Ick red tailed shark?

Question

My red tailed shark has ick and we have moved him to a sick tank. We are treating him but he is not eating. Could he die? and if so how long does he have if he is not eating.

Answer 1

How are you treating him? I know a lot of people like to use salt and higher temps, but this can take a while to work and higher temps reduce the O2 in the water. From my experience, "Quick Cure" is the best thing to use. It's available at WalMart for less than $2. Healthy fish can go several days without eating, but if yours is already stressed, he may not be able to go as long.

One word of caution - if you have plants or inverts in the tank, you'll need to remove them before using any treatment with copper.

all methods/disease info:
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/disease/freshwater/ich.html
Salt & heat method:
http://www.fishlore.com/Articles/CuringIch.htm

Answer 2

usually they can go a few days at least without eating. i never had a red tailed shark but most fish when they turn down regular food won't turn down frozen bloodworms and other frozen foods. if you are worried you might want to pick some up.