Question about Ich

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!
tdiggs

tdiggs

AC Members
Feb 3, 2013
111
0
0
Hi,

I had 3 cardinal tetras and 2 neon tetras and I now have one dalmatian molly. They all had/have ich and I used tetra Ick Guard a couple times (with water changes (about 25%) before treatment and then I found the stuff I really wanted, Aquarium Products QuICK Cure. Needless to say the tetras weren't able to cope with the medicine. I have the temperature up to about 81 as of today and one dose of QuICK Cure. Should I use a carbon filter to remove old medication? My dalmatian molly is just laying, but breathing, and every once in a while he'll perk up and swim around (though not as vigorously as he used to). Any suggestions?

Thanks guys.
 
FreshyFresh

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,078
851
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
tdiggs, if the molly is the only survivor at this point, can you relocate her/him and crank the heat up on the tank effected with Ich? Crank it up to ~89F for a few days to kill off ich.

Relocate, dump half the water, refill with warm/hot treated tap water and set your heater to max. I'd try that.

Joel
 
glenngreen

glenngreen

AC Members
Mar 26, 2005
65
0
6
71
Tucson, AZ
Real Name
Glenn Green
Any temp above the 81° would be irrelevant with no fish in the tank. An empty tank will be ich free in a week. If you want to try and keep the molly in that tank, I would do a water change and add the carbon to remove the treatment. Hold the temp at 81° for a few days and see if the ich returns.
 
oo7genie

oo7genie

Hello my fintime gal...
Nov 18, 2010
898
1
0
Eugene, OR
Real Name
Rick
Whenever you raise the temp up high with medicine in the tank, you should increase surface agitation/air bubbles in the tank to compensate for the decrease in oxygen in the water. If there wasn't enough oxygen in the water, that may be why your fish didn't do well with the treatment.
 
tdiggs

tdiggs

AC Members
Feb 3, 2013
111
0
0
I have a pump (have for a while) working right now. Temperature is right near 81 (I don't want it to stress him out to much). This morning he was swimming around fine, like his usually self (unlike the day before where he seemed pretty docile until the lights were turned off). There are still white spots on his body and fins (but if I had to say, I think they are less than the day before). I changed about 25-30% of the water this morning and applied another dose of treatment. I don't think I want to move him (with ich) from an ich infested tank to a clean tank, that doesn't make sense to me.

I have also been adding aquarium salt with water changes. Anything you guys would suggest I do to mitigate the impact on our little survivor?
 
FreshyFresh

FreshyFresh

Global Moderator
Staff member
Jan 11, 2013
5,078
851
144
West Falls NY
Real Name
Joel
glenngreen said:
Any temp above the 81° would be irrelevant with no fish in the tank. An empty tank will be ich free in a week...
Click to expand...
Glenn, I'm sure you know more about this stuff than I do, but I've talked with folks who have gone fishless for 2+ weeks at normal temps and still broke back out with ich. Could they have re-introduced it? Anything is possible. From what I've read, ~89F kills it gone in ~24hrs.

Joel
 
tdiggs

tdiggs

AC Members
Feb 3, 2013
111
0
0
Update:

The molly is still alive. I tried pushing the temperature up to about 85-86 F and by morning he looked pretty docile so I turned it back down (slowly of course) because I was uncomfortable. I am still testing water (all is good), about 30% water change with extra API salt each time, air stone, Aquarium Products QuICK Cure, and leaving the light off for less stress.

He has quite a bit of white spots (the worst I've seen compared to pictures on the internet) and I want to know when will he be okay again?

Thanks guys.
 
K

Karizen

AC Members
Jan 27, 2013
16
0
0
iowa
with the oxygen.. i do not know that this is 100% right but.. having an airstone is not going to add alot of oxygen to the tank.. u need the surface water to be constantly moving around for healthier oxygen water.. note sure if that is true but i've always lived by that..
 
Slappy*McFish

Slappy*McFish

Global Moderator
Staff member
Feb 18, 2002
7,835
48
75
Raleigh, NC
As long as the airstone is creating plenty of surface agitation and water movement, it is oxygenating the water. The bubbles themselves even passively add O2 to the water, though most of the gas exchange happens at the surface.
The point of raising the temp in general is to speed up the life cycle of the parasite. The white spots you see on the fish (trophonts) are pretty well protected and difficult to kill, as are the encysted tomonts that fall to the substrate during the reproductive stage. The free-swimming tomites (once discharged from the 'egg' cysts) have 1-2 days to find a host. They are killed during this stage by medications, salt, and/or high heat alone (90F). Raising the heat to 80-88F is usually safe for the fish and simply speeds up the life cycle of the parasite so that the trophonts don't linger too long on the fish and more free-swimmers can be killed. It also has an added benefit of increasing the fish's metabolism and boosting its immune system, as well. This is why most experts recommend to treat the tank for at least 3-4 weeks to insure that all the parasites have completed their life cycles and are killed during their free-swimming stage while looking for a host. Many begginers make the mistake of thinking that once the white spots fall off the fish, then the disease is cured. This simply isn't the case as the parasites have entered the next stage of their life cycle to begin the process all over again. The encysted tomonts can take anywhere from a few days to 3 weeks to mature and release their free-swimmers. The warmer temps speed up this process.

Edit: also be aware that some medications can drastically reduce O2 levels in the water and at higher temps, this can be deadly. Always watch the fish when using meds and high temps together to insure the fish isn't asphyxiating.
 
Last edited:
tdiggs

tdiggs

AC Members
Feb 3, 2013
111
0
0
I have the water level lower so the return on the filter agitates the surface water more. The air pump is installed below the filter so that the bubbles get more agitation (if it even matters, seems like a good idea). I have tried soaking a bit of his food in some minced garlic (whole garlic, no citric acid or phosphoric acid or any thing of the sort) and aquarium water in hopes of boosting his immune system a little more. He's been getting stress coat with each water change too. I do know to continue treatment after the white spots are gone. My real question and concern is when the white spots will leave the fish so he isn't so bothered by them?

Right now, he is swimming in place (and around) as though he is a salmon swimming through a rough current or as if he is trying to 'shake' off the white spots because they are 'itching' him. Is that a normal action as a result of ich?

Thanks guys, you're being very helpful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store
Top Bottom