Ich and a Leak

[mcdeali]

I have ick on my fish...I went to the lfs and got Mardel Coppersafe and Doc Wellfish's Aquarium Salt for FW fish. I do not have a heater for my water. I have a 55g tank and my fish are posted on the other two threads I have written.

I have an UGF with 4 carbon filters two of them are two weeks old and two were put on on Tuesday of this week. Is this going to negate the Ich meds? Is the salt treatments enough to kill the ich without the temp changes? I was told to put in both but the carbon filters worry me.

I also sprung a leak in one of my corner seams. My husband wants to put silicone in the corner but I have to drain my tank half way and leave it like that for 24 hours. Is this safe for my fish?

Should I wait till the ich is gone before fixing the leak? My husband wanted to fix it this weekend but we noticed the ich tonight.

Any recommendations would be most helpful.


P.S. The gobys are gone! (If anyone reads the other threads for my list of fish) However still having problems with ropefish and eel.

 

[OrionGirl]

Get a heater--the salt won't kill the parasites as effectively as heat. Raise the temp up to at least 86F, keep it there for 3 weeks after the last visible sign of ich. The salt helps reduce the odds of a bacterial infection in a parasite wound, but you won't be adding enough to kill the parasite.

Yes, the carbon will remove the medication. I don't advise mixing medicating with salt treatments--just no reason, since you can't medicate for a long enough period to kill all the parasite--they are only killed as tomites, not as spores or when on the fish.

And, you can use table salt--no reason to waste money on 'aquarium salt'. The table salt works fine, and doesn't have enough iodine to cause any probelms. I used it for years before I got into SW tanks, and now just use marine salt.

 

[mcdeali]

How much table salt per gallon or tank...I have a 55g and the AS says 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons.

As for the carbon filters I can remove them and the bubble posts will still work? The fish will not be able to get in the posts because of a fish barrier in the posts so that is not a concern for me, but if I do remove them then how long do I leave them off?

Are heaters expensive? What kind do I get?

 

[dwayne]

If you go the 'salt' cure route for the ich (which I highly recommend over medications), then you don't have to remove the carbon.

If I were you, I'd return the medication and the salt (use table salt) to the lfs and get a heater. I am clueless when it comes to how wattage much a heater should have... I want to say mine is a 120 for my 29 gallon, but I could be WAY off... edit: This page (found on google) http://www.****************/information/aquarium_heaters.htm recommends multiplying the gallons of your tank by 5 to get your wattage requirements... so a 10 gallon tank should have at least 50 watts of heater.

Heat the tank to 88 degrees, and add salt - 1 tablespoon per 10 gallons is what I use for ich. Do as many water changes as you can - I'd try for 25% every other day. Remember to replace the salt that you take out in the water change (25% of 55 gallons would be 1 1/2 tablespoons or so).

Keep up for 3 weeks, and you should be in the clear!

Good luck!

~Tara

 

[mcdeali]

I have

2 female bettas
2 dwarf gouramis
3 mickey mouse platys
2 ropefish
1 tire track eel
2 zebra danios
2 blue paradise fish
3 bala sharks
4 painted tetras

I know I'm overstocked but my question is are the fish ok in warmer waters...I know the bettas can handle it but not sure on the others...

I guess I'm looking for a 275 watt heater.. being that I have a 55g
tank.

Also my nitrites are pretty high. 2 to be exact, last checked on Tuesday.

I was told to do a 25 % water change once a week. Would every other day hurt or help my nitrites...Ammonia was fine...he tested it twice in front of me.

 

[daveedka]

the salt won't kill the parasites as effectively as heat. Raise the temp up to at least 86F, keep it there for 3 weeks after the last visible sign of ich. The salt helps reduce the odds of a bacterial infection in a parasite wound, but you won't be adding enough to kill the parasite

While I agree with the idea that the heat should be raised, my understanding was that ICH cannot survive salt above 5ppm, I haven't done the calculations, but was under the belief that 1 tsp per gallon was enough to kill ich with or without the heat although the reccomended dosage is 2-3 tsp per gallon, and the heat sped the life cycle up and made treatment time shorter. I know ich cannot survive at 86* f either, but there are always cold areas in a tank even with the best of circulation.

Here is an acticle about ICH from the Skeptical aquarist which helped me out a lot.

 

[dwayne]

Originally posted by mcdeali
I have

2 female bettas
2 dwarf gouramis
3 mickey mouse platys
2 ropefish
1 tire track eel
2 zebra danios
2 blue paradise fish
3 bala sharks
4 painted tetras

I know I'm overstocked but my question is are the fish ok in warmer waters...I know the bettas can handle it but not sure on the others...

I guess I'm looking for a 275 watt heater.. being that I have a 55g
tank.

Also my nitrites are pretty high. 2 to be exact, last checked on Tuesday.

I was told to do a 25 % water change once a week. Would every other day hurt or help my nitrites...Ammonia was fine...he tested it twice in front of me.

Hey... All your fish will tolerate the heated water, though I've never kept balas, ropefish, eels or paradise fish, I'd bet they'd be just fine as well.

Water changes NEVER hurt

~Tara