Living with Ick

[Joe Fish]

Well, the QT process has started. I was able to catch all the fish without making too much of a mess and all the fish seem to have adapted to their temporary environment quite well. I will never ever add a fish without QTing it first for at least 30 days.

What are my concerns with the fish in the 10gallon for 6 weeks? How often should I change the water stuff like that?

 

[zoalover34]

that's alot of fish in a 10 gallon, how are you going to be treating it? if your going the copper route make sure you get a copper test first! as far as changing the water i have no idea maybe a gallon or 2 a day or every other maybe..

 

[Joe Fish]

i'm using formalin 3. I'll probably change a gallon or two every other day.

 

[aresgod]

6 fish, especially those 6 will not work in a 10 gallon, I suggest you go buy a 2 20 gallons and keep the firefish in the 10 the coral beauty and the goby in a 20, and the clowns in a 20, remember you dont want to excessively stress the fish...so decorate all the tanks with plastics pieces that the fish can hide in etc...This is what happens when people don't QT, and some people just have to learn the hard way.

 

[Joe Fish]

what if I decorate the 10 with plenty of things for them to hide in? I have been watching them and they don't appear to be fighting. Are the decorations you get from petsmart saltwater safe?

 

[aresgod]

you can even use pvc pipes and plastic plants, but just imagining those fish in a 10 is ridiculous, even if they are not fighting, I guarantee they are stressed, which will just help to continue the ick infection, I suggest you take my advice if you want to do this in the best way possible for your fish.

 

[Joe Fish]

Ok, just got off the phone with my salt buddy. I'm getting a 15gallon long tomorrow. I know it still isn't the best, but it will help. He currently has a nano and if I give him my firefish he will never get them out with his rock work. I'm going to put in some decorations alone with the PVC and terracotta pots. What do you think?

 

[TheFool]

Plastic pipes are the way to go. You could qt the lot in a 20 long, a 10 is a bit small. More tanks would be nice but becomes tough to manage.
Formalin is NOT the med to use. It is hard on fish, will kill all your filter bacteria and tops, is NOT effective on ich. Copper or hypo

 

[Joe Fish]

Looks like im' going to try the hypo thing. Or should I try copper first? If it would be something other than ick with hypo cure that? How long do I use copper and what frequency. Same goes with hypo. How much should I drop each day and how long do I keep it there?

 

[aresgod]

the copper use depends on the dilution, there should be instructions on the side of the package...hypo you should use for the entire duration of qt, get it down pretty low, then bring it up to somewhere around 1.016 and leave it there.

 

[Joe Fish]

I just ordered a refratometer so i'm going the hypo route. I read I should take it to 1.009 then leave it there for 6 weeks. Are you saying take it to 1.009 then once I do bring it back up to 1.016?

 

[aresgod]

bring it down and leave it there for a while, but also treat with copper, once your approaching the six week point start slowly bringing it back up to around 1.016-8

 

[Joe Fish]

Crap, I also have to treat with copper? I thought the hypo thing would work by itself. Would I treat once it gets that low or whenever?

 

[Joe Fish]

Well i'm coming up on the end of my QT and fallow period. I have under 2 weeks left. Just how long should QT be when using hypo? My main tank will have been fallow for almost 6 weeks by then and the QT will be on it's 5th week. Took a few day to get in the refacto and get the spg down. I kept the temp around 82 - 84 in all tanks to spead everything up. Do you think I should be safe to re-introduce the fish?