Need reassurance that I’m doing what’s best for my fish 🤦😣

I’ve recently had an outbreak of ich in my live bearers tank. I don’t know how, they get regular water changes every week,sometimes twice a week 25 to 50% and I’ve gone and purchased Aqua one multi cure, see below. It just looks so noxious. I’m doing a slow drip acclimation with it mixed in and my fish look like they are freaking out.
I followed the dosage instructions, I ‘ve perhaps under-dosed more than anything, because the colour of the stuff scares the **** out of me quite frankly. Any success stories using these active ingredients would be a great comfort right now.
Today is day three of treatment of ich.
I’ve done a 75% water change and begun to introduce the dosage again, slowly

The white spot would have come in with some new fish you got within the last 2 weeks.

It has Malachite green in and that will make the water a green colour when it's added, that's normal. The fish might not like it but you need to add the entire dose of medication at the same time, not over a period of time (unless it's like 30-60 seconds.

As long as you stay within the dose rates, the fish should be fine.

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To work out the volume of water in the tank:
measure length x width x height in cm.
divide by 1000.
= volume in litres.

When you measure the height, measure from the top of the substrate to the top of the water level.

If you have big rocks or driftwood in the tank, remove these before measuring the height of the water level so you get a more accurate water volume.

You can use a permanent marker to draw a line on the tank at the water level and put down how many litres are in the tank at that level.

There is a calculator/ converter in the "FishForum.net Calculator" under "Useful Links" at the bottom of this page that will let you convert litres to gallons if you need it.

Remove carbon from the filter before treating with chemicals or it will adsorb the medication and stop it working.

There have been more meds and methods for dealing with Ich than most hobbyist would even guess. This is partly due to the need to treat fish sold for food. These are severely limited in what might be used.

One of the most effective medications, but which will bother some species of fish, is a mix of malachite green and formaldehyde. Also, Flubendazole is effective. I cannot say if you can get either of these in Aus. But, I assume that since Colin lives there, he would not suggest the malachite green if it is not available there.

If either of you (or anybody reading this) is really curious about Ich treatments, you will have a ball with some of the tables in this paper.

Picon-Camacho, S.M., Marcos-Lopez, M., Bron, J.E. and Shinn, A.P., 2012. An assessment of the use of drug and non-drug interventions in the treatment of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876, a protozoan parasite of freshwater fish. Parasitology, 139(2), pp.149-190.

Summary​

Infection by the ciliate protozoan Ichthyophthirius multifiliis Fouquet, 1876 causes significant economic losses in freshwater aquaculture worldwide. Following the ban on the use of malachite green for treating food fish, there has been extensive research aimed at identifying suitable replacements. In this paper we critically assess drug and non-drug interventions, which have been tested for use or have been employed against this parasite and evaluate possibilities for their application in farm systems. Current treatments include the administration of formaldehyde, sodium chloride (salt), copper sulphate and potassium permanganate. However, purportedly more environmentally friendly drugs such as humic acid, potassium ferrate (VI), bronopol and the peracetic acid-based products have recently been tested and represent promising alternatives. Further investigation, is required to optimize the treatments and to establish precise protocols in order to minimize the quantity of drug employed whilst ensuring the most efficacious performance. At the same time, there needs to be a greater emphasis placed on the non-drug aspects of management strategies, including the use of non-chemical interventions focusing on the removal of free-swimming stages and tomocysts of I. multifiliis from farm culture systems. Use of such strategies provides the hope of more environmentally friendly alternatives for the control of I. multifiliis infections.

full paper here http/dspace.stir.ac.uk/bitstream/1893/10147/1/Picon Camacho et al Parasitology Ich chemo review.pdf

I would dose the med at full suggested dosage in one shot. People worry about the meds, but forget the parasite is fatal. Ich hurts the fish. The quicker you can kill Ich, the better for your fish.
I use malachite green because it's fast and effective. Fish live long lives after, and breed. True, I can't eat them after using it, but I don't raise them for food!
It's easy to remove after, with water changes and, if you wish, activated carbon.
If you dally on walloping the Ich though, you can have badly harmed fish that just linger for short lives, even if they survive the parasite.

Okay, update.
I didnt get new fish, but I did introduce new plants, so I suspect they are the culprit.
I’ve used meds for 7 days, now doing a big wc and adding some carbon to help filter out the rest of the meds. Tank has been kept at 26-28*C all week, hopefully has had the desired effect. Only one fatality, and suspect something else more sinister was at work with that one, as there was some bloating on that particular fish before perishing.
I dunno if I could have hoped for a better outcome tbh.
Should I run a second course of meds? Have the formaldehyde and m. green formula from blue planet now, worth using it for another week? Or should I put in carbon and do big wcs and see how they fare first?

You have to examine each fish, and look for the white spot cysts. If there are any present, then the parasite is lurking and the cycle will begin again. See even one, and you treat it.See none, and you are clear.

Ich gives you an eye test to work with. If I think I have cleared Ich on QTed fish, I usually do a close look/check for at least 3 days after the last spot before I relax.

As far as I can see,malachite green kills the Ich, and the formalin is in reserve for velvet parasites, another enemy which a lot of new aquarists mistake for ich.

Also doing a low dose of salt, but its a heavily planted tank, so cant go crazy.
No signs of white spots on anyone today, but from my understanding that’s not a guarantee that it’s eradicated

Think I will do a third dose and run meds for another 3days, making the total treatment time 10 days by Wednesday. Just to be sure.

wayfareranima said:

Also doing a low dose of salt, but its a heavily planted tank, so cant go crazy.
No signs of white spots on anyone today, but from my understanding that’s not a guarantee that it’s eradicated

Click to expand...

That's why I watch closely for several days after I see no spots. Sometimes, you miss one, and the parasite attacks again.

Salt will burn the skin of the fish, as an irritant. They'll increase their mucous protection as a defence, and this will make it hard for any freeswimming parasites to latch on. If they can't hang on and get to drilling in, they die.

With the meds, the cautious approach is three courses. Very few people do that, and the third course is often not needed. But when you first encounter the parasite, you aren't used to spotting the signs of it.

By the way, from the way you've approached this, it's safe to say you will always try to do your best for your fish.

Thank you for saying that, it’s very kind of you. I do love and care about all my little fishie charges.
I will do the third course, just to be safe.
Appreciate all the input guys, I know the topic of ich must have been beaten to death on here and you’re all probably sick of it, just needed to hear advice specifically about my tanks, as generic advice can be ill-fitting.
Many thanks

If you want more information about white spot, see the following link. Post #1 and #16 are worth a read.

Thank you to all who replied! it seems we’re in the clear now.