# Ich!



## Cinnibun (Apr 23, 2010)

so on Wednesday I spotted one of my rummy tetras had some white spots on its fins (small white dots that look like salt, ich right!?). By the next morning most of the other fish in the tank had it as well. This is my first encounter with a major fish disease so any words of wisdom would be extremely appreciated 
fish in the tank include, a gourami, platies, tetras, rams
so far I've raised the temp to around 80-82 F did a water change and left a little room in the tank for a small waterfall. Also dosed some aquarium salt in on wednesday, and then on thursday I added in Applus+ Aqua-sol by Aquarium Products
The directions on the bottle are a little vague since it only mentions "Use 10 drops p/gallon, Use 1 capful p/10 gallon" it doesn't mention anything about if you dose it daily, dose it only after a water change, don't do any water changes while medicating etc etc. anyone have experience with this product 
So on a final note am I doing anything wrong, anything right? Anything more I could be doing? I've read up on ich but any more information is always helpful


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## simont (Apr 21, 2010)

well this was what i have been told when i had ick for all my clown loaches... take out the active carbon in ur filter, bimp the temp up too 84 gradually though... add salt and yeah... i did water changes every 2-3 days just so i can get rid of the spores... all my clown loaches did.. all 15 of them two of them were 6" too.. but yeah ur doing it right cinnibun, just hope you dont lose any of your fish, u can also pick up some ick medication.


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## Pamela (Apr 21, 2010)

I've always had success using 'Quick Cure' for Ich.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You only need to take out carbon if you are using meds, not for salt. I by not familiar with Applus+. When I had an ich outbreak on a couple of fish a couple of weeks ago, I was able to successfully quell it with raising temps to 86 F and Quick-Cure using only a half dosage.


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## simont (Apr 21, 2010)

yeah everyone says use quick cure... apparently that is illegal in canada?.. thats what i have been told...


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If it's illegal, you shouldn't be able to buy it at every LFS.


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## simont (Apr 21, 2010)

lol cuz i went to IPU and thats what they told me, cuz i went looking for it and yeah... i got api ick cure and yeah lol!


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

That's bizarre. I got mine at KE's.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Oh, it's been discontinued I guess. Not sure it's illegal though. See this thread: http://www.canadapleco.com/showthread.php?t=1606&p=8833


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## JUICE (Jan 4, 2020)

simont said:


> lol cuz i went to IPU and thats what they told me, cuz i went looking for it and yeah... i got api ick cure and yeah lol!


fraser has quick cure [email protected]!


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## seanyuki (Apr 22, 2010)

AP Pro Quick Cure is formalin & Malachite Green and April has them for sale at her shop


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## darb (Apr 21, 2010)

Cinnibun said:


> Also dosed some aquarium salt in on wednesday, and then on thursday I added in Applus+ Aqua-sol by Aquarium Products
> The directions on the bottle are a little vague since it only mentions "Use 10 drops p/gallon, Use 1 capful p/10 gallon" it doesn't mention anything about if you dose it daily, dose it only after a water change, don't do any water changes while medicating etc etc. anyone have experience with this product


I haven't used the product, but ich has a typical life cycle of what 5 to 7 days? Thus, I would not do any water changes for a week or water change and re-dose the appropriate amount of meds to the water that you do change.

Contact the customer service line is your best bet though, that is if they actually have a functioning CS line. API and Mardel are completely pathetic and I will avoid using their products in the future for that very reason.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

simont said:


> lol cuz i went to IPU and thats what they told me, cuz i went looking for it and yeah... i got api ick cure and yeah lol!


Quick Cure is illegal to import into Canada. There was an accident with a child getting it in their eye from what I understand which caused the ban. There is no "Quick cure" police at the border generally so stores are bringing it in regardless. We are not, it is illegal. Besides there is plenty of other products that are not illegal and work just as well.


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## Cinnibun (Apr 23, 2010)

thank you for all the help !! (and so quick too wow )
I'm wondering if you guys have any other product recommendations that would help with treating ich?


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Cinnibun said:


> thank you for all the help !! (and so quick too wow )
> I'm wondering if you guys have any other product recommendations that would help with treating ich?


Hikari has a product called Ich-X. Very similar formula to Quick Cure but legal.


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## seanyuki (Apr 22, 2010)

Hey Grant.....both AP Pro Quick Cure & Hikari Ich-X has the same active ingredients....formalin & machalite green.......just curious

http://uskoi.com/ich-x.htm



Rastapus said:


> Hikari has a product called Ich-X. Very similar formula to Quick Cure but legal.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

seanyuki said:


> Hey Grant.....both AP Pro Quick Cure & Hikari Ich-X has the same active ingredients....formalin & machalite green.......just curious
> 
> http://uskoi.com/ich-x.htm


It's the same reason why some fish foods are no longer allowed in this country. They really don't know what they're doing. I hate to be a cynic about this, but I've run into enough problems at the borders to realize how screwed up it is.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

seanyuki said:


> Hey Grant.....both AP Pro Quick Cure & Hikari Ich-X has the same active ingredients....formalin & machalite green.......just curious
> 
> http://uskoi.com/ich-x.htm


Correct but a lower concentration. AND it's not Quick Cure which seems to be the issue there.


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## seanyuki (Apr 22, 2010)

hi Grant.....AP Pro Quick Cure being sold online Canadian sites.....not legal in Canada or by province only....curious?

http://www.mops.ca/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/skus/me/MEAP-QC2.asp?L+scstore+bwzh1743ff12ed12+1272123261

Big Al's Canada also sells Kordon Formalin,Kordon Methylene Blue-Kordon Malachite Green-

http://www.bigalsonline.ca/BigAlsCA..._cnt=1&attrib_id_0=2215&attrib_value_0=Kordon



Rastapus said:


> Quick Cure is illegal to import into Canada. There was an accident with a child getting it in their eye from what I understand which caused the ban. There is no "Quick cure" police at the border generally so stores are bringing it in regardless. We are not, it is illegal. Besides there is plenty of other products that are not illegal and work just as well.


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## darb (Apr 21, 2010)

Cinnibun did you get an answer from AP?
Your thread seems to have been hijacked!


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## DavidB (Apr 27, 2010)

I have a few questions about Ick too.

One of my female bettas has a small white spot on her side, but it doesn't really look like a grain of salt, perhaps a scrape from sparring with another female. However, I am concerned that it might be Ick and do have some API liquid Super Ick Cure, just in case.

My questions,

1) Reading on other sites, it says do not put salt in the water with meds because the salt might affect the efficacy of the meds. But what about salt in the water _before_ Ick appears? Does it serve any preventative function?

2) Can Ick live without fish? I mean, if I remove all fish from the tank, treat them, and just leave the tank fish-free for a week (with the filter and heater on as usual), would the Ick die out?

3) Some sites indicate a treatment period of 10 days.
However, the Super Ick med bottle has the following instructions:

Remove carbon from filter.
Add 1 tsp med per 5 gallon water.
Repeat dose after 48 hours.
Wait another 48 hours, then change 25% of the water and add carbon filter back.

That is four days, not ten. And just two doses. Is that it? Does this Super Ick medicine kill Ick faster, or am I missing something?


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

DavidB said:


> I have a few questions about Ick too.
> 
> One of my female bettas has a small white spot on her side, but it doesn't really look like a grain of salt, perhaps a scrape from sparring with another female. However, I am concerned that it might be Ick and do have some API liquid Super Ick Cure, just in case.
> 
> ...


1~ Salt improves gill function and allows the fish to absorb medication more efficiently.

2~ Ich is always present, if you remove the fish it will go dormant. Many opinions include anywhere between 21 and 45 days. Keep i mind that Ich is stress related, removing fish for this period and re introducing will not guarantee they do not get re infected regardless.

3~ Each medication works differently and dosage and time line varies.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Increasing heat also will speed up their life cycle process from my understanding, allowing you to kill the buggers with medication quicker (as in cyst form or whatever it is they won't be killed, only in their adult form I believe).


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Oh, it's been discontinued I guess. Not sure it's illegal though. See this thread: http://www.canadapleco.com/showthread.php?t=1606&p=8833


It's not illegal but I think it's a carcinogenic.


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

effox said:


> Increasing heat also will speed up their life cycle process from my understanding, allowing you to kill the buggers with medication quicker (as in cyst form or whatever it is they won't be killed, only in their adult form I believe).


By raising the temperature it does indeed speed up the life cycle of the parasite. This will get the parasite to un-attach from the host faster which is when they are doing the damage. The adult then lays eggs that the medication will kill.


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## DavidB (Apr 27, 2010)

Another question:
The medicine I have, Super Ick Cure, will it harm the snails in the tank?


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## marcincan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi I use Ich Guard II for scaleless fish... and raise the temp to 84c and add air 
you can pick up Ich guard II at King Ed's

you can also use IchNox but only at half strength 

I hope that helps...

Good luck with your fish


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