Ich!! Please help!

[MissA2887]

I have a 29 gallon tank that was set up and ready to go. I went to my local pet store and bought 8 fish and a snail. I didn't notice it until I put them in the tank and turn the light on that two of the fish had ich spots on their tails. I immediately called the pet store and told them about it and I took the two sick fish back. Since then my Cory catfish died my tiger stripe Tetra died and my albino tiger stripe Tetra died. My snail died also the next day. My my pH is at 7 my ammonia is at zero. I brought a water sample to the pet store before I even bought the fish. Now two of the remaining fish have spots on them. I'm pissed because the pet store sold me sick fish and now my entire tanks contaminated. I don't want to use the kordon Rid ich Plus because it will stain my brand new tank and all of my ornaments in it. Plus I have to African dwarf frogs and a snail that the rid ich plus will kill. I was going to take the frogs and snail out and put them in a different tank but like I said I don't want my tank stained. So I was going to take them out and put them in a different tank and use salt and Heat in the main tank but I have two Cory catfish and I heard that salt will kill them. My temperature is currently at 84 degrees and the pet store gave me melafix to treat my tank. But I'm not even sure if that will kill it so I have no idea what to do. Can somebody please help me. I just bought the tank 3 months ago and it was fine for about 2 months and then I bought a new fish and a couple of days later I noticed he had spots on him. Turned out he had ich and it wiped my entire tank out. So I basically just started over and I'm right back where I was because they sold me sick fish. I really don't want to have to start over again because fish are expensive! The pet store owner acknowledged that the fish I brought back had ick and still won't refund me my money even though I offered to bring all of the fish back. When my tank was good I loved it. It was beautiful! I also have a three-year-old that loves the tank too so I really really don't want to have to start over again it's getting to be too much already

 

[Tifftastic]

I have a 29 gallon tank that was set up and ready to go.

Was the tank cycled?

My my pH is at 7 my ammonia is at zero. I brought a water sample to the pet store before I even bought the fish

Were these readings before you put fish in or after the first death?

use salt and Heat in the main tank but I have two Cory catfish and I heard that salt will kill them. My temperature is currently at 84 degrees and the pet store gave me melafix to treat my tank. But I'm not even sure if that will kill it

Salt and heat will not hurt the cory. You are right, melafix will not kill ich. Melafix is for bacterial infections and ich is a parasite. Salt and heat is my preferred method. The temp is high enough already, just add salt to get up to 5 tblsp per gallon over a few days. Do water changes every three days and replace the salt when you do it. Treat for two weeks, even if you don't see any spots.

 

[Rbishop]

I'd add that you should keep tank treated for 7-10 days after the last visible sign of ich. Also, on that water change, the replacement water should be at the same concentration you initially started with. (not really different from what Tiff said, but possibly a bit clearer ).
I recommend you get your own good liquid test kit and not rely on the LFS to test for you.

 

[ustabefast]

I would dose no more than 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon
Dose one teaspoon per gallon of salt for starters.
.After 12 hours repeat step 1.
After another 12 hours, repeat step 1 again.

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/how-much-salt-add-eliminate-ich-35255/#ixzz4q71pQyDl

 

[Tifftastic]

I would dose no more than 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon
Dose one teaspoon per gallon of salt for starters.
.After 12 hours repeat step 1.
After another 12 hours, repeat step 1 again.

Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/livebearers/how-much-salt-add-eliminate-ich-35255/#ixzz4q71pQyDl

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

I suggested:
1 tablespoon per 5 gallons

you suggested:
1 tablespoon per 1 gallon

I have always had success with 1 tablespoon for 5 gallons. So, anywhere in between should work!

 

[ustabefast]

Tiff, I agree, but I think you accidentally posted you could dose up to 5 tablespoons/gallon!
I just wanted to clarify..

 

[MissA2887]

I don't think my tank was cycled because I just tested it and my nitrites are through the roof and my ammonia is between 1 and 2!!!!! I don't know what to to I have airstones for the salt treatment. I have 2 african dwarf frogs in there and a snail should I take them out? Or is the salt OK for them? And what should I do about the ammonia and nitrites???!! I don't have a nitrate kit yet I'm waiting for it in the mail because my LPS didn't have one. I'm really worried about using the salt with my frogs and my snail because I've had them since they were babies so I'm really attached to them. And I've had the snail just as long so I don't want to lose him either. The snail is at the top of the tank it looks like he's trying to breathe out of the top of the water. And my Cory's are acting lethargic. Even if another fish pokes at them they won't move!! And the ich is all over my blue glofish now. He only had a few spots yesterday

 

[MissA2887]

Can african dwarf frogs and snails get ich? Or should I remove them while I treat the tank?

 

[MissA2887]

I'm scared I'm gonna have to start over that's what happened to me last time. My tank was fine for months and I bought a new fish and I got ich and it wiped my whole tank out. I wasn't sure if it was the fish that I bought that did it but now that I just bought fish from the same place and when I brought them home they visibly had ich I know that their fish contaminated my time last time.

 

[MissA2887]

When I realized that they sold me fish with ick this time I brought the fish back and they acknowledged that the fish had ich and they replaced the two but I guess my tank was screwed by then because I didn't notice until I put them in the tank and turned the light on