Massive ICH/ICK attack!

[d3sc3n7]

*SICK* My poor goldie tank is over run with the stuff. I've tried using the temp. method, but the POS heater isnt raising the temp high enough. Its sitting at 80F. I'm not so sure this is good for the goldies either way. Its in the stage where you can see the white spots right now. The little guy looks horrible, I dont think he is going to make it either way. All 3 look really bad.

I'm going to the LFS today, and I guess I'll pick up some meds for them. But it was just last night that I noticed the spots. So I still have a few days till they drop off, right? I'm REALLY not sure these guys are going to make it that long.*SICK*

-Jay

 

[Lotus]

If you've increased temps or added meds, add some extra aeration to the tank. Increased temps decrease the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.

I've always treated ich with CopperSafe. I always add 1/4 dose every 4 or 8 hours, and watch the fishes' reaction, just in case an emergency water change is needed. It hasn't failed me yet.

 

[MissFishy]

I'm sorry to hear that. I think coppersafe is probably the best route to take now as Lotus said. I don't really do the coldwater fish so I'm not sure how they would react to the heat/salt method over a prolonged period of time in their weak conditions. There is probably a lot of info on the web as well though. Good luck and let us know how they fare.

 

[d3sc3n7]

Well, I didnt find coppersafe, but I picked up some other stuff that my LFS (which I put all my faith in) said would work pretty well. I'm waiting on the little spots to drop off...I'd say maybe another 24hrs and they should be gone...looks like they are starting to drop off now.

-Jay

 

[MadridKid]

Use the copper safe for sure! If your japanese algae eaters are still in the tank they COULD get hurt... make sure the ich treatment is okayed for all the fish.

 

[d3sc3n7]

Well, it looks like the spots have pretty much all fallen off. So, I just treated the tank. It's got blue water now. Which, I must admit...I kinda like the color. So, I guess only time will tell if I've gotten rid of the ick. I also now have a concern that one of my goldfish is bloated or swollen. He seems to be staying near the top of the tank.

This is the best picture I have of him. Hes the one in the middle. He's a fancy goldfish, so hes kinda puffy anyway....but I think he may be bloated and unable to stay at the bottom of the tank. He's been near the top for a while now.

-Jay

 

[MissFishy]

Hmm, he looks fine to me, but only you can tell if his body shape has changed from what it originally was. Is he gulping for air at the surface or just having problems staying down? Is he swimming normally otherwise? Eating? What is the tank temp at now?

 

[d3sc3n7]

Thats an old picture. I PM'd my answers.

-Jay

 

[kickapebble]

Alternate med. to coppersafe

I began using coppersafe to treat my community tank. I had an assortment of tetras, and 3 yoyo loaches. I believe the loaches are considered "scaleless" thus making coppersafe into copper-not-safe. It also killed off my snails and shrimp. I hear good things about coppersafe, but if you have inverts or scaleless critters, avoid it. The product I use is Quick Cure from AP pro. along with ich, it also treats mild fluke outbreaks, gasping for air, flicking against rocks, protozoan parasites, costia, chilodonella, and trichodina. This product worked great for me, and didn't affect my loaches, but it is still harmful for inverts. It too turns the water blue, but it stained my rocks blue, as well as the silicon in the corners of the tank. I hope you find this info usefull if the coppersafe doesn't work. Good luck

 

[kickapebble]

P.S.

We're proud of you Soldier. Stay safe and thank you.

 

[d3sc3n7]

I've got some stuff from Jungle to treat the ick. I guess we will see soon, if it works. Not only am I treating them for ick, 1 has dropsy.

We're proud of you Soldier. Stay safe and thank you.

*thumbsups Hey, I appreciate it...the way I see it, its just a job

-Jay

 

[tom91970]

The product I use is Quick Cure from AP pro. It too turns the water blue, but it stained my rocks blue, as well as the silicon in the corners of the tank.

Same here. I've had one case of ick and this stuff worked great. I really hate that the silicone turned blue, but now I have a QT for those kind of treatments.

 

[kickapebble]

Same here. I've had one case of ick and this stuff worked great. I really hate that the silicone turned blue, but now I have a QT for those kind of treatments.

A QT tank is a good way to keep everything pretty in your primary tank, unfortunatly, ick doen't just live on the fish, it also lives in the tank, on the substrate... I believe the best way to go about solving this problem is to turn up your temp, and maybe treat your fish in a qt tank while the temp in your sick tank is about 85. I've herd that this is the best way of doing it, unless your like me and have one of thoes auto heaters with a preset temp of 75. Then I would sugest getting a adjustable heater, while you treat the cold water fish in a QT tank.

 

[d3sc3n7]

Yeah, I just got a hell of a deal on another tank. So, how I'ma have a fry/QT tank. My 29L is coming down for a while. I working on tracking down some coppersafe...since the crap I have dosent seem to do squat.

-Jay

 

[tom91970]

A QT tank is a good way to keep everything pretty in your primary tank, unfortunatly, ick doen't just live on the fish, it also lives in the tank, on the substrate...

True....which is why I don't have substrate in my QT. However, I have one of those pre-set heaters in my QT, so if I did have to turn up the heat I'd have to swap heaters from different tanks.

 

[kickapebble]

Yeah, I just got a hell of a deal on another tank. So, how I'ma have a fry/QT tank. My 29L is coming down for a while. I working on tracking down some coppersafe...since the crap I have dosent seem to do squat.

-Jay

Jay
If you haven't any luck at your local pet store, ( I believe in supporting the local stores rather than the super store machines... cough, wallmart, cough) try this web site... Aquarium Supplies, Pet Supplies and Pond Supplies by That Fish Place - That Pet Place I have found everything I could ever want in here and the shipping is quick, specially for you sice your closer to the east coast.
Also, I hear that useing items from your old tank, like substrate, filter media, ect. is a good way of jump starting the cycle process on your new tank. Keep in mind that you only want to do this with items from a disease free tank.
I am sure by now that you have done your homework on ick so you know how the life cycle works and that you can only kill it in the free floating stage, so the heater trick is a good way to win. With your gold fish, being cold water fish, I would suggest putting them in a qt tank with nothing in it, except a filter and air... but just to be sure, once you think the ick is gone, continue meds for another few days so you don't contaminate your new tank. Also, with meds, when I treated my tank for ick, i did a water change every third day, just in case.
Hope this info helps. Good luck
Oh yeah, one last thing and I'll shut up, when I treated my fish, it wasn't till the 5th or 6th day that the white spots started to dissapear, so it may take some time.

 

[d3sc3n7]

Hey, bad thing is I'm going to have to do a full cycle. I dont have a disease free tank right now. Nearly everything in the 29 has died, and the 55 even if its not bad at all...has a touch of ick. Hmm, My neighbor has a tank...BUT! it hasnt had fish, or moving water for that matter for a month or two...could I still use some substrate from that to jump start the tank?

 

[kickapebble]

Jay,
I am not sure if you would be able to use your neighbors substrate. In order to have sucessfully cycled a tank, you need to...
1, introduce fish, or other aquatic animal capable of producing waste
2, waste becomes toxic ammonia, now that there is ammonia present...
3, bacteria colonize and "eat" the ammonia, turning it into nitrite... still deadly
4, another bacteria colonizes and transforms nitrite into the much less toxic nitrate... nitrate fuesl plant and algae growth... critters eat the plants... you are shooting for a perfect eco system... you'll never get perfect, but my point is, if you tank anything out of the equation, and everything dies. Long story short... no fish, no ammonia, no bacteria.
I know there are some products that claim to add millions of bacteria thus jump starting your cycleing process... but I am wonder, how do thoes bacteria live with nothing to eat?

 

[d3sc3n7]

Yeah, I'm pretty doubtful of using her substrate. I'm not sure that it going that long without any waste from fish present, that the bacteria has anything to "eat" How long after the substrate dries, does the bacteria die? Immediate I'm guessing, I know the ICK dies right away, when dried out. My hopeful plan was, to be able to dry out some of my substrate thus killing the ICK, but I think I'd be killing the bacteria to.

 

[kickapebble]

Yeah, I'm pretty doubtful of using her substrate. I'm not sure that it going that long without any waste from fish present, that the bacteria has anything to "eat" How long after the substrate dries, does the bacteria die? Immediate I'm guessing, I know the ICK dies right away, when dried out. My hopeful plan was, to be able to dry out some of my substrate thus killing the ICK, but I think I'd be killing the bacteria to.

ick sucks!!! but you can rid your substrate... if you want to use it in the new tank, of all the ick and bacteria. When I use to do water changes, just water changes like every 4 days, i didn't worry about the cycle process. Well, i didn't know about it either, but this was just for my betta tank, maybe 1 gallon, so no big deal cleaning it out. I would use dawn dish soap and hot water to clean his gravel, I had no problem with it, just make sure you rinse real well.
You may be able to ask your local pet store for some of thier substrate... the trick I herd is to suspent it, in panty hose... just do a good visule of the fish in the tank that it is coming out.