Okay this is a serious FISH/PLECO question need some HELP NOW PLEASE!!!!?

Question

Okay I think the Pleco in our 10 gallon has ick, and I don't have a cure(s) for it BUT, should I put it in a warm water tank to try and save it so the ick won't kill it? I don't want to see the poor Pleco pass away?!?! :(

Answer 1

Okay, changing temperatures like that will only shock your pleco. It certainly wont help ick as it is a bacteria and will thrive in warm water (and also it would contaminate the fish in your other aquarium).

A small amount of ick can be treated by using a small bit of aquarium salt (not table salt!). If this doesn't work you do need to pick up a cure for it, but they aren't expensive.

Good luck

Oh, and i hope you realize that a pleco cannot stay ina 10 gallon tank for long. A common pleco can grow over 2 feet!

Answer 2

Yes, definitely heat up the tank, but only once you are ready to treat the fish. Some will tell you heat and salt will not kill ick. They are wrong. pure and simple. Salt and heat have been scientifically proven to kill ick. A google search and about 10 minutes of your time will prove it for you. Ick is a parasite NOT a bacteria, again, fact. A water change WILL help cure the problem. It will remove some of the tiny free swimming ick from the tank before it gets on your fish. Here's a proven method of treating ick:

Change a large portion of the water, about 50-60% while cleaning the gravel very well.

Clean the filter and change all the media but leave out the carbon.

Add 2 tablespoons of salt per 5 gallons of the tank.

Raise the temperature to 88-90 F. Raise it slowly, about 1 degree per hour. You may need to add an air stone or two depending on the type of fish and how heavily the tank is stocked.

Add a good ick medication as directed on the bottle. Try to find a medication that used Malachite Green as the active ingredient. (CAUTION: Malachite Green is a known carcinogen. Be careful not to get it on your skin!)

Change 25% or more of the water daily being sure to clean the gravel as you do so.

Continue the treatment for at least 7 days after you see the last white spots on any of the fish.

After the treatment, return the carbon to your filter and lower the temperature to normal.

This will work and will remove the ick from your tank.

MM

Answer 3

Despite what some folks might think, yes, plecos can get ick. I have a rather large tank with eleven different types and wound up battling it, successfully, last year.

Quick Cure will do the trick as long as you follow the directions and be sure to remove the carbon from your filtration system. Virtually any fish supply store should carry it and it is not very expensive, particularly since you would be treating a small tank.

Good luck.

Answer 4

well, magicman (think that was his name) is correct, except I wouldnt go at high as 90 degrees, it really stresses out the fish, and it depletes alot of the oxygen from the water. You can sucessfully do the treatment at 82-84 degrees.
Also note that medications like coppersafe, and others made to treat ick will kill any scaless fish in your tank. (loaches, eels, some catfish species..) So be sure your using a treatment for scaless fish if you happen to have any. There is one by aquarium pharmacuticals called Ick Cure 2..make sure it has the 2, thats the one for scaless fish as well as fish with scales, if needed.
Good luck.

Answer 5

do not remove fish from tank, that will only stress him out more, that and the water peremiters possibally wont be the same and the acclamation could kill him. Because Pleco's are partially scaleless on their underbellys you can not use just any ick medication. U will have to use a formula that does NOT have formaldahyde( will suffocate fish) in it. Some of the medications are called Coppersafe made by "Mardel" or ICk attack made by Gordons. These are availible at your local petsmart and other retailers. Because the medications are gentler it may take longer for the ick to clear. Be patient. You may raise water temp to 80 to cause eggs to hatch faster. Salt can be used, but in low doses as it will raise P.H. and could cause more stress, add salt over the period of a weeks time a little a day.( Dose two tablespoons into a cup, each day use a 1/4 teaspoon and add that amount only into the tank untill the cup is empty THis will allow the fish to internally adjust to the new water peramiters of salt. It is a rounded tablespoon per 5 gallons.Also a few things you need to know about ick. Ick is a parasite pre existing in your tank, It can only be present on a fish whose immune system is down and has shed off its slime coat exterior. The "white Dots" are eggs, the adults are free swimming in the water, they are just to small to see. Medications kill adults, not eggs and these eggs hatch out in cycles much like flea eggs. YOU must treat fish for at least a week, adding the correct dose of meds daily. You must remove the filter cartridge from your filter during treatment the black carbon inside will filter out the medications. You will need to do a water change at the end of the week of treatment and you may dose again for a following week if needed. DO not stop treatment during week one if you no longer see ick spots, that just means they have hatched not that they are Gone. When doing water changes never remove fish and at the most only change no more than 50% of water. Plecos are messy and produce alot of waste, keep in mind that for every inch of your plecos body size he is dirty up 2-3 gallons of water which will eat up the space in a 10 gallon quickly, a 10 gallon hold 10 inches of fish so if you pleco is 2 inches that is 4 gallons used up. Make sure your tank is not over crowded. Good luck

Answer 6

First do some research to find out if you placo really has ick. If you have to take him to a pet store and have someone look at it. If it is ick buy some natural fish medication. Something like melafix usually works best. It will help fight many infections. Place him back in the same tank you got him out of, because if you place him in a new tank you will be introducing the ick in to the new tank. Also using the meds will help cure the other fish in your tank. Use the med as directed on the bottle. Be sure to remove you carbon filter or the meds will be ineffective. You might even try a partal water change before adding the meds. Only change about 3-4 gals out of you 10 gal tank. Best of luck

Answer 7

Warm water in no way cures ich. In fact it speeds up the life cycle of ich. When using an ich meds this is in theory good as the ich only works on the free swimming stage of ich. (Thus shortening the treatment cycle.) Really high temps generally disrupt the ich life cycle complete, but you need temps in the 85-90F range. (Plus you'll need to keep in up for a week or 2.) Most pleco are best kept in the 72-79F range. Salt works, but you need a lot of if, and pleco. like most catfish, don't deal with with salt.

PS- Note that if one fish has ich the whole tank has it. You need to treat the entire tank.

Answer 8

yes. are u sure a pleco can get ick? if so,then buy some ick clear in petco, and it will disappear inn 1-2 days.

or put 1tablespoon of salt in every 5 gallons, and raise the tempurature up to 80degrees

Answer 9

go to the pet store and buy ick stuff for it.....dont move it for this can stress it more....but go to the store NOW!!!

Answer 10

I've never seen a Loricarid fish get ich. Are you sure?