Thanks Danny. Part of my rant was just venting, frustration. I don't think I said anywhere there that I was going to use any other meds now. I won't! Med-free tank for two weeks! I was talking about the future... Also, nowhere did I mean to say yours or cm's advise was "a waste" ... you have been enormously helpful, insightful, and encouraging. It is frustrating that in spite of the best advice, things aren't getting better. But that happens! I re-read, and I don't see any complaints against y'all...
Just the failure of the product
But I wouldn't say the tank was far along the road to hell at the beginning of this thread! I do think it may have been ich though not visible at the start even.
I poked around 2 times, not moving any decorations just tapping, because I was pretty sure after a LONG look that the clown was dead ... couldn't see gill movement or fin movement, or even eye movement. I don't want to leave a dead fish in there. As you said, there are times you have to poke.
And the sadistic blue platy could hardly be called the strong fish attacking a weaker one. The blue platy has half a tail missing and ich wounds on its fins and tail. After salt bath, next morning, it was attacking other fish relentlessly (though that seems maybe to have subsided). Had it been the one being attacked, I would never have mentioned it, for the reasons indicated here.
Wish I had the hospital tank. But just not feasible.
And while all of the reasons you suggest can cause ich (filtration, oxygen, foods, etc) there is absolutely no way any of these are the underlying cause in this tank.
Incompatible fish would have perhaps been a cause to identify if this happened 2 months ago. But all was well for easily 6 weeks for all inhabitants so I doubt this was it.
The only, and I repeat only, parameter change was a temperature increase of mysterious origin from 77 to 82.
This all started with the sudden bizarre death of a couple of seemingly healthy fish, which showed no signs of trauma or disease (other than being dead). I now suspect it was ich that attacked the gills but that's just a guess.
It may well be there is some disease in there and the ich is secondary.
But I doubt it ... as you say, the most important part of this is looking at the fish, which only I get to do of the folks appearing here.
Whatever the case may be, I'm done medicating the tank. I leave town in 2 days, and return again after 7 or 8. We'll see what there is to see then.
As for future meds, my confidence in Maracide is certainly shaken. But we'll see, odds are I'll go back to it -- though maybe in combination with the Maracyn's from the get-go as former board members here used to advise.....
Best, and happy holidays to all. If there is an update to give before my departure, I'll post it.
). Seriously, he's looking quite sad.
