Loaches and ICH..what medication?

[is300zx]

A member of loaches online also said this about the salt on that same article

6. While I respect your position on Salt, please note that it is not at all clear that Salt is always a worse poison than other ich meds. It seems that formalyn is actually more dangerous for at least hillstreams, while Malachite Green+Salt combination drugs (Nox, Ich Guard) are safe.

This comes from another article on ich http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

Can my fish handle salt? I wrote this article with African rift lake cichlids in mind, and I have successfully exposed my Malawi haps and clown loaches to a salt treatment without any problems. But these fish are accustomed to fairly hard water with a high pH. It is my understanding that species preferring soft water will not tolerate salt as well. If you keep soft water fish, please do your homework before proceeding with salt.

 

[Barbie]

I raise extremely softwater fish, including blackwater ancistrus and many other sensitive species. I've used the treatment I recommended on clown loaches numerous times with no detrimental effects, as well as other less common species. Salt is a highly debated method of treatment, but also very effective when done correctly! Coppersafe can permanently affect the nervous system and I do not recommend using it in any form on fish unless it absolutely can not be avoided. Salt is going to be MUCH easier on them in the long run.

Barbie

 

[nursie]

I too have successfully treatd loaches with salt for ich with no adverse reactions. Using other medications is riskier.

 

[azadehm1]

"Coppersafe can permanently affect the nervous system and I do not recommend using it in any form on fish unless it absolutely can not be avoided. Salt is going to be MUCH easier on them in the long run."

I just wanted to post that previous to my treatment my loaches were eating constantly and being generally active. 15 minutes after my addition of the coppersafe my upside down catfish was dead. I panicked at that point and immediately changed 30% of the water to get some of the coppersafe out. A few hours later two clown loaches have died and the large one is most likely not going to make it. I changed another 25% this morning just to get out even more. Ironically all three of the yo-yo loaches are doing great.
On the loaches online site it also has several comments on the effective usage of coppersafe, so I trusted that. Unfortunently...I am positive that the medication in this situation not the Ich killed nearly all of my clown loaches.
I think temperature and salt are most likely better choices, unfortunently maybe I should have waited for more people to post before giving the meds.

 

[nhatduongchi]

I read this thread yesterday (I have the same situation as yours; apply 50% of malachite green and formaline for almost a week) then I decide to use heat + salt approach. Today after change 25% water I add salt (1 teaspoon / gal) and will do the same as Barbie stated above for the next three days to see what happen.

 

[H3D]

I just wanted to post that previous to my treatment my loaches were eating constantly and being generally active. 15 minutes after my addition of the coppersafe my upside down catfish was dead. I panicked at that point and immediately changed 30% of the water to get some of the coppersafe out. A few hours later two clown loaches have died and the large one is most likely not going to make it. I changed another 25% this morning just to get out even more. Ironically all three of the yo-yo loaches are doing great.
On the loaches online site it also has several comments on the effective usage of coppersafe, so I trusted that. Unfortunently...I am positive that the medication in this situation not the Ich killed nearly all of my clown loaches.
I think temperature and salt are most likely better choices, unfortunently maybe I should have waited for more people to post before giving the meds.

I am very sorry for your loss. :sad: I have used CopperSafe many times and it has never failed me. Just out of curiosity did you use 50% the normal dose? How long did you wait between using the previous medication and dosing the CopperSafe?