Karl, please reference post #17 on this thread with my questions, please. I know you can advise me on this. Thanks for your help.
Need advice for a salt water dip
- Thread starter Tay690
- Start date
I'm given to understand that it can take a couple of weeks to be sure of killing all the parasites going around the life cycle by the salt method, so perhaps a few days more.
Well I'm sorry to bump this up again...but there's been a lot of confusion and questions about this situation so I thought I would put an update for anyone interested
Yes Ich can survive for 1.5 months at 84 degrees and a solid month of dosing 2-3 times daily (3 times daily towards the end) with Kordon Ich Attack
they were not exit wounds although I was praying they would be...
On friday night last week I did a 40% WC and added the carbon filter back ...today I wake up and do the feeding and observe the loaches like I do every morning before work
and the spots have spread pretty violently...he went from having what I thought were 2 remaining exit wounds to having another 6 spots (new ones) on him
the other fish are still showing absolutely no signs of Ich even though the big guy had it spread
another issue that's worrying me is the fact that 3 of the 6 loaches have some skin peeling back on the front side of their dorsal fins (big guy included)
It's not major but I can definitely see some type of slime or possibly skin flapping around on the front of their dorsal fins
I'm not sure if it's from their aggressive feeding nature as they dart in and out of their favourite cave...they grab a piece of food and dart back inside...eat it and then repeat
As of this morning I've put 12 teaspoons of aquarium salt in the tank (29g) as recommended and I'll continue this for the next 10 days just to be safe
as for the dorsal fin...is there anything it could be? anything I should watch for? the spines on the dorsal fins are not exposed and the fish don't seem to be bothered by it at all...even when they are squeezing themselves out of the smaller holes...they're not darting around quickly as if it was hurting them so I don't know what to make of it
here we go again
Yes Ich can survive for 1.5 months at 84 degrees and a solid month of dosing 2-3 times daily (3 times daily towards the end) with Kordon Ich Attack
they were not exit wounds although I was praying they would be...
On friday night last week I did a 40% WC and added the carbon filter back ...today I wake up and do the feeding and observe the loaches like I do every morning before work
and the spots have spread pretty violently...he went from having what I thought were 2 remaining exit wounds to having another 6 spots (new ones) on him
the other fish are still showing absolutely no signs of Ich even though the big guy had it spread
another issue that's worrying me is the fact that 3 of the 6 loaches have some skin peeling back on the front side of their dorsal fins (big guy included)
It's not major but I can definitely see some type of slime or possibly skin flapping around on the front of their dorsal fins
I'm not sure if it's from their aggressive feeding nature as they dart in and out of their favourite cave...they grab a piece of food and dart back inside...eat it and then repeat
As of this morning I've put 12 teaspoons of aquarium salt in the tank (29g) as recommended and I'll continue this for the next 10 days just to be safe
as for the dorsal fin...is there anything it could be? anything I should watch for? the spines on the dorsal fins are not exposed and the fish don't seem to be bothered by it at all...even when they are squeezing themselves out of the smaller holes...they're not darting around quickly as if it was hurting them so I don't know what to make of it
here we go again
Any chance of some kind of picture? Thing is, even if ich can survive that treatment, it wouldn't do so as a spot on the fish; it would be constantly going through its lifecycle. New spots are a concern; old spots are exit wounds.
If it really is ich, then carry on with the salt treatment, although aquarium salt is an unnecessary expense; good old table salt does exactly the same thing.
If it really is ich, then carry on with the salt treatment, although aquarium salt is an unnecessary expense; good old table salt does exactly the same thing.
karl... what is the argument against formalin and malachite green? well other than the malachite staining the tank and increased stress. the fish which are diseased will be stressed anyway, correct? i've used quickcure (sp?) several times and it worked every time at half dose administered slowly throughout the day. active ingredients are malachite green and formalin which i have found to be the suggested most effective way to treat on many sites. seems noone here likes to use these chemicals and i don't understand why as they worked great for me. sure i was afraid my fish were gonna die, but don't we run that risk anyway when treating?
i understand, but i don't you know?
i understand, but i don't you know?
the weird thing is those same 4 spots stayed on the big CL for about 4 weeks without dropping off or spreading whatsoever
then I do the big WC (almost 40% I'd say) to get the water back to a normal colour (cuz the ichattack turns your water brown and looks very nasty) and it spreads...not to any other CL's but just to that big guy
Only thing that really makes sense to me at this point is the fact (I know i'm repeating old info) that the big guy hides almost all day long inside the cave...so I'm thinking that the spots are dropping off...and when raising to the surface during the swimming stage...it's just going into the interior of the cave...which is where the big guy stays (except during morning feedings)
all the other CL's are outside foraging for food but he just stays inside
and I'm hesitant to remove the cave in the event that is what's happening...they all sleep in the cave together and don't really use any other hiding spaces provided unless they're scared and want to get out of sight ASAP...in which case they'll dart behind a rock or inside the bridge ornament
Is it possible for Ich to use plants as a host? or to lie dormant for any reason? this just doesn't make sense
I will try to get a pic of the big guy again...i tried 2 weeks ago but he just scurries around and all the other fish tend to follow the big guy
I don't know what I can really do to get an accurate picture tbh
He only has 4 spots (2 on left side under dorsal fin, 2 on right side under dorsal fin) and he's lost the rest of the spots that hadn't dropped off for that entire month
I'm just worried even if I do get a good picture...we won't be able to see the ich anyways...and the big guy is the most skittish fish I have in that tank...
I'm just worried if i stress him more I won't see him for another month or so lol
any ideas? suggestions?
then I do the big WC (almost 40% I'd say) to get the water back to a normal colour (cuz the ichattack turns your water brown and looks very nasty) and it spreads...not to any other CL's but just to that big guy
Only thing that really makes sense to me at this point is the fact (I know i'm repeating old info) that the big guy hides almost all day long inside the cave...so I'm thinking that the spots are dropping off...and when raising to the surface during the swimming stage...it's just going into the interior of the cave...which is where the big guy stays (except during morning feedings)
all the other CL's are outside foraging for food but he just stays inside
and I'm hesitant to remove the cave in the event that is what's happening...they all sleep in the cave together and don't really use any other hiding spaces provided unless they're scared and want to get out of sight ASAP...in which case they'll dart behind a rock or inside the bridge ornament
Is it possible for Ich to use plants as a host? or to lie dormant for any reason? this just doesn't make sense
I will try to get a pic of the big guy again...i tried 2 weeks ago but he just scurries around and all the other fish tend to follow the big guy
I don't know what I can really do to get an accurate picture tbh
He only has 4 spots (2 on left side under dorsal fin, 2 on right side under dorsal fin) and he's lost the rest of the spots that hadn't dropped off for that entire month
I'm just worried even if I do get a good picture...we won't be able to see the ich anyways...and the big guy is the most skittish fish I have in that tank...
I'm just worried if i stress him more I won't see him for another month or so lol
any ideas? suggestions?
I'm in the same boat, almost Tay. I'm on the 15th day of treatment with the heat salt method, temp staying at 86, and my Brochis still has one speck on the fin ray of his doral fin. It is the second ray, and on the right side. It won't budge. There are no other specks on him or the two Ottos (who never showed any specks to begin with).
As far as spreading to the others, I read in a post by pinkertd, I think, that with the temp at 82 or above the Ich protozoan can't re-attach itself to any fish, so what your loach has, has got to be more of them coming to the surface.
I read that there are some the Ich protozoans that are resistant, and I think you and I have those guys in our tank.
I think, hopefully, that all free swimmers in my tank have been killed. There may be still cysts in the substrate that have not ruptured yet, but I have very sparse substrate in the container my fish are in right now and I've been vacuuming really good. I have them in a 15 gallon sterilite container (holding 10 gallons) with heater and HOB.
I moved my frogs and snails and plants to my 10 gallon aquarium during this treatment.
As far as spreading to the others, I read in a post by pinkertd, I think, that with the temp at 82 or above the Ich protozoan can't re-attach itself to any fish, so what your loach has, has got to be more of them coming to the surface.
I read that there are some the Ich protozoans that are resistant, and I think you and I have those guys in our tank.
I think, hopefully, that all free swimmers in my tank have been killed. There may be still cysts in the substrate that have not ruptured yet, but I have very sparse substrate in the container my fish are in right now and I've been vacuuming really good. I have them in a 15 gallon sterilite container (holding 10 gallons) with heater and HOB.
I moved my frogs and snails and plants to my 10 gallon aquarium during this treatment.
Hi again Melody!
I tried sending you a pm to see how your tank was doing but your inbox is full :headshake2:
I agree we have some bad luck with the ich we've contracted...
quick question...with the salt + heat is it still a good idea to siphon the gravel daily? or is this not necessary with the type of treatment?
Carbon in or out? (i put it back in after I was done with the ichattack)
I'm also assuming I have to replace whatever salt I remove if siphoning is necessary to achieve the same salinity
I think we're close to the end
Sadly I just added the salt 2 days but I am seeing huge improvements already...not only in regards to the parasites...but the fishes behaviours as well...they seem to be a lot happier and are much more visible since this huge dose of salt was introduced
I tried sending you a pm to see how your tank was doing but your inbox is full :headshake2:
I agree we have some bad luck with the ich we've contracted...
quick question...with the salt + heat is it still a good idea to siphon the gravel daily? or is this not necessary with the type of treatment?
Carbon in or out? (i put it back in after I was done with the ichattack)
I'm also assuming I have to replace whatever salt I remove if siphoning is necessary to achieve the same salinity
I think we're close to the end
Sadly I just added the salt 2 days but I am seeing huge improvements already...not only in regards to the parasites...but the fishes behaviours as well...they seem to be a lot happier and are much more visible since this huge dose of salt was introduced
