| Brand name |
Maker |
Active Ingred.s (e.g. excluding water, salts...) |
| Aquarisol |
Aquarium Products |
Copper Sulfate |
| Coppersafe |
Mardel Labs |
Chelated Copper |
| IckAway |
Wardley |
Malachite Green |
| Ich Guard II |
Jungle labs
|
Formalin 37% solution, Victoria green, Nitromersol,
and Acriflavine |
| Maracide |
Mardel Labs |
Malachite Green & Chitosan
|
| Nox-ich |
Was Weco Corp. |
Malachite Green |
| ParaGuard |
SeaChem |
aldehydes, malachite green, and fish protective polymers
|
| Rid-Ich+ (plus) |
Kordon |
Malachite Green & Formalin/formaldehyde
|
| For "Super Ich" |
virulent strain |
Quinacrine Hydrochloride |
| Super Ich Cure (liq.)* |
Aq. Pharmaceuticals |
Malachite Green
Oxalate (*Dried is Nitrofurazone... not useful) |
Ick/Whitespot 7/22/08
Hi Guys,
I added five new baby neon tetra's to my tank recently - it seems the neon's
have all developed Ick/Whitespot. I already had 6 Neon's 2 guppies and a
Sailfin Molly - these all appear to be fine.
<So far at least...
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/mollies.htm
Do review the needs of Mollies, and also be warned Neons may nip the fins of
fancy male Guppies.>
I have read your articles regarding ICK and just wanted to confirm your
recommendation for best way to treat.
<Promptly!>
I was just going to buy meds and treat the tank with meds and regular water
changes. However from reading through your site would you recommend
increasing temperature and treating with Salt instead?
<Makes no odds either way. I tend to use commercial medications such as eSHa
EXIT (a brand I find works well even with sensitive species like puffers)
because it's easier. But if you want to use salt/temperature, go ahead.>
I have added salt before but never with the neon's only with mollies/guppies
can my neon's tolerate salt? also my temp is at 80f already is it safe to
increase the temp further?
<Neons should tolerate the very low salt concentration required,
particularly if you build up the salinity across a few days. As for raising
the temperature, I wouldn't. Temperature is about speeding up the life cycle
of the parasite; in itself it isn't a "treatment" as such. The idea is that
the salt only kills the free living parasite, so the sooner that phase
begins, the better.>
Thanks in advance
Scott
<Cheers, Neale.>
Sick fish, FW Ich, formalin poisoning 1/9/07
Hi crew, I have recently had an outbreak of ick in my aquarium and have
started to treat it with formalin and malachite green,
<Yikes... easily toxic... to both your livestock and beneficial microbe
populations that perform critically important biological filtration>
as well as frequent water changes and addition of some salt to the water. It
seems though that after having added the medication the fish seem to be "drowsy"
as they appear to be sleeping most of the day.
<Good observation... poisoning>
Some just lie down at the bottom of the tank, behind rocks and leaves, but there
are also some that seem to prop themselves up against an ornament in the tank
and sort of stand on their heads. Is this normal?
<For being poisoned, yes>
And also, not long after the ick started they seem to now also have fin rot now.
<Secondary...>
I assume this is because they are stressed and weakened by the ick.
<And/or whatever the root cause was/were, and the medication...>
Should I be treating for both illnesses, or will the fin rot heal itself as they
get better?
<You should be using other means period... NOT formalin... and elevated
temperature>
I've checked the water quality and the only thing that is slightly high is the
nitrate level but it is still below 20 (only at about 5 or 10). I read that
generally just adding salt and keeping the water quality good is what will help
them recover the most from fin rot. I'm really worried about losing all of my
fish since one has died already. Thank you for your help. Erika
<Please read here, and soon:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above; particularly on Ich and Formalin use. Bob Fenner>
Thanks.. and Ich Treatment Question 4/25/06
Hi,
<Danielle>
First, thanks so much for providing this site with all of its information; I've
learned a lot and certainly have become a better aquarist because of
it. Second, does the following sound about right for an ich treatment?
After five months of waiting and cycling and more waiting, I finally stocked
my 120 gal with seven juvenile (2"-3") discus last weekend. It's
continuing inhabitants include ten cardinal tetras and five Corydoras. There are
no live plants. Two days ago, I noticed that three discus had come down
with ich. There were only 2-4 spots per fish, but they were definitely there.
<Rats!>
I started treating immediately: daily 25% water changes with gravel vacuuming
followed by a daily 110 gal-size dose of Rid-Ich+ (produces a
concentration of 15 ppm formalin and 0.05 ppm malachite green),
<Yikes... dangerously toxic... but likely ineffective... absorbed quickly
here... by the substrate, detritus, fish slime...>
combined with a gradual temp increase.
<I would raise this quickly (lower slowly after done)... to the mid to upper
eighties F.>
I made sure to remove the carbon from my filters; should I also remove the peat
as well?
<Oh yes... this, among other things will negate the addition of soluble chemical
treatments>
I have the tank lights off except for 2-3 hours each evening for feeding (after
which I gravel-vac and treat the tank) and keep the tank covered to prevent
light from degrading
the medication. Is that enough light for the fish, even for the duration of a
two-week treatment?
<... not likely of any consequence>
I currently have the temp up to 85 degrees F. - can I take it higher without
harming the Corys? (They are C. trilineatus, C. axelrodi, and C. leucomelas.)
<Can take the heat... and the ich can't>
Or is it too high already? Yesterday spots appeared on two more discus, and
today three of the tetras show spots. None of the visibly
infected fish has more than six small spots, so I hope to catch this outbreak
before it really takes hold. None of the fish appears to be unduly
stressed and all were willing to take food this evening.
Tank parameters are stable at: (I am testing daily)
NH3 - 0 ppm
N03 - 0 ppm
N02 - 0 ppm
pH - 6.8
KH - 100 ppm
GH - 50 ppm
<Keep your eye on the ammonia... the formalin will kill off your nitrifiers in
short order...>
Am I doing the right thing?
<... No... these animals should have been quarantined (easy to see, state in
hindsight), and not treated in the main tank... and the active ingredients
listed are too toxic... See WWM re>
I plan to continue this treatment for two weeks, or longer if I observe spots
after the seventh day. Any other advice?
Thank you so much,
Danielle Gilbert
<... Where to start... At this juncture, I might try to just utilize the
elevated temperature to effect a "cure"... For what you have invested, a
microscopic examination of the fish slime might be revealing in terms of whether
this is Ich/thyophthirius or not... Do quarantine all new livestock going
forward, or be aware that relapse/s will likely re-occur. Bob Fenner>
Re: Thanks.. and Ich Treatment Question 4/25/06
My apologies for this second email.... I wanted to clarify that a QT was not
feasible. My roommate said one tank was okay -
<Incorrect>
I got the largest one practical - but he insists that one (especially that size)
is plenty. :-)
<... he's wrong. Not a matter of opinion, but simple fact. Again, please see WWM
re this>
Just in case you were wondering, (and again, thank you)
Danielle
<Was wondering. Thanks for the follow-up. Bob Fenner>
Raising temperature to cure ich 10/27/05
Hi crew,
<Catherine here today!>
An article that was referred to in one of your FAQs ( http://www.aquariumadvic/,
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32) recommends raising water temperature to 86F to cure ich. Have you found this to be successful, or not?
<Raising the temperature to 86 makes the life cycle faster. Salt (either marine or
Epsom) is intolerable to ich at certain stages. The combination has been successful for many people.>
One of my Colisa has 3-4 spots on her fins that look like ich, and one of the platys has been "flashing" occasionally. This has been the case for a couple of days now, and it hasn't spread so far. My water parameters are all good.
<Ammonia=0, nitrite=0, nitrate<20?>
I am already treating one of the threadfins in my QT tank for a swim bladder problem, w/ possible
septicemia, so I probably need to treat the ich in the display tank, which is a 12g planted tank. Denizens of this tank are:
Betta splendens, Colisa lalia, threadfin rainbow (Iriatherina), coral platys, and
siamensis.
Is a sustained temp of 86-87 safe for all of these? If so, is it absolutely necessary to increase aeration?
<For a short time (several weeks) 86-87 is probably better than having ich. They should be okay. Aeration is necessary because higher temperature water holds less oxygen. You have a planted tank which will help, but you're stocking level is pretty high. Air stones are pretty cheap. I'd add one.>
Since the tank is planted I think salt treatment is not appropriate, but what about
Epsom salts-- Epsom is safe for plants but will it have any impact on ich?
<At low concentrations (i.e., those that are used to treat ich), most plants are okay. A few species might be unhappy.>
Thanks,
-Dave
<Anytime. Catherine>
Re: Raising temperature to cure ich 10/27/05
Hi Catherine,
NH3 and NO2 at 0, NO3 around 5. pH 7.0 and stable. Temp at 77-78.
<I want to be your fish... if I didn't have ich.>
What concentration of Epsom salts should I use? Just on WWM I've seen recommendations ranging from 1 tsp/g to 1 TBSP/g! So, what's a good quantity for dealing with ich, and what's the maximum safe levels for fish?
<I believe all your fish should be fine up to 1 tablespoon per gallon. I'm inclined to advise higher concentrations because more salt is worse for ich. I'd add about a half teaspoon per gallon over several days. If the fish seem to be stressed or doing poorly, you can always back off. Your fish should be fine, but there is always a possibility that they are
sensitive for some reason.>
Which plant species don't tolerate Epsom salts that well?
< http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracplants.htm DO tolerate salt well. If you have some that aren't on the list, check out the plant section of WWM, they do a pretty good job of describing the needs of many plants. If you are concerned, you can always put the plant in a smaller container for about 6 weeks. By that point the ich will be gone and your salt treatment will be done.>
Thanks again!
-Dave
<Best of luck to you and your fish. If you check out the WWM chat forum (link is on the lower right part of the WWM homepage and may require scrolling), people will be happy to discuss their ich treatments. "Don fishy" treated a bunch of
Plecs with salt and they did amazingly well. Catherine.>
Re: Raising temperature to cure ich
10/27/05
Catherine,
What I meant to say was, "I've seen recommendations ranging from 1 tsp per 10 g to 1 TBSP per 10g! Not per
1g!
<Oops. I just answered your last question without noticing this. Okay. What I meant to say is 1 TBSP per 5-10 gallons is petty good. I'd go with 1 TBSP per 5 gallons final salt concentration -- nasty to the ich. I think your fish will be fine. Like I meant to say, I'd add about 1/2 t. salt per 5 gallons of water over the next several days. Sorry for the confusion. Catherine>
Combining Medications 10/18/05
Can I treat for a bacterial infection at the same time of treating for Ich or Velvet? I am currently treating with formalin and malachite green, can I mix the med used for a bacterial infection with these?
< Do a 30% water change, vacuum the gravel and clean the filter. Remove any carbon. Raising the water temp to 82 F will take care of the ich so you can add an antibiotic for the bacterial infection.-Chuck>
Yucky, Yucky Ich!
I received a 27 gallon tank for Christmas, and have it set up and running. I
have been told all along that my water checks out great, but have been having
trouble with the fish coming down with ich.
<Well, ich is a parasitic disease, and the most likely cause of ich is a fish
bringing the parasite into the aquarium. Yes- good environmental conditions and
water chemistry provide optimal conditions to keep the fishes healthy, but the
primary cause, the parasites themselves, needs to be addressed.>
I have treated the tank, and this last round has left me with three
fish. I'm not sure what to do now, whether to take the tank down and
start over from scratch, or what exactly I should do. Any suggestions
would be most helpful. I am also planning on
changing where I buy fish from. Thanks...
<Well, regardless of whether you have a freshwater or marine system, I do not
recommend treating the main aquarium with medicines. Much better to remove the
infected animals to a separate tank for treatment. Meanwhile, let the main
system run "fallow", without fishes, for at least a month. This will
allow the parasite population to diminish for lack of fish hosts. I'd execute
this procedure today on your tank. Even if the remaining fishes are not
currently displaying symptoms, get them out and let the tank run fallow...be
sure to conduct all regular maintenance on the tank during the fallow period
(water changes, etc.). For more on attacking this disease, see the
wetwebmedia.com site and do a keyword search on ich using the Google search
feature. With quick action and good observation (not to mention quarantine of
all new fishes)-you'll lick this disease! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>
Success in treating freshwater parasite problem
>Hi Marina:
>>Good morning, Bill.
Your treatment seems to have worked! The white angel is free of all outward
signs of ick and the other fish are all fine.
>>Excellent! Very glad to hear it.
>I bought a device that allows me to read salinity and it is at 3 ppt, and I
am going to leave it there for a couple of more weeks just to be certain.
>>A refractometer, perchance?
>Can loaches and Bala cats tolerate the salinity treatment? Would a seawater
dip work with an Oscar? (My Oscars are fine, but just
wondering for future possibilities.)
>>Yes, they can tolerate this better than they can certain medications.
>Boy, I love keeping fish! (Although I do feel a little odd when I eat sushi
now - and should I catch me any salmon, trout, halibut or grayling, it's going
to feel a little different than it used to, now that I have fish buddies.)
>>Yes, some folks do find themselves in a similar quandary. As
of yet, I have no problem eating what I keep (raising animals for food does help
in that area). Very glad I could help! Marina
Pleco with Ich
It seems my Pleco has Ich. I have been studying up but would like
to act fast. He is the only one in the tank and my QT doesn't have a
heater yet.
<Does the heater from the main tank fit in the QT? If he is the
only one in the main tank you can treat him here, but there is a chance you will
kill off your beneficial bacteria which means more water changes.>
I have read many things on meds
<Me too, always very blurry, but the Reef Invertebrates book has a lot of
pretty pictures.>
but am very unsure on what is safe for him. So at the moment I am
raising the temp (slowly of course). How high can I go with him and
can I use freshwater salt? How much? Temp, at only 73 right now but slowly
increasing.
<You could go up to around 82 over a period of a few days, be sure to keep
your water well aerated. When you bring the temp back down drop it
about 1/2degree per day until you reach around 76-78.>
I really don't want to lose him. No rubbing or hanging at the top
yet, but he definitely has a couple of white spots on him. Did an 8
gallon change already. Please Help ASAP. I am going to
keep studying your website to see if I can find info on Plecs and
ich. Water conditions still the same, Ammonia 0.6, nitrite 0 and PH
7.5
<Check out this page http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/loricariids.htm
"The too-common infestations of ich can be quickly resolved with malachite
with or without formaldehyde preparations. Be wary of utilizing too much salt,
metal (copper) or insecticide (DTHP, Masoten, Dylox, Neguvon) medications on
these catfishes; they succumb to these treatments more readily than the apparent
cause you're treating." The ich meds will have the ingredients
listed on the back of the bottle. Best of Luck, Gage>
Thank you very much
A very worried Tracy
Plec with Ich, cont'd
Hello Gage,
<Actually, Sabrina here - Gage and I have discussed your issue, and he asked
that I respond, so here I am!>
I thought I would update you on my poor little Plec. He isn't doing
so well.
<Sorry to hear it!>
The ich seems to be gone but his gill movement is very rapid.
<Could be from the salt, or the water quality, or a combination of them, as
we've discussed at length in the forum, or even possibly a return of the ich.
He has turned a caramel color. I found out I had ammonia right out of
my tap but I think it was a little too late. He went through ammonia
then nitrite problems. Amquel seems to have fixed the water quality
problems but I fear it may be too late. Poor guy doesn't look very
good.
<Sad, indeed. Gage and I both have our fingers crossed for
him.>
He went through a Kanacyn treatment for red spots on his fins which have not
gone away.
<As I've mentioned in the forums, I think the very small size of your Plec,
along with how heavily infested he was, along with the water quality issues
you've been dealing with, made him very sensitive to the salt - I still very
much think this is the problem with the blood streaked fins (a strong sign of
something in the water that the fish can't tolerate).
Right now I just have him in the dark (in case of velvet), salt 1.001 SG ready
to go back up if ich appears, temp 86.
<Personally, I'd eliminate the salt. This Plec has taken a beating
- don't know for sure if the salt is affecting him, but I suspect so.>
I am going to start lowering his temp today to 82. I think I may just
leave him and then euthanize him when he stops eating and moving about
normally. He is in such bad shape I am not sure I want to use meds.
<Good to use caution, here, yes. Do not consider euthanizing
unless he stops eating - a fish that is eating isn't bad enough to want to die
yet, in my opinion.>
Otherwise, he is eating well and going about his day normally.
<*Definitely* a good sign.>
He always comes over when I am checking on him. He is much more
personable than I would have ever thought. He is a sweet little
fish.
<Plecs can be very personable. Some of the Loricariids are some of
my very favorite fish.>
I feel terrible to have put him through all this, but I didn't have a
clue.
<You are learning, and have learned a lot - that is what's important in
this. You have done a lot and are still trying. You and
your Plec have been very strong through this - don't give up hope yet.>
I trusted a pet store and that was wrong.
<It is unfortunate how much bad information can be had through some pet
stores, out of ignorance (and worse).>
I now know a heck of a lot more, and through all this, found a really good fish
store.
<Wonderful to hear!!>
I figure after he passes I will let the tanks run for a month to kill any
parasites, then look at getting some Danios.
<An *excellent* plan!>
We still would like to have a common Plec but won't get one till the tank starts
to grow algae. That will also give us time to save for larger tanks.
<Do please look into some of the other Plecs that stay smaller and eat meaty
foods, like L-260 (just happens to be my absolute favorite). Browse
through some of the L-numbers in the "common name" section of the
"Cat-eLog" at http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/com_index.htm
and see if you find something that interests you. I think there's a
suitable Plec out there for just about anyone.>
He is in the QT right now and we are working on getting the 33G water conditions
perfected. Still showing nitrites. I am sure water changes
with Amquel will fix that tank in time just like it did in the QT.
<Yes.>
Thank you very much. Between you and the forum I have learned so much
valuable information. I think when it is time to get more fish, I
will make less mistakes thanks to you guys. Keep up the good
work. Tracy
<Gage sends his regards, and we are both very glad to have been able to
help. Thank you for the kind words, and good luck with your little
Plec! Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Ich treatment? Aquarium salt? What to do next? (1/5/04)
<Hi! Ananda here this afternoon...>
Hi, I just added a treatment for ich parasite. I took out the carbon filter
cartridge. I have the pump still running.
<Sounds okay so far....>
When can I put the filter back in?
<That depends on what medication you are using. You might want to get a
carbon-free cartridge for mechanical filtration.>
Aquarium salt is that a one time add. I added some for my black mollies one
teaspoon per gal.
<That's not enough to affect the ich. To treat ich with salt, you want to get
the concentration up to about 3ppm. The amount of salt you will need to get to
that level can vary somewhat.>
If not how often do I make the aquarium salt add and how much per gal? thank
you....
<It depends on what fish you have in the aquarium. Most fish can tolerate the
concentrations needed for the length of treatment, but many cannot tolerate
those levels in the long term. Do look into information about treating
freshwater ich with salt on the WetWebMedia site and in the forums at http://wetwebfotos.com/talk.
--Ananda>
Coppersafe to fight ich
Dear Sir,
<<Hello. Gwen here.>>
We have a large community of freshwater fish in a 60 gallon tank. The
fish are mostly live breeders (mollies, platys, guppies, swordtails)
mixed in with a few Columbian catfish, Corys, Plecos, tetras and a few
other little guys. I would definitely not think that the tank was
overcrowded. However, we are having a real problem with parasites
invading the tank and I have treated for Ich so many times that I fear
it is just pointless. Therefore, I felt trying something like
CopperSafe just in case this is a velvet attack as opposed to Ich. My
question is, how often can you treat with the CopperSafe? When can I
do
a water change? If I do a 50 % water change (I'm also having crazy
ammonia spikes on this less than one month old tank) will I need to
retreat? Any ideas would be most appreciated. Kindest regards, Rev Shannon
Symons
<<If your fish are stressed, they will become sick. You need to find the
cause of the stress, or the ich WILL keep coming back. Stress can come from many
things, overstocking being one of them. In order to know if your tank is
overcrowded, you need to test your water. Water testing is the MOST important
part of keeping fish. You need to test your tank regularly for ammonia, nitrite,
and nitrate. If you do not already own these test kits, I highly recommend
buying them at your LFS. Ammonia is waste produced by the fish, and is changed
nitrite by the biological bacteria, and then into nitrate, in a well-kept tank.
Therefore, even though you should test all three, just to be sure there is no
problem with your biological bacteria (good guys), you should be using the
nitrate test kit to ascertain if your tank is overstocked. You should keep the
nitrate level relatively low, say 20-60ppm for most community fish, and even
lower for sensitive species, like neon tetras, etc. If you find that you cannot
get your nitrate levels low enough by doing regular partial water changes, then
you are overstocked! Overstocking leads to high levels, and your fish will
definitely be stressed. Other stressors include pH changes, (do not change your
pH while your fish are sick) and temperature fluctuations, please make sure the
temp is stable! The heater should be good quality, and you should keep a
thermometer on the tank so you can make sure the temp is exactly the same each
day. When you do water changes, the incoming new water must be the exact same
temp as the tank water (use the same thermometer). Temp stability is important,
especially when you are fighting Ich. First, for the duration of your ich
treatment, make sure your water is between 80-84 degrees F. If need be, you can
raise the temp by a couple of degrees each day. Warm water speeds up the
lifecycle of the parasite, giving you a better window of time to kill the free
swimming parasites. Once they attach to the fish, they are hard to kill. Second,
remove all carbon from your filter(s), and treat with a good ich medication,
like Quick Cure or Super Ich Cure. Treat for the duration on the package, at
half dose for tetras and catfish. If you still see the parasites on the fish
after the treatment, you may continue for another day. When the treatment is
done, do a water changes, and replace the carbon into the filter. If you really
feel the need to use copper, use Cupramine instead. You will find it in the
saltwater section of most fish stores. I would not use it at full dose with the
fish you have. Copper is extremely toxic. Even one quarter dose should help
without harming the fish, assuming this is a normal ich problem...it is also
possible your Ich is a secondary infestation, caused by the stress of an
internal parasite/bacterial infection. If the above steps do not help your fish,
please write me again, as you may need an antibiotic to cure a primary
infection. But try the above first, since antibiotics are expensive, will kill
your biological filtration, and are a last resort. -Gwen>>
My guppies have ick
I've been treating my tank for ich for 3 days now. It doesn't seem to be clearing up. I have 6 guppies and 2 babies (guppies also) .
I'm using Cure-Ick. The ick doesn't look horrible. It is just sprinkled on. It is small little spots. all of my Syno-cats came down with the ick first but then started to develop a white film over their body. Which also covered their eyes. The medication
I'm using says use for three days. It is a Malachite Green-formalin base. Should I try something else? < That is the right stuff.> Unfortunately where I live the only place that is slightly fish experts is Pet Smart.
I'm really worried about losing the babies. They are still going strong but I've noticed that now they have a little bit of ick. they are only 4 days old. The Ph is around 7.4-7- < Make sure the water temp. is around 80 degrees. And do a 30% water change every other day. The parasite likes under the skin of the host for a couple of days and can only be killed when it is off the host and free swimming. Your catfish do not like the medication so make sure you follow the directions when it comes to treating catfish. Watch for ammonia spikes because the ich medication may affect the good bacteria that breaks down ammonia and nitrites.-Chuck>
Maracide?
I have a little Honeycomb Tatia that seems to have Ich. And I don't know what
I'm doing!! Please bear with me here...
I have other fish, they're all fine. I put her in a 2.5G hospital tank, removed
the charcoal filter. Tried aquarium salt treatment for a few days (a couple
teaspoons a day). After that, I was going to start partial water
changes. Well, I came home from work the third day and thought she was dead. So
I started dumping out the water into the toilet. Come to find she was just
sleeping. Upside down. On the bottom of the tank and not moving or appearing
to breathe. Not dead. Just the stress she needed! It's not that I don't love
her, but she really did look dead.
At this point, almost all the water's gone. So I cleaned out the tank again
real good and filled it with some aged water and got the temp back up to normal
(about 82F). Put her back in and tried the Maracide, since she was still
covered in "salty granules" from the Ich. I read that I should get the temp up
really high so now it's at 88F. And yes, I realize I'm probably dong EVERYTHING
wrong, but I've read about 100 different versions of what to do.
And I'm very confused because I've read that I should treat her from 3 days to a
week. And yet my Mardel Maracide bottle says NOTHING about duration. It says
it treats the fish, not the water. Helpful. Do I only use it once??? Do I use
it every day until she looks better?
And.
How do I tell if it's working? Will I be able to tell when the parasites become
free swimming? If it treats the fish and not the water, but Ich is impossible
to kill when it's in the fish, then what's the point??? Should I be treating
the water and not the fish?
And to confound me further, I've read that Malachite is dangerous and I should
only use 1/2 dosages of it. I've also read that catfish are harder to treat
(which would imply a fall does to me).
I've also read that while "Maracide" is pretty safe, "Malachite" is dangerously
toxic. The bottle of Maracide says that the ingredients are Malachite Green and
Chitosan.
Please help me. I have read so many posts but I'm just more confused than
ever. These fish always astound me with how tough they are but it is a learning
curve for me.
< Some fish always seem more prone to ich than others. First keep the fish in
the hospital tank. Keep the water temp at about 82 degrees F. Do not use a
filter just an airstone. Do a 50% water change and add the dosage of rid-ich by
Kordon recommended on the bottle. Usually it will be 1/2 of the dosage for
catfish than for other fish. At this temperature the ich parasite will
metabolize quickly, leave the host fish in a few days. The minimum would be
three days, at lower temps it may take up to a week for cool water fish like
goldfish. Since you do have not filter in your tank you will need to siphon the
water out of the tank to keep it clean every day. A third will work. Get the
junk off the bottom too. Look closely at the main tank for signs of ich
too.-Chuck>
Re: Maracide?
Thank you. I've been keeping an eye on the other tank. Is it still okay to use
Rid-Ich even though I've treated her with Maracide?
<Since you already have the Maracide then continue with that treatment until the
ich is cured. If it does not seem to work after a week then I would change
medications. Do a water change use the rid-ich when you are suppose to treat
with the Maracide. The rid-ich has formalin and malachite greed . These are
suppose to be the best when used together.-Chuck>
~Bethel
Ich Problem
I have a 20 gal. tank with 6 neon tetras, 4 guppies, and one Corydoras
catfish. I have noticed that the fish are scratching against the gravel and
decorations but there are no visible white spots. A few of the Neons do show
signs of fin rot. What's happening? What medication should I use? -Tommy
<<Hello. First thing you need to do is check your water quality: take a sample
to your LFS and have them test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. The
first two should be zero, and nitrates should be low, between 20-40ppm. If any
levels test higher, you may need to do more frequent partial water changes. Once
your water has been tested, you can buy some Quick Cure or equivalent ich
medication. The water changes SHOULD clear up the fin rot, and the Quick Cure
should take care of any parasites (use this at half dosage with tetras). Always
follow directions for medications very closely. -Gwen>>
Ick and new tank
I have multiple problems occurring all at once. I have a 55 gallon FW tank
stocked with a 6" Oscar, 7" Pacu, 5" Iridescent Shark, 4" Blue Jewel Cichlid,
3" Turquoise Cichlid, 2 -1.5" Convict Cichlids, and 2 Plecos 4" & 6". All the
fish were doing great in their old 39 gallon tank (the Oscar and Pacu being in
there for well over a year) with no problems whatsoever. 3 days ago I moved
them into the 55g when I went back to school.( I treated the water before
release of fish).
First: There is an Ick problem in the tank. The Blue Jewel and the shark
being heavily afflicted. The Oscar and Pacu have little spots on their eyes.
The rest of the fish are untouched. Here's what I did: in the 55g tank added
treatments of Jungle ick guard, following directions to the letter. I also
raised the water temperature to around 82. There doesn't seem to be any
change. In fact the shark appears to be getting worse so I removed it from
the tank. Any recommendations that I haven't tried, I'm not to sure on what
would be the safest alternative.
< For ich I like to use a combination of malachite green and formalin. It takes
awhile for any ich medication to work and as you have found out some fish are
more susceptible than others. Keep the water temp high and do lots of water
changes to reduce the parasite load and you should see so benefit in a least
three days.>
Second: The Blue Jewel is acting very odd. It floats in one spot most of the
time with jerky movements. It occasionally has a spasm of jerky swimming. It
also seems to be unable to attack when the convicts pester it. It will merely
turn on its side to them. Is this ick related or something else?
< Could be the ich. You don't have to see spots to have the parasites attack.>
Third: The Plecos seem to have a hard time finding algae, being a new tank
and all. Is there something I can do for them?
< I like to use guinea pig pellets to get them started. Fish need vitamin C and
fresh guinea pig pellets are alfalfa with vitamin C added to them. Get them from
a local pet shop and just drop a couple in and your Pleco will be out in no
time. Commercially available algae wafers from the store are also accepted.
too.>
Fourth: The Pacu is less active than it used to be. I put some feeder fish
in the tank and it doesn't even chase them where it used to keep swimming and
eating until it was full or the fish were gone. Is this new tank syndrome?
Traumatized from the trip to school? Or something else?
Thanks for your time.
<In the wild Pacus actually eat fruit that falls into the water. It may be sick
or just tired of feeder fish . Try another type of food and see if things pick
up.-Chuck>
- Jason
Betta fin and tail discoloration
Hi, we have a fish tank of 30L of water in our office place. We had 6 different
species of community tank fishes including angelfishes, neon tetras, head
standers and one Betta among others. About 13 days ago, a Friday, we left our
fishes for the weekend, and when we returned on Monday we noticed they were
infected with ich or white spots. Many of the little ones died over the weekend,
and the others seemed very sick. Although our beta didn't showed any white spots
on him, he acted as if he was fungus infected. So we began a fungus-white spot
treatment, hoping to save at least a 10% (5) of the fishes. This weekend the
last of the angel fishes died and the beta has good mobility and he is feeding
well but we he has a strange discoloration in his fins and in the bottom of his
tail. We don't know what to do or and we hope you can help us...thank you very
much!
< Ich or white spot disease is deadly to smaller tetras. You should be using a
Formalin-Malachite green type medication and raise the water temp to 80-82
degrees to treat the ich. The sick and dead fish have raised the ammonia levels
in the tank and your Betta probably has a bacterial infection referred to as fin
rot. Clean the filter and do a 30% water change. Treat the tank with Furanace or
Maracyn to stop the fin rot. These medications may affect the good bacteria that
breaks down the fish waste into nitrates so you need to do water changes more
often until the bacteria bounce back after treatment.-Chuck>
Fish starting to look like a ghost (Ick)
One out five of my fish has the gotten the case of the ick. I've tried Internet
surfing trying to find some information on what to do. One step I have already
done is taken 1/4 of the water out of the tank (8 gallon) and adding in fresh
water w/ a capful of IckAway by Wardley. The rest I'm clueless. Some say stop
the filter and some say don't? Should I quarantine the fish or not? Raise the
temperature if so how? Change the filter or not? The symptoms are of course
furry spots and touch of scale damage. Still energetic but just covered w/ ick
on some of the head and whiskers. I'm not sure of the type of fish, the best I
can do is describe it as a miniature catfish that is highly energetic. If you
can help I highly appreciate it.
< Treating ich on catfish and loaches can be tricky. They usually don't like the
typical medications on the market. Some fish are more prone to attacks of ich
than others. I think I would recommend treating the entire tank at this point. I
would recommend rid-ich plus by Kordon and follow the directions on the label.
Remove the carbon and clean the filter and the medication will work much better.
Raising the temperature will help but you will need to increase the aeration
too. I think you will be ok if you follow the directions on the bottle.-Chuck>
Fungus(?) Emergency!
Once again I come to you in need of help. I only wish that this
time it were under better circumstances.
We have a fully populated 29 gallon community tank. We just
returned from running last-minute Halloween errands so I stopped
to say hello to the fish. The majority of our fish are speckled
with tiny white spots! They are small enough that at first
glance I thought that they were air bubbles from the airstone.
It looks as if someone splattered the fish with white paint. I'm
not sure what it is, or what to do. If it's ich, it's unlike any
ich that we have seen before.
We immediately put some MelaFix into the tank. Please help us.
We don't know what to do!
< Most likely it is ich and needs to be treated. Check the
heater and make sure it is working properly and is correctly
adjusted. It should be around 80 degrees F. Use rid-ich by Kordon
or another medication with a combination of formalin and
malachite green. Watch for ammonia spikes because some
medication may affect the good bacteria that break down the fish
waste into less toxic substances.-Chuck>
Thank you so much (again)
- Ian
A Cycle of Questions
Hi again and thanks for your response. I do have some further questions.
I believe I must remove the live plants from the tank during treatment?
<Yep, Although some tough plants can handle the salt. Keep them in a fishless
container for at least one month. Adding them back earlier could bring back the
Ick>
Should I keep the temp up at 86 during the minimum 2 week treatment?
<Yes, Ick can only be destroyed during one phase of it's three stage lifecycle.
Higher temps speed up the lifecycle and kills it quicker. Do not raise the temp
until the salt is in>
During this minimum 2 week treatment, do I continue the daily water changes and
replace the salt in the new water?
<Continue testing for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Do water changes if you see
any of the first two or when nitrates climb above 20ppm. Yes, you would have to
replace the salt in any new water. Mix it in before adding it to the tank. Be
careful to keep the same concentration. Doing 50% water changes makes it easy to
figure out the dose. Remember, treat for two weeks AFTER the last spot drops.
Very important!>
Being how I have a whisper power filter that has the filter and the
sponge-thing, is there a way to remove the sponge thingy to a bucket or
something therefore preserving the biological filter?
<Not really. The bacteria will starve without an ammonia source (the fish).
Keeping it with fish will spread the Ick>
Or if I were to go out and buy a small QT tank, could I use the established
filter or some water from the established tank in the new QT tank? or would that
just be contaminating a new QT? My concern is that possibly killing my tank
and causing it to recycle. Would my existing fish (powder blue Gourami, 2 clown
loaches) die in the recycle? YIKES! I am not aware that these are "hardy" fish.
<The best way to do this would be a small, bare bottom QT. Fill it with water
from the problem tank. Add the fish, but not the filter. A simple sponge filter,
or even just a airstone will do. With all fish out of the main, turn up the temp
to 86. Throw in a small frozen shrimp to feed the filter. A little fish food
added daily will also work. Let it sit this way for 30 days while you treat the
fish in QT. The parasite will starve out with no fish host. Test the QT daily
and do water changes to correct spikes in ammonia or nitrite. If you are doing
enough water changes to control ammonia and nitrite, there is no need for a
filter. Just an airstone. Treatment will prevent the establishment of any bio
filtration anyway>
Could I possibly use some sort of "dip" or "bath"? I guess what I am really
saying is. I can probably afford to go and buy a small QT tank (with filter,
heater, hood, and I could use my existing air pump for the new QT) but by doing
so, (will probably get in the dog house with hubby) it would be starting out
with new water? new cycle? same dangers?
(ammonia, nitrites).. help.. I'm so confused!
<All you really need is the tank with a glass lid, heater and airstone. You do
not need a lighted hood or a filter. A 50% water change in a 5 gallon tank is
easy. Just siphon the water from the bottom to remove the Ick that is
reproduction mode. A dip may (doubtful though, IMO) clear the fish, but not the
tank>
If I were to go and buy a QT tank, what are your recommendations for this route?
I understand that if I remove the fish from the main tank, that the ich will die
because there will be no host. So I think that I can possibly save my main tank
by getting a QT tank?
<Correct, just add that ammonia source (shrimp).>
Should I use the water from the main tank in the QT tank? And since I have to
buy a filter for the QT tank, can I just put my established filter in the new
QT tank and put the new filter in the main tank? Or will this also cause a
recycle in the main tank? Or can I maybe switch out the sponge thing? (i.e.:
keep the sponge in the main tank, and add a new filter, and put the old filter
from the main tank in the new QT tank?) If I were to use new filter in the main
tank, that contains the carbon, this would clear up the meds from the main tank
water right? A final thought here... I am getting some algae on the walls of the
tank (due to the lack of an algae eater), would this be enough "stuff" to keep
the biological filter going if I put new filter assy. in the main tank and moved
the established filter assy. to the new QT tank? <Only if it died and rotted>
Ugh.. ok.. now I am getting a headache LOL... thanks for your help and support
in this matter!
Nancy
<Now my heads spinning with filter jumping all around. But I think I answered
all above. Main point is that you can save yourself a lot of money, work and
worry, along with lives, by using a QT before adding any living thing to your
tank. Moving an established filter will move the Ick, and any new filter will
need to do through a cycling period. So any way you do it, you're going through
a recycling. Better in a small tank while letting the large go fallow. Don>
Black ghost knife with ich
Hi
I have a Black ghost knife fish who is a new addition to my tank - though I have
owned them in the past and have learned the * hard way* that these fish need a
lot of individual care.
<And don't "like" ich medications>
through research and experience, there has been a great learning curve for me
- My tank is 29 gal with only 5 other fish who have been stable and healthy ( 2
are Discus and healthy).
<This tank is way too small for even just the Knife... or one Discus>
2 days ago, I bought a 4 inch BGKF who has a great personality but the aquarium
shop I got him is only 75% reliable - has a fair number of unhealthy fish)- my
tank has been quite healthy and I do 30% H2O changes every 2 wks w/ gravel vac.
<I take it you did not quarantine this new addition>
Today, my BGK started to show a number of ich spots - I killed my last BGK
with Rx in the main tank for another sick fish -
<Very common>
(ironically - the 1st discus I got had a good case of hole in head!) I bought
this fish because I loved the personality of this fish... - I need to *save him*
- what should I do? all readings on my tank are normal ; ph is 7.8, Soft H2O,
lots of hiding places sterilizer always running.
Peggy
<Please read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the Related FAQs (linked, in blue, at top)
and:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/knifefishfaqs.htm
I would use half doses of AquariSol, elevate temperature to the mid-80's F...
And get a larger system for this life ASAPractical. Bob Fenner>