New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

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1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.

2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.

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We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.

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Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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borgey
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New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Alright some of you might remember a few months back I got a couple of little SAPs for my SAP tank. Well they got Ich very very bad within the first two weeks of having and ended up dying even tho I did absolutely everything I could do. Well, after waiting about 2 months my LFS contacted me and told me they got more SAPs in. So I went and purchased two more about 3 days ago. They are about 1.25 inches (a little bit bigger then the others) but are still very small. I put them in a 15 gallon QT with 3 tablespoons of aquarium salt. Should I raise the heat now or wait for signs of Ich to show? I know they will get Ich since every SAP I've ever owned got it when first moved to a new tank. I just worry they will get it very badly like my last two little ones did. The ones I got that were fully grown didn't get it as bad as the little ones. Any input on how I can get a good jump start on this issue would be AWESOME! I just want my singleton SAP to have a couple SAPs to be with. Then once I upgrade it to a 100 gallon tank I'll hopefully be able to have about 6 or so SAPs.
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Also since I'm treating for Ich right away, should I wait to treat them for IPs? I just don't want to do too many treatments at once if it'll hurt them.
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by Pufferpunk »

I have treated for both at the same time.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Thanks PP
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Well the Ich has started today on my two new little SAPs..... I really really hope these guys don't get it as bad as my last ones...........sigh
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Should I add Melafix right away also? My QT has no substrate either. I do plan on cleaning the bottom for cysts but don't know if having no substrate will effect them staying on the bottom or not.
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by Pufferpunk »

Yes, add Melafix.
library/hospital/qtine/
Good luck!
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Alright I added Melafix. Also, I put them straight into a QT when I got them. I never had them in my display tank. I've learned the hard way to QT all new fish.
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Well my 2 new SAPs seem to be handling the Ich pretty well. It's not half as bad as my previous SAPs got it so that's awesome! Hopefully this will be over real soon (knock on wood). I can't wait to add them to my main SAP tank. I have been doing 50% WCs daily with salt, heat, 2 air stones and Melafix. I've ran into a problem tho, I need to siphon my other tanks for their weekly WCs but don't want to use a siphon that might have Ich on it. Is there any way I can maybe sterilize it? Like put it in hot hot water or something like that?
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T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Contact:

Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by Pufferpunk »

Bleach.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

OK will do.... one seems to be doing really good but the other one seems to be getting worse. He is still very active and all but has a lot more spots. I am soaking their food with vita-chem 5 days a week and putting it in the water (it says do once a week, but I change water everyday so not sure how often I should be putting this in). Is there anything else I could give them to help them fight this off? temp is 30 degrees celcius and i have 2-3 tablespoons of salt in the water (10 gallons)
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by Flutter »

You don't need to put the Vitachem in the water, it won't do anything more for them. It looks like you're following the recommended treatment, how long have you been doing it for? 5-6 days? The temperature will speed up the parasites life cycle however I'm not positive as to how that can affect the visible infection. Have you treated for IPs? I don't know if the anti-parasitic medications will affect ich or not but if they do it might be beneficial to add it to the water. Hopefully someone else will know.
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Yeah the only reason I've been adding it to the water is because that's what the directions say on it. I do add it to their food 5 times a week also. I have not treated for IPs yet I was waiting for the Ich to be done with then I would do that also. I have PraziPro and Levamisole HCI but I think I might start the treatment tomorrow since it can only help. The weaker one was not doing well this morning at all and I had to euthanize him. It seems like no matter what I do I just can't kick Ich when buying SAPs from this batch. I do absolutely EVERYTHING and some to get rid of it. It's really starting to stress me out that Ich is winning everytime. I really hope this last guy makes it so my bigger SAP can have a buddy.............sigh

EDIT - I have been treating the Ich for 2 weeks now
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by Flutter »

SAPs are definitely prone to ich, I don't know why you're having such a problem with it :( Maybe the fish are just too weak to begin with, are they juveniles?
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
Charles Darwin
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borgey
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Re: New SAPs to replace my little ones who died from Ich

Post by borgey »

Yes they are about an inch or so. I have gotten bigger SAPs and kicked the Ich with salt & heat with no fatalities at all. But since they have been getting little ones none of them seem to make it now. THIS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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