I might give up on fish caring...

Did you follow the article on this website about treating ich? Good read...

Make sure that your tank is ich free for a week or two before adding more fish. Not really neccessary, but since the fish aren't allready in there, better safe then sorry, no?

After your tank is definantly ich free (no spots at all for a good period of time!), then go ahead and add some fish. I'm sure there are articles around here on acclimating fish, and since I've started doing it VERY SLOWLY and carefully, I've had much better luck with new livestock. It took me a long time to develop the patience, and I had a lot of dead fish to show for it :/

How long has your tank been "cycling"? It can take 4 or 5 weeks to get done properly, and when you're new you probably overfeed which makes the problem worse. The ammonia kit I have is almost clear at 0 ammonia and gets yellow at higher readings... are you reading the kit properly? And I know it's a pain, but check the nitrites as well!

Finally, as someone said, finding a different fish store could help. I don't think I've ever had a petsmart fish live past 3 days... but I haven't bought from them in a long time, so it could have been my fault ;) If you got ich from the fish store you're currently using, they could have a problem!
 
I have read in some places that as long as there is fish in a tank with ick that it will still be around. A lot of articles I have read state that the fish need to be removed and put in a QT and let the tank sit free from fish for a while. Ich can not survive without hosting onto a fish so when there is nothing for it to host onto it eventually dies off. If you had a QT to put your fish in and let your main tank stay empty for a while then start adding back slowly and you could also QT your new arrivals before adding to the main tank.
 
I agree..do not add any more fish until the tank has stabilized.


you need to get the ich problem fixed before you add anymore fish and then get a quarantine tank for any new fish and let them stay in quarantine for a month atleast.

ich is not a difficult Parasite to deal with. but it can kill fish.

read up on ich. you will find it is treatable in the free swimming stage . the white salt you see its the parasite feeding on the host. it will drop off and remain in the gravel for a time(warm water speeds the process). when it has dropped off it will be incubating and making more ich. this incubation period is dependant upoon water temp water around 80 degrees will usually casue the ich to hatch out in about 7 days. temps above 84 will kill the freeswimming ich adding salt will also kill the freeswimming ich.

so roughly start to finish ich cycle when controlled is about 14 days.

I would treat the tank for 14 days after the ich falls from the fish with the temp at 86+

(I've actually treated parasites with heat above 90.)
 
Thanks everyone :)

I just feel like there's ick in there, just that it's not affecting my other fish (hooray! :))

QT for a month:eek:?! And I have to add 4 neons every week... (can it be more? I just don't want them stressed to have a number below 6)...

@pbecot01
My tank's been cycling for a while, I'm sure it's done... It took 3 months, for pete's sake! And as for the ammonia test readings, I use that master test kit thingy from aquarium pharmeceudicals (dangit I can't spell for good!!)... good choice? Because in their ammonia and nitrate test, yellow=0 and green=ammonia.

:OT:
I put in half an algae disk in my tank for my pleco (it's my first time feeding~ :clap: )... He didn't budge, but my silver tip nibbled on it... I thought it might take at least 30 mins (from what I read on the forums here) so I waited an hour. Nothing. Then I JUST noticed that plecos were nocturnal(true?) so I turned off the light and went to sleep. Next morning, all gone! Man I FINALLY fed my pleco! (or can it be the fish :huh: ...)

:duh: :duh: :duh:
 
Cool, just giving you things to think about. My saltwater ammonia kit is the same color scheme, but my old freshwater one it different. Maybe I should get a replacement for that, eh? :)

QT will make it less likely for you to infect your inhabitants with parasites, and since you've allready seen how hard they are to deal with, so think about it!

I have had my pleco since last april I believe... and I never saw him eat anything until I caught him eating a flake like last week. I believe he is very sneaky ;)

Finally... if there's something wrong, give it time to play out before you put more fish in. A month would make sense if you've been having a lot of trouble!
 
CaitxSith said:
And I have to add 4 neons every week... (can it be more? I just don't want them stressed to have a number below 6)...
Click to expand...

dont worry about it, the neons are not going to die because there is not a big enough school of them for a few months, at least that wont be the real cause of death.

So for the last time, STOP ADDING NEW FISH.
 
Good! Planninng and getting prepared is the best thing you can do right now. After what happened in my salt tank about eleven days ago that is what I have to do too. I know it can be frustrating having to wait it out but in the long run it will be worth it. About the ich parasite, it can be dealt with and is not the end of the world. However, I would advise waiting more than two weeks. This parasite can live in the water for a while and if you want to be sure that it is really gone, I would wait a minimum of six weeks. I know, it seems like such a long time but if you keep yourself busy with reserching what you want, it will go by quickly. Also, I would make sure that the main tank goes fallow which means absolutely no fish in it at all. This means tht the parasite will not have a host, not even one that seems immune to it. This way the parasite starves to death and the main tank will again be free of the ich parasite. I would also make sure that you continue to do the regular maintenance such as water changes and cleaning of the filters. Before you know it you will have a beautiful , thriving underwater world that you have created to look at and relax in front of.

Marinemom
 
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