What can I do about Ick?

Question

I have had my 30 gallon aquarium for 2 mths now & I have 2 channel catfish,1 mollie,1 danio & 2 fish I don't know the names of but one is silver & 1 is pink.I haven't had any problems since I got the tank but one week ago I bought a pleco(algae-eater)I noticed two days ago that my 2 catfish were not as active as normal & one of them would hide in the corner & not move.I have been observing them closely & yesterday 2 things happened, it seemed like overnight it developed white spots over it's ENTIRE body 2nd thing is I realized the pleco was dead.Of course I got rid of him.I didn't know what else to do.I changed 20% of the water & vacuumed the gravel & went to the pet store to see what I needed.They only suggested taking the infected catfish out in a seperate bowl & treating the tank with ick away.After taking him out he only lived an hour.What else can be done 2 save the rest of my fish as I know ick is contagious.The other catfish doesn't have white spots but acts different,isolation.

Thanks in advance for all answers.

Answer 1

wislom is correct about using the malachite green, but this is even more effective if you find a medication that combines it with formalin, like Quick Cure. With the catfish, you want to start at a lower dose than the directions recommend (1 drop per gallon), so only do half that to start. If they don't show any ill effects, increase the dose slowly up to full strength, but stop if they seem like they're stressed. You can also treat this with salt.

Whichever treatment you choose, try increasing the temperature a few degrees an hour up to 86-88o. This speeds up the life cycle of the parasite so it drops off the fish faster. When it's on the fish, the treatment can't kill it. You'll need to treat for 10-14 days, or at least 3-5 days after the spots have disappeared to make sure all of it's gone. And you'll need to treat the entire tank - even if you don't see spots on the fish, if the parasite were on the other fish, there are probably some in the gravel.

Before you treat, do a water change and do a good gravel cleaning. If there's waste in the gravel, it can bind with the copper so it's not effective against the parasites. If you do a water change during the treatment, add back the drops for the new water you putting so the amount of medication stays the same (that is, if you take out 1/3 of the water, add 10 drops of medication back after you replace the water).

See the link below for more info about treating ich:

Answer 2

The biggest problem you have right now is a new tank. New tanks cause many problems. For one, your bio filter has not had time to establish itself. With all new tanks you must wait ... and wait ... and wait. I suppose the hardest part of having fish is waiting till the tank is ready for them.

Get rid of your fish (they won't live anyway) and drain your tank. Wash your gravel in warm soapy water. Also wash anything else you have in the tank, a castle, large stones, plastic plants, etc. Once you have thoroughly cleaned your tank refill with water and buy the necessary chemicals to treat it. There's a product called Bullseye 7.0, which instantly puts your water pH at 7.0 - optimal for almost all fish. Buy some Start Right tablets and put them in. One tablet for every ten gallons. So you will need 3 tablets to start with. Get test strips to monitor you water condition. Some water is hard and there are products to buy which will eliminate hardness. Keep an eye on the water condition and add what you need to get your water to it's optimal range. The box the test strips come in should have a small contents label which will help you to know what to add. DO NOT add any fish for at least 6 weeks. Make sure your water condition is right for at least 2 weeks before you add fish. When you do add fish only add 2 at a time. Wait at least a week before you put more in and only add 2 at a time. Each time you add new fish put another Start Right tablet in the water to reduce the stress on the fish. Also, when you do add fish turn the lights off. This too will help to reduce stress. Stress is the number one reason fish have ick.

Once you have your tank right and you have a few fish there are other things to consider. 1. Do not over feed. Only put enough food in the tank for the fish to eat in 10 minutes. any more than that they won't eat it. The food will sit on the bottom and rot which can also cause ick. 2. Keep your filter cartrideges clean. They can be used several times before you have to replace them. When they are built up with a brownish mesh (which is old food and fish waste) take them out and rinse them in cold water, never warm or hot. The charcoal in these filter must be kept cool so they will remain active. Using a water hose with a good spray nozzle makes for an easy way to clean filter cartrideges. 3. Feed your fish at the same time everyday and only feed them once. Turn your lights on and off at the same times as well. Remember, fish don't sleep but they do need down time so be sure to keep your lights off at least 10 hours a day. This will also reduce stress. 4. Know your fish. If you want a community tank (several different fish) be sure they are compatable. Be sure they all need the same temperture. Some fish need a 75 to 80 degree water temp to sustain them. Most community fish are just fine in a tank without a heating element. There are some fish that go well with others and some that don't. a Jack Dempsey, Red Belly Pacus, Oscars, and a few others are very aggresive and would even fight each other. KNOW your fish. 5. Never use chemicals that are liquids. These can stain your plants, gravel, castles, anything you have in the tank, even the glass. They also do not mix well with the water as the tablets do. You will see the difference when you put a tablet in and watch it fizzle. 6. Never use Clear Water or any chemical that says it's purpose is to make water clear. These products only work for a few days and then your water gets milky again. If your water is not clear it is most likely due to other factors. You said you have a gravel pump. That's good. Use it at least once a month. Doing so will keep your water clear, it will keep your gravel clean and it will be your 20% water replacement at the same time. Even a clean tank will have waste build up in the gravel. Old food and waste in the gravel can be harmful to fish.

Keeping a tank clean and fish living for a long time is easy if you know what to do. I hope you keep this information so you can refer to it later. I have kept a fish aquarium for the last 20 years. Three years ago I bought my biggest tank ever, 125 gallons! I waited for three months before I put the first fish in. I haven't given my tank a complete cleaning in over 2 years. A properly maintained aquarium will only need to be completely clean about every five years. When I put my three fish in my tank over two years ago they were about the size of my thumb (2 common oscars and 1 Red Belly Pacu). Now the Oscars weigh almost a pound a piece and the Red Belly Pacu is over 3 pounds. My fish are so big now that I actually feed them dog food. :)

Undergravel filters work OK but nothing beats a good gravel pump. Location is also something to consider. Direct sunlight will promote the growth of algea.

If after you have done all I've said and the Ick or Fungus returns, be sure to take good care of your fish and the water. Go strictly by the directions. Do not use a filter cartridege while treating using the Ick or Fungus medicine. After three days replace about 40 to 50 percent of your water and put more medicine in the tank. Once you have done this 3 or 4 times the Ick should go away, about 2 weeks.

If you have any further questions just email me at [e-mail].

good luck! :)

Answer 3

There are treatment tablets with antibiotics you can simply drop into the water to treat various conditions. See a specialist in fish care for the proper product and dosage. Note that relatively few veterinarians work much with fish, but your vet should be able to help you find one. Failing that, there's usually at least one knowledgeable person at any large fish store.

Answer 4

You can get ich medicine or chemicals, And the reason you got ich in the first place was is because you didnt quaritine the new fish,, algae eater, Thats why your meant to quaritine them. I just had ich about a week ago and i treated it 3 days later and my fish are now cured and fine.

Answer 5

Get some stuff it's called "Rid Ich" and keep ALL lights off in your aguarium and all around your aquarium. Some tips to not start ich, when you get your fish, take a net and scoop them out of the bag, don't dump the bag into your aquarium.

-hope this helped

Answer 6

You can dose your aquarium with some malachite green, which should be available at any fish store or pet store. Here's an article on using the medication (it's the 2nd question):
http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/aquarium-care/transferring-fish.aspx

Answer 7

just treat the tank with the ick medicine. follow the directions on how much to use per gallon.