Cardinal tetras Ich after holiday

[benjoey]

Hi all,
I have been away on holiday for a week and come back to find my cardinal tetras have ich, Ive tested the water and ammonia nitrite and nitrate are zero, I will check gH shortly.
Unfortunately i left the heating off in the house and the tank heater hasnt coped when i got back the temp was around 22/33 deg celsius could this be what has caused the ich?
I'm about to do a water change and with the heating back on the temp should get back to around 25/26 deg celsius.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
Ben

 

[foxgirl158]

Did you add anything new to the tank recently?

 

[benjoey]

Also tank inhabitants are 5 kuhli loaches 11 cardinal tetras and a few cherry shrimp. Kuhli loaches dont seem to be effected by ich.

 

[benjoey]

Last additions were kuhli loaches about 3 weeks ago

 

[Byron]

It is certainly true that a relatively rapid lowering in temperature can cause stress which results in ich. For example, this will often occur overnight if the heater fails. But if the tank water temperature really only lowered to 22-23C from 25-26C I would not think this a problem. It is of course possible that the temperature got much lower during the week, at night for example.

The new kuhlii loaches may be part of this too. Fish that are in store tanks, chased around the tank with a net, caught, bagged, then introduced to a new environment at home--all this is severely stressful. And while the ich parasite may be present, it is stress that allows a fish to succumb.

Regardless of how it occurred, the cure is relatively easy. Increase the tank water temperature to 30C (86F) immediately. You can turn the heater up but also do a major water change and increase the water temperature a bit with the fresh water. You should get the temperature up to 30C within 24 hours. During the W/C, vacuum into the substrate; this can pull out some of the cysts. Keep the tank at 30C for two weeks; the spots should all be gone during the first week, but maintain the temp for the full two weeks. You can do a W/C during this, just make sure the water stays 30C (or higher--for the fish mentioned this is not a problem at all). Do not use any so-called "medications" as these no matter what they are will further stress the cardinal tetras (and the kuhlii too).

 

[benjoey]

Thanks for your detailed reply it is much appreciated! I think i will upgrade my heater to make sure it can cope, im not sure it will get the temp upto 30 degrees but ive just turned it up to see. I have a juwel rio 240 with the stqndard heater 200w i think so i need to find a suitable replacement quickly

 

[Colin_T]

Unfortunately i left the heating off in the house and the tank heater hasnt coped when i got back the temp was around 22/33 deg celsius could this be what has caused the ich?

No that did not cause it. The white spot parasite would have been introduced to the tank with the new loaches. The parasites have reproduced during the last few weeks and are in large numbers now. As mentioned by others, heat treatment works well.

If you insulate the base, back and sides of the aquarium with 1-2 inch thick polystyrene foam, the heater won't have to work as hard and the temperature will be less likely to drop.

Have a coverglass on the tank to help trap heat too. Use glass that is 4, 5 or 6mm thick because it is less likely to chip or crack compared to thinner glass that is 2 or 3mm thick.

The following link has more information about white spot and various ways to treat it. You might find it interesting. Post #1 and #16 are worth a read.

What is ICH?

This is a common question that is often asked, what is ich and how is it recognisable and what causes it? The real term is ICHTHYOPHTHIRIASIS. OR commonly known as white spot. It is an extremely comon parasite that affects aquarium fish. It is highly infectious and potentially lethal and...

www.fishforums.net

 

[benjoey]

Thanks, I bought a second heater and managed to get the temperature ip to 30 deg, how long will it be before I see improvements in the fish? If it was brought in by the kihli loaches wouldnt they have it too?
Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

The Khuli loaches probably have it.

The white dots should drop off the fish in a few days. However, you need to keep the heat up for another week after all the white dots have gone.

The white dots on the fish are just one part of the parasites lifecycle. After it spends a few days feeding on the fish, the parasites drop off and sit in the gravel for a few more days. While on the gravel, the parasite divides and produces hundreds of new parasites. Several days after the dots fell off the fish, they rupture open and release the new parasites into the water. This is the only time you can kill the parasites, when they are free swimming and before they find a new host. The heat should kill them as they hatch and start swimming around.