Ich

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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Read this before posting!!

Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.

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.

3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)

4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.

5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.

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

While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.

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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kass
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Ich

Post by kass »

So I picked up my new puffer last night, T. cochinchinensis and he definately has ich. I've never treated for ich before so I have a few questions (yes I'v eread the sticky). Can I use melafix and pimafix while treating for ich, and do I use marine salt for the treatment? Thanks.
kass
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Post by kass »

O yea, and should I remove the live plants that are in there, theres amazon swords, val and java moss.
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Post by kass »

One more, theres 2 HOB filters on there, will that be enough to oxygenate the water at higher temps. I dont own an air pump and would prefer not to have to buy one, but will if nessecary.
kass
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Post by kass »

No one?
kass
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Post by kass »

Should I assume that my assumptions are all correct?
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Post by Hilly »

I'm sure its just aquarium salt Kass you need to use. Melafix would help with the repairing of the skin as the Ich die. Not sure if the plants have to be removed but the less you've got in there will make it easier to vacuum up the dead Ich.

As for you having enough aeration, i'm not sure.
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Sorry no one has posted--it's the weekend, ya know...

If you lower the water line 1", that should cause enough agitation of the surface for O2 exchange.

Use table or aquarium salt. It might disturb the sword plant.

Yes, I'd use Melafix during treatment.
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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Post by Hilly »

PP wrote:Sorry no one has posted--it's the weekend, ya know...
Sometimes I wish I hadn't re-mortgaged, I could be out now down town having a few beers, instead of stuck in having a few beers. :D

Hope all goes well with the treatment Kass.
Hilly
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Post by kass »

Thanks guys.
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Post by kass »

should I treat for IPs at the same time, or
wait?
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Post by kass »

bump.
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Post by Pufferpunk »

I don't think it could hurt. I have treated my SAPs for both ich & IPs 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...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Post by kass »

Cool, thanks.
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Post by kass »

Its been 3 weeks and I can still see some ich spots on one fin. I've been doing 50% WCs every other day, with 1 tbl spoon salt per 5 gallons, temp at 85. Is it unusual for the treatment to take this long?
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Post by puffanutter »

I've read that no-ich marine works great. It takes a week or so of treatment though. It is not harmful to inverts and corals because it is not a copper based treatment (it is all natural). My Blue Hippo Tang has come down with ich and I've been treating the tank for 3 days and I already see an improvement (have to shut off skimmer and take out carbon filter). I don't have the ability to put all my fish in a hospital tank because I don't have one large enough to house all the fish for 6 weeks.

If you choose to use this method buy a large volume of it because it takes daily treatments for at least 7 days.
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