From what I gather, ick cures don't actually kill the ick on the fish but destroy the next larval stage to break the cycle. So maybe this takes more than 5 days. Eventually when the ick on the fish dies (not sure how long) their larval won't take over and the epidemic stops. I'd continue the treatment though for a few days to be sure. If it doesn't work, maybe you'll have to put the fish into a hospital tank without the scaless fish, so you can hit them with a full dose.
What to do if Ich not cured in 5 days
- Thread starter longhorn
- Start date
Excellent clarification! Thanks for that info
Although I would suspect that raising the temperature would also raise the fish's metabolism, causing it to require even more oxygen than normal, no? I just don't see it as necessary or making the disease any less stressful on the fish.... if x number of parasites are going to affect the fish before the meds do their job, whether the parasites go through life at warp speed shouldn't affect how much damage they do... they just do the same damage faster.It might make aquarists happier watching everything happen faster. People should do whatever they're most comfortable with and whatever has worked well for them in the past, obviously
I reckon the best treatment for ich is "any treatment" started at the first sign of symptoms. It's so easy to cure (with any of the usual methods) early in the disease that it's a shame people still lose fish to this disease.
Making it all happen faster has several advantages.
The life cycle occurs quicker and exposes the free swimming tomites to meds quicker (that is obvious) but over several days, it is possible to quell the infestation. Thus you use less meds and do fewer water changes, which is less stressful on the fish.
I agree with you that "People should do whatever they're most comfortable with..." and if something has worked before it most likely will work again. There are many roads to the same destination!
BTW - increasing the fishs metabolism also allows the fish to regenerate its slime coating quicker.
The life cycle occurs quicker and exposes the free swimming tomites to meds quicker (that is obvious) but over several days, it is possible to quell the infestation. Thus you use less meds and do fewer water changes, which is less stressful on the fish.
I agree with you that "People should do whatever they're most comfortable with..." and if something has worked before it most likely will work again. There are many roads to the same destination!
BTW - increasing the fishs metabolism also allows the fish to regenerate its slime coating quicker.
How soon can I add fish
Folks,
Once I treat my tank for ick, how soon can I add new fish to the tank again? Or in another word, how long should I wait before I can make sure all the ick parasite is gone from my tank?
In term of the treatment, can the treated fish immune from ick in the future?
Thanks!
FZ
Folks,
Once I treat my tank for ick, how soon can I add new fish to the tank again? Or in another word, how long should I wait before I can make sure all the ick parasite is gone from my tank?
In term of the treatment, can the treated fish immune from ick in the future?
Thanks!
FZ
Your fish have been stressed from the parasite and the treatment. Let a week go pass before adding any more fish. During that week, test your water to make sure you didn't inadvertantly kill off any beneficial bacteria in your filter and cause a mini-cycle. If you experience a mini-cycle, wait until it is finished to add more fish.
Is the second question - can treated fish become immune from ich in the future? I've heard (read) suggestions that this can happen, but ich is a parasite and I don't believe fish can become immune to them.
Is the second question - can treated fish become immune from ich in the future? I've heard (read) suggestions that this can happen, but ich is a parasite and I don't believe fish can become immune to them.
I'd be even more cautious than beviking. I'd figure the whole exposed tank was now in quarantine mode. I wouldn't add any fish to any tank, though, unless they'd been through a month's quarantine.
It's a whole lot easier to deal with these parasites in quarantine. Fishes take a long time to dispel medications from their liver. A repeat of Ich because other inhabitants are infested could be lethal to a fish still clearing medication.
Yes, there are signs that formerly-infested fish develop a degree of resistance to Ich. Not immunity though.
It's a whole lot easier to deal with these parasites in quarantine. Fishes take a long time to dispel medications from their liver. A repeat of Ich because other inhabitants are infested could be lethal to a fish still clearing medication.
Yes, there are signs that formerly-infested fish develop a degree of resistance to Ich. Not immunity though.
I had alot of disease problems when I first got into the hobby, and I did ALOT of research on diseases. Learned alot by experience, too! I know most of us have had some kind of experience with ich, and we have all heard of different ways to beat it. My suggestions are based on what I consider to be a conservative, "make sure" method. Ich life-cycle is known to be 3 weeks at 70 degrees and 5 days at 80 degrees. They have 3 stages to their lives: 1)adult on fish 2)immature, free swimming 3)spores eggs in substrate. The spores and infesting adults are immune to treatments, the free swimming form is not immune (so this is what we treat). The trick is to keep destroying the free-swimming form until there are no more of the other forms left alive, either, due to normal life cycle.
I suggest raising temp to 80 to 82 degrees, and add 1Tbsp per 5 gal of Salt. Know if you have sensitive fish and act accordingly. Just for record, my pleco gets full dosage and acts just fine. The salt will ease osmotic pressure on the lungs and allow more easily the flow of oxygen to fish. Add recommended dose of treatment to fish, using quarantine tank if possible. I use Quick Cure, but hate how it stains silicone of the tank (this is also one reason why I prefer quarantine tank). I would treat for 2 weeks at this temp, just to be careful. It has been noted that occasionally cysts will go into a dormant stage and not spawn the free swimming form until more time has elapsed. For this reason, I double the time it takes to cure. Better safe than sorry. Also I would slowly drop the temp back to it's original level (about 2 degrees/day. I would not introduce ANY new fish before a month, just to give everything a chance to stabilize, and give you a chance to watch recovery process without additional stress. Finally NEVER add new fish without first quarantining them for at LEAST 2 weeks. Hope your fish make it through OK!
I suggest raising temp to 80 to 82 degrees, and add 1Tbsp per 5 gal of Salt. Know if you have sensitive fish and act accordingly. Just for record, my pleco gets full dosage and acts just fine. The salt will ease osmotic pressure on the lungs and allow more easily the flow of oxygen to fish. Add recommended dose of treatment to fish, using quarantine tank if possible. I use Quick Cure, but hate how it stains silicone of the tank (this is also one reason why I prefer quarantine tank). I would treat for 2 weeks at this temp, just to be careful. It has been noted that occasionally cysts will go into a dormant stage and not spawn the free swimming form until more time has elapsed. For this reason, I double the time it takes to cure. Better safe than sorry. Also I would slowly drop the temp back to it's original level (about 2 degrees/day. I would not introduce ANY new fish before a month, just to give everything a chance to stabilize, and give you a chance to watch recovery process without additional stress. Finally NEVER add new fish without first quarantining them for at LEAST 2 weeks. Hope your fish make it through OK!
Thanks Sumpin'fishy!
That is a very insigntful analysis. One more question, if you treat your fish in qurantine then how long should you wait before introduce them back to their old homes? Can ick stay domant within the body of fishs?
Thanks!
FZ
That is a very insigntful analysis. One more question, if you treat your fish in qurantine then how long should you wait before introduce them back to their old homes? Can ick stay domant within the body of fishs?
Thanks!
FZ
Good point wetman. My advise was given assuming that ich in the tank was gone and any fish added would be quarantined and therefor ich-free also.
So longhorn, if you haven't gathered this yet, you would be well off to get (if you don't already have) a quarantine tank, which is a small tank to keep newly aquired fish in so you can observe them to make sure they are disease/parasite free.
Sumpin - my sources (Fish Hatchery Mngmnt, Diseases of Hatchery Fish, and Intro to Fish Health Mngmnt) say 3-4 days at 75 degrees for ich. Are you sure about 5 days at 80? These are older publications -early 90's so maybe they're outdated?
So longhorn, if you haven't gathered this yet, you would be well off to get (if you don't already have) a quarantine tank, which is a small tank to keep newly aquired fish in so you can observe them to make sure they are disease/parasite free.
Sumpin - my sources (Fish Hatchery Mngmnt, Diseases of Hatchery Fish, and Intro to Fish Health Mngmnt) say 3-4 days at 75 degrees for ich. Are you sure about 5 days at 80? These are older publications -early 90's so maybe they're outdated?
I have to ask if any of you have heard this:
I had read in an article at another forum, when I first started keeping fish, that ich is ALWAYS around. That it lives in healthy fish. That it only surfaces from stress and injuries. Has anyone else heard this?
I had read in an article at another forum, when I first started keeping fish, that ich is ALWAYS around. That it lives in healthy fish. That it only surfaces from stress and injuries. Has anyone else heard this?
