# My Clown Loaches have Ich ! Please help



## marcincan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hi everyone, I am at a loss I have a bunch of Clown Loaches that were doing great until I got a few new ones from a LFS now I have Ich in the Tank... I have treated with 3 days quick cure 50 % water change then up the temp to 88 f and treated with a dose of salt one tsp per gallon (I have a 80 Gallon tank). I keep losing loaches 3 have died so far and I dont know what else to do. I have started again with the quick cure with the tank still at 88... I have turned on my UV again in the hopes it will help. Can any one give me some advise on how to help these little guys. 
I have removed all the carbon from my filters and just have Purgen and Matrix in them plus foam
My tank is not overpopulated and I am running at 0.00ppm Nitrites between 0.00PPM and 5.00 PPM nitrates the ammonia is at 0 the PH is 7.2 -7.4 KH is low 5 drops but coming up.after the salt treatment the tank is at 1.004 SG
The clown Loaches are the only one with it and it looks like little grains of salt all over their bodies

Thanks 

Marc


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

are you using half the recommended dose of the quick cure? I believe it says on the bottle to use half doses for scaleless fish which include clown loaches.
Other than that sounds like you doing pretty much everything anybody would suggest. Except maybe a bit more salt than needed too I believe, though I could be mistaken


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Clown Loaches are very susceptible to Ich unfortunately and the stress of introducing more to the "pack" likely was enough to bring it on. If you have left Purigen and Matrix in your filter one or both could be romoving your med, unless I am reading this wrong.......UV sterilization can also diminish the affect of your med.


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## Reckon (Jul 25, 2012)

I've had poor results with ich+clown loaches. Would people suggest a hospital tank? Less space for the ich to move around in. Doesn't purigen also take out meds? I'm not sure about matrix.


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## marcincan (Apr 21, 2010)

Ok so I have removed all the purigen and Matrix and I am keeping the tank at 88 and re-dosing the quick-cure I really want to save these guys 

Thanks


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## marcincan (Apr 21, 2010)

I forgot I just turned on the UV so I am turning it off and retreating


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## Rastapus (Apr 21, 2010)

Reckon said:


> I've had poor results with ich+clown loaches. Would people suggest a hospital tank? Less space for the ich to move around in. Doesn't purigen also take out meds? I'm not sure about matrix.


Quarantine is great for new fish, unfortunately it does not guarantee you wont still get Ick once moving them over as it is a stress related infection.


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## Elle (Oct 25, 2010)

Take out the Purigen/Matrix, and also check your PH. Clowns like it around 6-7 maximum.These guys are SUPER sensitive to high PH. My husband (Djamm) rescued a bunch of loach babies with ich earlier this summer; they had been in a tank with African cichlids, which need much harder water, and the stress triggered the ich. Once they were out of the hard water and being treated, they healed up fairly quickly.

The treatment that has worked best for us is to place them in a hospital tank with ultra clean water, good PH, higher temperatures (raise it gradually), salt, and use a HALF dose of Quick Cure.


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## JohnnyAppleSnail (May 30, 2010)

I had 6 Clown Loaches with Ich,I did like You raised the temp to 88-90 for 2 weeks "But" I used Freshwater Coppersafe,I also had other of the sensitive to meds type of Fish,Pictus Cats,Synodontis,Silver Dollars,Yoyo Loaches,etc.,I did not add Salt. Within days Ich was disappearing and after the 2 week treatment I did not lose 1 Fish. I've used Coppersafe a few times with Clown Loaches and have always had great results. Catching the Ich in the early stages is very important. I've also used Quick Cure with some success,but I don't like the staining and getting those damn drops out which for a 125 gal. Tank is nightmarish (Hole on dropper always plugging). While People swear by Salt for Ich I don't believe Clown Loaches really like it so I stay away from it mostly for them. But in all honesty this has been My go to treatment for Clown Loaches,has always worked for Me at least the 3-4 times I used it for Ich through 30 years of owning Clowns,for a Fish they sure are Ich Magnets.


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