 

[wrmiller]

The main problem is that I tend to rearrange things, and I've heard that the sand gets disturbed and goes all over the place everytime something is moved. It also gets in the filter. But I really love the way it looks.

I agree. I love the way it looks also. Especially the balck sand. Hmmm mm, now that I've said that it has started me thinking about black gravel and how that might look.(?). Right now my 37 gallon has the blue calico sand and I mixed just a small bag of white in with it to give that extra little bit of contrast. I don't mind it but wants to go with something a little more natural looking. I also have decorations that are more for the salt water look I think. Didn't think about it when I was buying them. Would like more of the drift wood or natural stone look.

PS - I picked up the Fluval 405 today at PetSmart. I'll be hooking it up to my existing tank tomorrow.

 

[wrmiller]

The picture attached above is old but I attached to show gravel and deco. Back ground is black now also.

 

[alex07]

The main problem is that I tend to rearrange things, and I've heard that the sand gets disturbed and goes all over the place everytime something is moved. It also gets in the filter. But I really love the way it looks.

If you use pool filter sand it won't make any mess . Only thing you do when you rearrange anything is turn off the filter so it wont suck any sand. PFS settles in 5 minutes or less.

 

[Reygan2]

If you use pool filter sand it won't make any mess . Only thing you do when you rearrange anything is turn off the filter so it wont suck any sand. PFS settles in 5 minutes or less.

Sounding better and better...