# ich, ick



## Dave (Apr 22, 2010)

This is my first tank illness and i was slow on the uptake and im worried im going to lose my fish because of it. any comments or tips would be appreciated.
about a month ago i set up a 50gallon tank, using the hang on back filter it came with, using filter floss.; and a marineland canister filter. I moved my 5zebra danios, 6 neon tetras, clown loach and bristlenose pleco from my 10g to the new tank. about 2 weeks ago, put in some plants, and added a few more neon tetras, zebra danios and a few orange neon platys. All water parameters were normal, except I couldnt seem to get the iron level to come up, so 6 days ago when i cleaned the canister filter i pulled the carbon out and replaced it with filter floss. 2 days ago, one of my older neon tetras died. it was one i'ld bout about 6 months ago. i didnt think too much of it, crap happens. I dont know how old it actually was. yesterday before i went to work another one died, one of the newer ones. i took a close look at the other fish, and thought i saw a white spot, but wasnt sure because the lil guy was movin around pretty good. thought i'ld keep a closer eye on the others. one neon was actin a lil odd. he had white spots on him. he died. the others now have white spots on them. im pretty sure its ick. ich. however its spelt. Im going to go in the morning to ipu hope they have somethin to treat my fish. 
i suspect the ick is in the cyst phase, as i seem to have a small white cloudy susbstance in some hairgrass. Ive turned the water heater up to try and raise tank temp to 80.
these are my water parameters: ph 6.8-7.2, kh80, chlorine 0, nitrite 1.0-3.0, nitrate 20-40, c02 14pps, fe between 0 and .1 

whats the chances of saving any of my fish if i can start medicating in the morning? 

thanks for any help or comments.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Nitrite.. umm.. maybe do a small water change if i were you.. nitrite just stress fish out!
nitrate should be below 20 as it'll stress fish out, but i do believe that fish can tolerate much higher!
When you changed the carbon to floss, did you clean the filter as well? That might of wiped out alot of healthy bacteria since your tank is newly established!
Adding new fish could be disease carriers as well, might not be you, but just the new fish carrying disease.
I would take the temperature up to 82-84 and add some salt.

If you HAVE to use medication, API Super Ich Cure will do the job as well.

Good luck~


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## ngo911 (May 19, 2010)

Yea, nitrite would be the first thing I would try to tackle via water changes. It should be 0.

I have used quick cure with success, even in a planted tank. I halved the dosage though since I had some amano shrimp.


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## Acipenser (Apr 21, 2010)

having had ich on and off again for months , all i can say is be persistent, bump up the temperature, use the quick cure at the recommended dose for the recommened length of time. (fingers crossed knock on wood) its been gone for a few weeks.


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## Dave (Apr 22, 2010)

thanks guys im doing a 5g water change again, and will keep doing so until it comes below 20. i did clean the sponge filter in the canister, but that was all, left the bio balls alone. api super ich cure i'll go grab. 'ppreciate the comments/suggestions.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Dave said:


> thanks guys im doing a 5g water change again, and will keep doing so until it comes below 20. i did clean the sponge filter in the canister, but that was all, left the bio balls alone. api super ich cure i'll go grab. 'ppreciate the comments/suggestions.


If you're donig a 5g water change for a 55g, i would instead do a 50% water change instead! In my head, it flushes out all the free swimming ich/eggs !

Or maybe even consider a UV Sterillizer!

btw, if you have important snails or shrimp or plants... do half recommended dosage!


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I recenly had an Ich outbreak wiith my new clown loaches and angelfish. I tried the Ich medicine didn't seem to work too well. did a little research and found just getting the temp between 82-84 and adding a little salt (as eternity302 suggested) was the biggest reccomendation Cured. it in no time, disappeared in a a few days.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Diztrbd1 said:


> I recenly had an Ich outbreak wiith my new clown loaches and angelfish. I tried the Ich medicine didn't seem to work too well. did a little research and found just getting the temp between 82-84 and adding a little salt (as eternity302 suggested) was the biggest reccomendation Cured. it in no time, disappeared in a a few days.


Are you saying that because you cursed me in the other thread and now feeling bad?  HAHAHA!! J/K!

You can call me crazy, but I have my temperature at 82 all year round! =)


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## pisces (Apr 22, 2010)

i could said change 15% water, and add 1 apone salt and turn temperature high to 30 C. few days it should be okie, i keep my tank 29 ~30 C, never have ick or ich..hope can help u!!good luck


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

eternity302 said:


> Are you saying that because you cursed me in the other thread and now feeling bad?  HAHAHA!! J/K!
> 
> You can call me crazy, but I have my temperature at 82 all year round! =)


LMAO , no and glad to hear you didn't roll out of bed or something last night lol 
I keep mine 78 but the heater I got from Walmart is crap or defective and wouldn't get my tank above 74, which is probably the reason the Ich appeared, got a new heater and that tank will stay 81- 82 from here on out.


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## eternity302 (Apr 22, 2010)

Diztrbd1 said:


> LMAO , no and glad to hear you didn't roll out of bed or something last night lol
> I keep mine 78 but the heater I got from Walmart is crap or defective and wouldn't get my tank above 74, which is probably the reason the Ich appeared, got a new heater and that tank will stay 81- 82 from here on out.


OH!~~~ You just cursed me AGAIn  If i roll of the bed tonite and injured myself more.. you know who i'm going to come to!

Btw... one thing to add to this is maybe feed some NLS - Thera A, they're high in garlic, known to be good to battle with internal parasites, but more importantly, it helps build a good immune system for the fish! =)


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## Dave (Apr 22, 2010)

d*oh. ok another thing learned, keep the temperature a bit higher than i have been. 

NLS -thera A, I'll look it up. thx.


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