Need Help, Advice!!!

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AQUA_OBSESSION

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Dec 12, 2005
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Hi, I have a 92 Gal corner display tank with lots and lots of live plants. I have a fairly large school of cardinal tetras and rummy nose tetras and 14 small discus.

Here is my problem:

Some of the cardinals and rummynose tetras are showing small amounts of ick on them. It is not spreading very quickly at all, no confirmed deaths as of yet. I first noticed it about a week ago. I have the temp up to 90 degrees but it has not gone away. The discus had a few specks but those are now gone, it is just on about 1/3 of the cardinals and maybe 3-4 of the Rummy's.

What should I do???

I know I can not treat the display tank - so do I take out all of the cardinals and rummys and set up a quar. tank? Any advice would be great. It is going to be a big job taking out plants, etc. to catch them but I will if that is the best thing to do.

THANKS!
 
If you don't see signs of stress in the fish at that temp. I'd keep it there and watch/wait. The freeswimming ich will die at this temperature, and the ones which have fallen to the gravel won't be able to multiply. There are heat resistant strains out there, but these are not common. If you do catch all the fish and move them to a QT, you will need to leave your main tank fishless for at least 3 weeks.

Once your fish are in QT, you can treat with salt and heat, but tetras don't like alot of salt either.

All in all, I'd wait and keep the temps at 90 if no one is bothered. (If bothered, drop to 89-88.) Oh, have you added any extra oxygen? Put a bubbler or 2 in, or lower the water level so to create more surface disturbance. (Higher temps = less o2 in the water.)

Cathy
 
90?!#
Isn't that kind of hot?
I know Cardinals at least like hot tempts but 90 degrees is pretty **** hot lol ...
thats off my lil themometer
 
I had the same problem and just like you I have several discus with cardinals. Although my discus never showed any sign of ich, the cardinals just wouldn't get better. Adding salt will work but I don't like adding anything into my tank so I turned the temperature up to 88 degrees. It took about 2 weeks and everything cleared up. Apparently the bacteria can't survive at temperatures higher than 86 degrees. I also recommend you increase your water changes and turn off the lights a bit ealier than normal to reduce stress as cardinals stress rather easily and can get ich becuase of it. I say leave the fish in there, keep the temp 88-89 degrees and drop 2 airstones to supplement oxygen. Good luck bud and keep us posted.

PS a quar. tank wouldn't hurt as you can monitor new fish for any signs of infections.
 
Just a quickie about ich. If there is none in your tank your fish will never get it, no matter how stressed they are. It is a parasite and has to quickly find a host or it dies.

This is why I wouldn't solely rely on heat alone. If just one survives you are back to square one. Properly administered, salt will kill it all and you will be done with ich for good, as long as you QT new arrivals.
 
why dont you want to treat the whole tank? Salt and warm water wont harm the plants, not in the levels youd be doing for ich treatment...
 
Just an fyi- Discus can take a lot of heat and salt. I have treated them in a 10 gal H tank at 92 degrees with 3 cups, yes cups, of salt added.
 
This is why I love this site.... Everyone is so helpful and knowledgeable. I did scoop up a dozen or so Cardinals and put them in QT tank and all seems to be going well with them. I will wait several weeks before I put them back into the display tank - once I can be assured that it is completely gone.

I do have two airstones going in the tank to compensate for the warmer temps - thank you for that tip. I will probably add some salt as well.

Thanks again and I will check back in a few days with an update.....
 
Great News!!! NO LOSSES

Raising the Temp worked beautifully, it did not harm my plants and the fish did great and did not seem affected. I ran an airstone to help the fish cope with the warmer temps. Thanks again for the great advice on this, I was not sure what I was going to do and the last thing I wanted to do was spend a lot of money on medicine and put it in my display tank.
 
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