When treating Ick/ich in a fish tank, how long do I keep the medication in the water?

Question

I used pills that dissolve into the water today. THe water is blue and everything. When do I put carbon back into the filter bed to neutralize the medication?

Answer 1

You need to leave the carbon out for at least 3-5 days after you no longer see spots on the fish. Expect the treatment to last 10-14 days.

You can speed this along a little by raising the temperature in the tank - the warmer the water, the faster the metabolism of the parasite, and the faster they drop off into the water where they can be killed by your medication - the parasites are protected from meds when they're attached to the fish. If your fish can tolerate it, a temp of 86o is good (raise it slowly, no more than 1-2 degrees per hours), but be sure you have good water movement to keep the levels of dissolved oxgen up - as the water gets warmer, it holds lees dissolved gasses.


NOTE TO Football Fanatic: The carbon is the stuff in the filter that looks like black or dark gray rocks (or a black pad), sometimes inside a bag or between pieces of pads. Carbon absorbs chemicals, including some kinds of medication, from the water.

Answer 2

I just went through this in 2 of my tanks. The first one I had to learn the hard way and it killed 8 of my fish. When it happened in my second tank I was prepared, and didn't lose one fish, and now it is all clear.

From personal experience, just medicine doesn't work at all.

Here is what you have to do, and do it right away or ick will kill all your fish. HEAT AND SALT!

First, get a heater that you can set the heat on. Keep the water around 82-85 degrees.
Then add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt for every gallon (you can buy this at walmart for like $2). Do this every 12 hours for 2 days.
Also, keep your aquarium dark for a few days. This is so the nasty ick can't find your fish to cling on to.
This should make it go away. You need to treat the tank for at least a week after the ick goes away, so it doesn't come right back.

Using quick cure with the above treatment speeds along the process (this can also be bought cheap at walmart) It doesn't work alone at all though. You MUST use the heat and salt first. This gets the ick to fall off the fish...then the quick cure kills the ick that is in the water.

Make sure you treat the entire tank, and not just the sick fish.

Start using stress coat in your tank after the ick is gone, and they won't get it again.

Don't wait on this, trust me.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Most ich medications require that you add more for 5 days and then do a 50% water change and put the carbon back in. Read the directions on your package to be sure of what the medication you are using requires. There's no point in only treating for one day if it requires 5 or you're just wasting your money.

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Answer 4

When the fish aren't sick anymore.
Also, if you keep re-adding the medicine, water changes are a good thing. I try to get people to do lots of fresh water changes and upgrade the water quality, along with adding aquarium salt before doing any kind of medication, but since you've already added it I guess there's not much else you can do. But honestly, fresh clean water always helps a sick fish. Do more water changes - like 25% a week a re-add the appropriate amount of medicine. That will most likely help a lot more than just the medicine alone.

Answer 5

read the directions. usually you have to treat it anywhere from 3-5 days and sometimes even longer. also after you are done medicating the tank, you should do a partial water change and then put your carbon back in.

Answer 6

Maybe the original box would have instructions on that. I think it depends on the dosage, and gallons of the tank.

Answer 7

what is the carbon. someone please explain