How long for Ich. med to work?

[Weasel6]

Think I had an ich breakout and began treating with Cupramine Last Saturday per LFS advice. How long before spot disappear and when to add carbon back to filters? I did a water change before adding meds. So thats good to go.
I'm having a hard time telling the difference between ich. spots and bubbles though. As in the medical profession, treat the worse and hope for the best.

 

[wetmanNY]

There shouldn't be many bubbles adhering to your fish.

The time is temperature-dependent: raise the temperature to about 82oF to speed up the ciliate's lifecycle.

Copper medications are more effective-- and more toxic-- at lower pH values, BTW. If your alkalinity is high, the copper ion as it comes out of its chelating bond (that "amine" in "Cupramine") may bind to dissolved calcium instead of attacking Ich.

Keep on treating a couple of days after the very last visible mature attached Ich trophont has dropped away. If you don't eliminate the last of the swarmers now, Ich will be back.

A good water change before each re-medication is always a good plan.

 

[Weasel6]

The bottle said add X amount and wait 48 hours then repeat the dose. Leave at that concentration for 14 days. The temp. is up to 82-84. If after 14 days I still see spots what then? Do a water change and repeat the whole thing? The 2 doses and wait 14 more days. Never had this before so I'm in uncharted territory for me.

 

[wetmanNY]

I'm disappointed that after reading my post you weren't curious to know your pH.

Two weeks is enough time for you to be thoroughly knowledgeable about the life-cycle of Ichthyophthirius! Start at www.skepticalaquarist.com and follow the links to biology, aquaculture and veterinarian sites with descriptions of this pest and ways of dealing with it.