Tiger barbs dying

VBOutside

AC Members
Jan 18, 2006
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Alright, about a week ago I noticed that one of the barbs (of nine) seemed to have ich - it had the white spots that slowly grew over time and would disappear. Since it was the first disease of the tank, I let it go for about a week or two until I noticed another barb get the same spots. By this time, the tiger barbs were not very active at all (totally uncharacteristic) and were just hanging out without swimming, barely even schooling. Also, when they don't swim, they sit their with faces pointed down, like when they're sleeping - but they're definetly awake.

I've been testing the water, which is fine - ammonia and nitrite are 0. I got ich-x about a week ago and have been using it along with 30% daily water changes. Four barbs died in the last two days, yet for a week none of them have been showing any of the white spots (the last went away about a week ago). My cories are unaffected. This is all in a 29 gallon planted tank, pH around 8.0 (tap water), and temperature around 80 (summer in LA).

If anyone can identify the ailment, how to treat it, how it got in my tank (I haven't added any new fish in a couple of months), etc, that would be fantastic.
 
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well, ich,(icthyophitirius) spreads very quickly by multiplying in the tank gravel. give your barbs and their tankmates a rock salt bath (use special aquarium salt, NOT table salt!) or go and buy some ich medication IMMEADIATELY if you don't want anymore fish to die!! :duh:
 
Should I just get more ich-x or go with some other type of medication? I've also heard that salt is especially bad for cories - any truth in this?
 
VBOutside said:
Should I just get more ich-x or go with some other type of medication? I've also heard that salt is especially bad for cories - any truth in this?
oh, you have cories. take your barbs out of the tank and give them a rock salt bath. did u already use the ich-x?
 
Yeah, I've been using ich-x for about a week. I don't have an extra tank for the barbs - how long should the salt bath be/can I just put them in a bucket?
 
good, good! the ich is most likley gone. repeat treatment, but use 1/2 dose in a week. you don't need to give them a salt bath, but you do it by adding a 1/2 rounded tablespoon per 5 gallons and raisinig the water temp to 80-84 F in a hospital tank for a week.
:D
 
Can we stop with the salt bath and QT tank and small additions of salt please? It does absolutely nothing for ich at all and if anything it stresses the fish even more.

Please read this article on treating ich:

http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich

Roan
 
Roan Art said:
Can we stop with the salt bath please? It does absolutely nothing for ich at all and if anything it stresses the fish even more.

Please read this article on treating ich:

http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich

Roan
r u kidding!? when I was 10, my goldie got ich and my mom told me to give him a salt bath and took care of it right away. I swear by them.
 
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VBOutside said:
Yeah, I've been using ich-x for about a week. I don't have an extra tank for the barbs - how long should the salt bath be/can I just put them in a bucket?
Please do not remove the fish or give them salt baths. The ich is in your main tank and removing the fish is pointless. Ich can only be killed while it is in the free-swimming stage, not when it's already on the fish.

Salt baths are pointless and stressful. Please read the article I linked above.

Roan
 
fishcatch22 said:
r u kidding!? when I was 10, my goldie got ich and my mom thlod me to give him a salt bath and took care of it right away. I swear by them.
No, I am not kidding. Salt baths cannot remove ich. Read the article please.

Roan
 
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