I had a thread in the reguar forum, but now I need particular loach info. Are all loaches scaleless? I thought only clown loaches were and now I feel really stupid and mean. I have treated my tank for ich 4 times per directions, but with my Marble loaches in it. Do I need to get a special kind of treatment for a tank with them in it? Unfortunately I do not have a seperate tank I can put them in. They have started doing this funny swim and flip at the same time. Could the ich/medicine be making them lose there mind? *SICK* I sure do not want to lose these guys!
Loaches & ich
- Thread starter dakota21
- Start date
i killed 3 pictus catfish using an ick treatment (half a dose...even when it said the full dose would be safe for scaleless fish)...AND then it didn't get rid of the ich. I now *ONLY* use salt and a temp increase for treating ick...even with my supossedly salt-intolerant cories. The one time so far that I had to do it, it worked in 48 hours with NO deaths. If you are on your fourth treatment with meds...i'd try salt.
Fishprofiles.com says this about scaleless fish and ick meds:
Fishprofiles.com says this about scaleless fish and ick meds:
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here's what i did...not to say its right, but it worked. 
I put my carbon filter back in my tank to take out the meds for 24 hours, i then changed the filter media...then i slowly increased the temp to 84 degrees F and then added the salt on about the 3rd day. Some non-salt people will say that its the temp alone and not the salt that kills the ich. I think both help.
I put my carbon filter back in my tank to take out the meds for 24 hours, i then changed the filter media...then i slowly increased the temp to 84 degrees F and then added the salt on about the 3rd day. Some non-salt people will say that its the temp alone and not the salt that kills the ich. I think both help.DUHHH! Of coursr putting back the carbon would take out the meds. Why didn't I think of that?
Is it necessary to replace the filter media? And by media, do you mean carbon, sponge, and both floss pads. I have a canister filter. I have worked so hard to get my tank cycled and it's my understanding that the majority of the good stuff is in the filter and I should only rinse it out using tank water when it gets dirty. I'm still learning so all the info I can get would really help!!
Is it necessary to replace the filter media? And by media, do you mean carbon, sponge, and both floss pads. I have a canister filter. I have worked so hard to get my tank cycled and it's my understanding that the majority of the good stuff is in the filter and I should only rinse it out using tank water when it gets dirty. I'm still learning so all the info I can get would really help!!
dakota...i don't rightly know. The only filters I've dealt with are hang on back...and I just use carbon in there. Make sense that you just want to take out the med soaked carbon after its absorbed the meds to keep from them leaching back into the tank...for me, that requires changing the filter....for you that might just be taking out the carbon bag and then rinse out your canister with tank water. hope this helps.
But the amount of salt required to kill ich won't do your loaches any favours either.
When I've had to treat scaleless fishes I start with a half dose and build up the dose to close to full, checking frequently. I've had a half dose kill a weakened fish very, very quickly. Your fishes' symptoms sound like those of a reaction to the meds, not ich.
When I've had to treat scaleless fishes I start with a half dose and build up the dose to close to full, checking frequently. I've had a half dose kill a weakened fish very, very quickly. Your fishes' symptoms sound like those of a reaction to the meds, not ich.
