both my tanks have ich

[sayeau]

hi everyone i am new to ovas.
i need some help i got some plants at the last ovas meeting  and 2 days latter all the tanks i put the plants in have ich. what can i do?
i raised the temperature to 86-88 and add some salt. is there any thing  more i can do. i dont wont to lose any fish.

thanks

[fishycanuck]

Yes, there is a great deal you can do. I am not sure how the treatments will affect your plants, but here is some information from the "fish illness" section of the board. You must raise the temperature and salt content slowly.
Good luck



Freshwater Ich
Symptoms: Fish look like they have little white salt grains on them and may scratch against objects in the tank.

White spot disease (Ichthyopthirius multifiliis) is caused by a protozoan with a life cycle that includes a free-living stage. Ich grows on a fish --> it falls off and attaches to gravel or tank glass --> it reproduces to MANY parasites --> these swarmers then attach to other fish. If the swarmers do not find a fish host, they die in about 3 days (depending on the water temperature).

Therefore, to treat it, medicine must be added to the display tank to kill free-living parasites. If fish are removed to quarantine, parasites living in the tank will escape the treatment -- unless ALL fish are removed for about a week in freshwater or three weeks in saltwater systems. In a reef tank, where invertebrates are sensitive to ich medications, removing the fish is the only option. Some people think that ich is probably dormant in most tanks. It is most often triggered by temperature fluctuations.

Remedy: For most fish, use a medication with formalin and malachite green. These are the active ingredients in many ich medications at fish shops. Some products are Kordon's Rid Ich and Aquarium Products' Quick Cure. Just read the label and you may find others. Check for temperature fluctuations in the tank and fix them to avoid recurrences. Note that tetras can be a little sensitive to malachite green, so use it at half the dose.

Use these products as directed (usually a daily dose) until all of the fish are spot-free. Then dose every three days for a total of four more doses. This will kill any free-swimming parasites as they hatch out of cysts.

Another remedy is to raise the tank temperature to about 90 deg F and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to the water. Not all fish tolerate this.

Finally, one can treat ich with a ``transfer method.'' Fish are moved daily into a different tank with clean, conditioned, warmed water. Parasites that came off of the fish are left behind in the tank. After moving the fish daily for a week, the fish (presumably cured) can be put back into the main tank. The disadvantage of this method is that it stresses both fish and fishkeeper.

[nes]

Ich meds work really well but be careful when using them with "scaleless" fish (such as clownloaches) or very sensative species.

Nes.

[sayeau]

thanks for the info i will go get some stuff from the lfs
if any one has any more info, please post it

[fishycanuck]

Try this link from another group I belong to.

http://groups.msn.com/LyreTailsAquarium/ich.msnw

[Rudy00]

salt will do damage to your plants i beleive, so be careful
i personally found keeping a mixed diet and 15% water changes aids in keeping the fishes immune system up and fights off the parasite
maybe also up the temp a bit depending on what kind of fish you are keeping

[KLKelly]

I worry about bringing 'bugs' in with plants too.  I keep them in sunlight in a bucket and quickcure for three nights before rinsing them really well and putting them in the tank.  All plants have survived this with no problems so far.  It was recommended to get potassium promaganate (sp) but I haven't been able to find this yet.  Some people use a diluted bleach dip but that makes me nervous.

I don't know how all fish would react to the above approaches.

Best of luck.

Karrie

[Rudy00]

I worry about bringing 'bugs' in with plants too.  I keep them in sunlight in a bucket and quickcure for three nights before rinsing them really well and putting them in the tank.  All plants have survived this with no problems so far.  It was recommended to get potassium promaganate (sp) but I haven't been able to find this yet.  Some people use a diluted bleach dip but that makes me nervous.

I don't know how all fish would react to the above approaches.

Best of luck.

Karrie

as for introducing a parasite i can see it possible but in theory if your fish are healthy (ie regular maintenance, varied diet, stable water conditions) and are not immunally compremised (if immunally is a word) they should easily combat the ick, but then again you have to consider the stress of addition of the new plants or whatever you just acquired and how that would effect the tank inhabitants

quarentine would be the best route for plants i think as ick is an obligate parasite ie it needs fish to finish its life cycle, so no fish no parasite

[torch89]

When I first started up my planted tank, my fish got ich.  Then I discovered Aquari-sol.  It didn't harm any of my plants or fish in my tank, but you should be careful to read to make sure the medication isn't contraindicated for what you have in your tank.  I turned up the heat to about 84 degrees, removed the charcoal from the filter, put some floss in the filter where the charcoal was and did a daily dose for about 2-3 weeks I believe (not certain, but I really wanted to get rid of the ich).  During that time period, I siphoned the tank bottom every second day to assist in getting rid of the ich in the stage where they drop to the bottom of the tank.  After that time period, I treated the tank every three days until I had done a total of 4 more treatments.  The ich was then gone.  Haven't had a problem with it since then.  Hope I never do again!!  This medication can be used as a preventative as well when needed (ie fish undergoing stressful situtation).  Product available at Wal-mart.  Goodluck, as ich is a terrible thing.   

[sayeau]

thanks for all the help!!!!

just an update all my fish in the top tank look good now and the bottem tank there is just one fish that has 3 or 4 ich this left. i am going to keep the temp up in the top tank for 4 more days just to be safe.

thanks again


i have not lost any more fish, so that is good