Ack! Ich! Help needed for Altum tank!

[tanksalot]

I feel like such a bad fishy-keeper, but I can't figure out where we've gone wrong to get Ich in there. Everything gets quarantined before going in, the water parameters/temps have always been exemplary....

Anyways......it's a planted tank so salt is a no-go. Advice needed from experts: Should I treat the fish separately in a hospital tank with salt/high temps and return them when cured (won't they just get it again?) or do I have to (reluctantly) go the medicine route...and if so, which med? I also have a Clown Loach and Amano Shrimp in the Altum tank and I realize some meds are not good for Loaches...

tanksalot

[keeper]

leave the fish in the tank and treat with heat only.  Raise the temp about 1degree every 12hrs until you reach 86-88F.  Keep this temp for about 2 weeks and you should see large inmprovments.  Keep in mind that temp will increase the rate of speed that Ich will spread....but will cut it's life span to about 1 week from 6.

There is some thought that ich is present in all fish and can be brought out with stress(such as new additions)....QT'ing is always good though

HTH

[luvfishies]

The salt level needed to treat ich won't kill your plants. 1 TBSP/5g is all that is needed, for a couple of weeks, with temp upped to 86-88. I've done this, with NO plant loss, NO loach loss, and the fish came thru just fine.

[dpatte]

everyone has a different opinion, but..

i believe salt is not enough and heat will only speed the cycle making things worse since it adds stress to the fish.

I treat with ridich (or ich cure), and no heat, and it has never failed BUT treat on day one and two then every third day until 10 days AFTER the ich has disappeared.

People add heat, to speed the cycle, but it also stresses the fish. Since ich is in ALL water and only attacks stressed fish,  why would people stress them further.

Ich Cure works every time without heat.

[tanksalot]

Thanks everyone! I did add a small amt of salt once to a planted tank and lost all the plants, so I won't do that again!

As for heat alone, the tank is already getting close to 88 (Altums love their heat) and the Ich is just starting to appear on them. I feel it's a risk to rely on heat alone.

dpatte: Is the ridich safe for Loaches? And will this kill my biological balance? Is it safe for a variety of plants?
tanksalot!

[dpatte]

I think artw has used it with clown loaches in planted tanks.

It is safe with all but the most delicate plants but may throw off the bio balance a bit, perhaps.

The active ingredients are malachite green and formalin.  Formalin is pretty nasty stuff, and is banned in several places. I would use gloves when handling it.

[keeper]

make sure ridich is okay for invertabrates(sp?).  I noticed you have amano shrimp!!

[tanksalot]

Bought some ich cure from Big Al's and they said NOT safe for invertebrates.  They suggested half dose due to the Loach (half dose for tetras too)

We're still holding at high temps and trying to decide what to do.
tanksalot