ich???

[starkeymom]

ok I went to the store and a boy who so far exceeds anyone I have talked to there had lots of information.
He told me my levels were very good except levels of amonia in the tank. he gave me a product called prime and told me to do a 50% water change and keep changing it for several days at about 20% until the level goes down. The big problem is when i got home the 2 guppys and the platy in the tank were covered in white spots. They are on their fins and body. If it is ich can i still medicate and change the water too? And if so what should I use. can anyone tewl me what I need to do to treat this and possiblt save my fish?
I was told not to buy an algea eater a or any other fish until we gwt the tank under control as it will be a cycle of dead fish high amonia . He was very nice andhe helped me get a scrubber to get rid of the algea on the tank and a few small plants to replace the platic ones I removed from the tank as they were nasty. I desperatly want to get this tank up and going. I then plan to buy a biigger tank and allow it to cycle very good before fish go in.

 

[Star_Rider]

yes, you can treat the tank while doing water changes. prime is a conditioner that neutralizes ammonia.

when doing changes re treat the change water in the proper dosage. for the amount of the change.

 

[starkeymom]

the ich?

what about the ich? Do I need some medicine for the tank for that if this is ich? Already they seem to feel a little better and everyone is swimming around more instead of quite as much on the bottom of the tank.

 

[Lupin]

Increase the temperature to as much as the fish can tolerate, preferably 84 degrees Fahrenheit and use salt to treat for ich.

 

[Inamorata]

if you ask at your pet shop they should have something there for Ich, lol when I asked the woman at mine she SCOWLED at me and said patronisingly "you mean WHIT SPOT DISEASE?" handing me a bottle which said, "treatment of Ich" on it, lol. This worked fine for me, make sure you leave it In long enough afterwards so that it kills the parasites still floating around in your tank, and remove valuable ornaments as It might stain them. Good luck, Ich is easy to sort out f even I can do it!

 

[Phil22]

I think I would skip any medication for now. Do the 50% water change and add prime when refilling the tank (follow the directions of how much per gallon for the full volume of the tank - not just the amount of water being replaced).
Then raise the temp to 85 or 86 degrees slowly over a day or two. Then add 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water.
After that, when ever you do a water change to keep the ammonia down (daily?), add more prime (measured to full volume of tank) and add another tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of replaced water.
Also, because higher temps cause less oxygen in the water, be sure you have good surface agitation...either from air stone or filter, or both.

 

[Phil22]

And, keep up this treatment for at least a week after the spots disappear from your fish. After that week, slowly bring the temp back down to normal. The salt will eventually be removed from the tank after several water changes. Keep using the prime with every water change.

 

[cichlidcichlid]

I could hav sworn i read you have plants, they do not like salt!

 

[starkeymom]

I d have plants and this mornign the two fish who had the white spots died( I am thinking between the ich and the amonia). I still have 1 guppy female in the tank.I am not getting more fish until the tank is in good shape. I did the 50% water change as directed and am going to do it everyday at 25% and add the prime. Do I need to use the ich meds anyway as the sick fish were in this tank and there is still a fish in it?

 

[OldMan1947]

If what killed your fish was ich, the parasites will be back to haunt you. The treatment for ich should continue for a week after all symptoms are gone. These parasites can live a few days without being attached to a fish so you still have them. There are many opinions about the best method to use but the last thing you want to do is stop too soon and have to put the living fish through the stress of another treatment when it comes back.