Help with scaleless fish!!

[DojoQueen]

Hello, my tank that contains all kinds of fish such as bettas, guppies, hillstream loach, banjo catfish, etc also contains five Dojo loaches. My tank recently came up with ich and I want to get rid of it soon as possible. Water change did no help. Is QuickCure or RidIch+ better for the scaleless dojos??

Thanks and help is appreciated ASAP

 

[DojoQueen]

..

 

[liv2padl]

try salt at 2 teaspoons per gallon of water. this will give you a good solid level with a 1 tsp. per gallon buffer zone in both directions.

to add salt, mix it with some of your tank water in small volumes and add to your tank. never dump salt in directly as a solid. add ¼ tsp. per gallon once an hour for four hours. this will bring your tank to a level of 1 tsp. per gallon in four hours. then increase it to 2 tsp. per gallon in ¼ teaspoon increments every 3-4 hours. always watch the fish closely for reaction. when you reach a level above 1 tsp. per gallon, watch for signs of increased stress and if noted, slow things down and allow the fish more time to adjust.

carbon will not remove salt from the water so if you are using it you do not need to remove it as you do with meds. table salt, pickling or canning salt, kosher salt are all fine to use. the levels of iodide or flow agents are too minute to be a factor.

during this treatment, increase the tank temperature to at least 82°F. note that 86°F is usually fatal to ICH, and if your fish will tolerate this temperature this alone can kill the parasite. important note ... warmer water does not carry oxygen as well as cool water. increase oxygen concentrations in your tank during treatment by (a) lowering the tank water level to increase splash, (b) raising the spray bars above the water line, or (c) add an air pump to your system with a good bubbler.

maintain this treatment for two weeks minimum.

i have it on good authority that you can use salt with cories, catfish, sharks, loaches, tetra’s pleco’s etc., ... basically any fish can tolerate the level of salt recommended for the time involved in treatment.

it's important to continue a water change regimen during treatment and i'd recommend twice a week ... but remember to replace what you remove. just add whatever your target level is to the change water. for example, if you have 2 tsp. of salt per gallon in the tank, and you change 10 gallons of water then add 20 teaspoons to the change water as it goes back in. the total level of salt in the tank will remain the same.

 

[Madcrawdad]

I remember a thread where you wanted to be 'tested' on your fish-keeping abilities. You can use this as a learning exercise to determine how and why your tank fell ill... good luck.

 

[DojoQueen]

Thanks, thats great salt works and maybe I will try that, but I also had another question and that was is Quickcure or RidIch+ better for the scaless dojos?

 

[Madcrawdad]

I've used Rid Ich+ successfully on clown loaches... On the label it claims that its easier on scaleless fish, and it must be as I didn't lose a one when I introduced 2 new clowns a couple of months back (I dosed for about a week).

If you're going to Petsmart to buy, make a printout of the product page from Big Al's website. My Petsmart price matches competitors, and I was able to get the big bottle for about 1/2 of what they were normally charging ($7.50 vs. $15).

 

[RoseFishWatcher]

I use QuickCure and, when using in a tank with catfish (catfish are scaleless), I was instructed to use at half dose (by a knowledgeable lfs guy). I didn't have any trouble with it, so if you are inclined to use a product such as this, treat at half dose.

 

[gatotsu77]

Personally speaking, I bumped my tank temp to 86 degrees for 3 weeks without utilizing any other methods and my fish were not affected by it. I have 3 clown loaches, and that is why I was affraid of using any of the commercially available remedies. I had read into it a lot, and ich cannot survive above ~85 degrees. Salt dosing and salt dips help too, but I did the temp change to minimize stress on my tank. I currently keep it at 84 degrees and have not had an outbreak since.