Does anythinge else look like ICK?

[budrecki]

I change/vac about every week or two anywhere from 10 to 45%
ph 7 - 7.5
nitrite 0
nitrate 10 - 20
ammonia 0

I would suspect your readings are off. Do you use test strips or liquid? 10% every week or two is insufficient.

Gouramis are notoriously territorial. Are the 2 dwarfs or the opaline showing signs of aggression? Have you observed any tail/fin nipping?

 

[daveedka]

Velvet is a parasite like ich and like ich it is caused by Reproduction of existing parasites.

Velvet is usually a bit tougher than ich. I don't ever and won't ever reccomend copper. Formalin and malechite are about the best route I could reccomend. black out the tank during treatment as well. Velvet can photosynthesize so a blackout will help to kill off any parasites not attached to a host, and potentially weaken any that are attached. Blackouts alone will not kill velvet if there are fish in the tank. but will help with treatment. Velvet is also similar to ich in the regard that you can't kill it until it falls from the host. Keep up treatemtn after the last sign of problems on your fish just like you would with ich.
Dave

 

[pophead]

not really helpful now, but....
aparently when clams breed their young go into fish's scales or something and it looks like ick.

 

[acocacolagirl]

The other two gouramis died a couple of months ago. There is only one left...that is why I need to update my signature. If I do a 10% change one week then I do a bigger change the next week. Occationally I miss a week due to my work schedual. Then I also do a bigger change. That is what I meant when I said 10 - 45% every week or two. I use liquid test kits. Do they ever go bad and become less accurate?

Daveedka -
by black out, did you mean cover the tank, or just leave the lights out.

Pothead - there are no clams in my tank, but that is very interesting.

 

[acocacolagirl]

current water perameters:
ph 7
nitrite 0
nitrate 10
temp 79

Could I need to change my bio wheel? I change the filter as needed, but I have never changed the bio wheel. I got the tank used. It had been dry for three months, and the person I bought it from said it would be fine to use the bio wheel he had used when I set up the tank. I did wash it (and everything) in an ammonia/water solution.

 

[acocacolagirl]

Update 2

Continued treating for ich/velvet. But as he continued to look tattered, and then started to swell on his front half, I don't think it was ich or velvet, but I did not know what else to do for him and so he died last night.

Now all I want is a way to get my tank clean so I can enjoy something else in there. How long would you suggest I wait to add new fish. A month? Two? Again...should I change the bio wheel?

Of course, I am also very worried about the remaining fish. My rope fish is full of personality. He is so fun to watch, and he eats from my hand. Although he is supposed to be nocternal, he always comes and investigates me when I am admiring the tank.

I am done with gouramis as it was a venture that just ended in 3 dead fish. Any other suggestions of what to add to my 37 gallon tank...when I feel it is safe to add something...I am looking for something hardy now.

Thanks.

 

[rrkss]

No need to change the biowheel. Whenever I get anything used for my fish tank, they get soaked for 2 hours in a chlorine bleach + water solution. The concentration of bleach + water does not matter just make it high enough to definately have a chlorine smell from the solution. I then rinse it well, soak it for a few hours in a water + a dose of dechlorinator and let it air dry. Then it is ready for use.

 

[rrkss]

Don't take the biowheel and bleach treat it right now. This will kill the bacteria responsible for removing the fish's urine. Fish pee 20% or more of their body mass daily. This urine contains ammonia + the ammonia excreted from the gills and this ammonia can cause internal hemmoraging and gill damage. Killling your nitrification bacteria is the last thing you want to do right now.

 

[acocacolagirl]

I wont treat the wheel now that it is in operation. But that is good to know for future reference.