ick

[rosierabbit]

all 3 goldfish have serious ick. we went away for a day and when we got back they were covered in it really bad. i realise the tank is probably overstocked, and will do something about that, as i suspect that is the cause. i've put in some ick treatment, and it's clearing up now, but does anyone have anything else i could try??

also, they seem to have stopped swimming, and are 'sat' on the bottom of the tank, is this what generally happens when fish have ick??

thanks for any advice

 

[Liz05]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but try raising your water temperature?

 

[smb]

I would do a 50% water change and then med again. Although ich, when caught early, isn't hard to fight, once established it can be.

I'm not sure what temp to raise it for goldfish but if it looks like the ich is in the latter stages then I certainly would. Just keep up with the ich treatments and make sure you don't have any carbon in your filters.

Please post back on how it's going.

If anyone knows how high to turn up the temp with goldfish, please let her know.

 

[Inchworm]

Sorry about the ich problem, Rosierabbit.

For goldfish with ick, try turning the temperature up to 80 degrees, and add aquarium salt at the rate of one rounded tablespoon per every 5 gals. of water. You can use the salt AND the medicine together unless the particular meds you are using says otherwise.

Bring the temperature up slowly and when they have recovered, bring it down the same way. You can leave the salt in the tank because goldfish like it. Putting the carbon back into the filter will remove the medicine.

Good luck, hope they are feeling better soon.

 

[rosierabbit]

sadly they died thank you for your advice though - i did it all except for raising the temperature (hard to do that in a goldfish tank with no heater ) but we think they also developed swim bladder. i've looked online and their swimming fitted the descriptions. thank you again.

 

[Inchworm]

Sorry to hear about your goldfish, Rosierabbit, but you did the best you could. By the time you found the condition it may have been too late to help them even with a heater.

Will you replace them or get some other kind of fish?

 

[rosierabbit]

i'm not sure, but i think i'd like some different fish. i've heard of mountain minnow (is that them? i can't remember now ), they've been mentioned a few times on this forum. would they fit happily in a 5gal tank, and how many would there have to be? any other ocldwater suggestions? i guess i'm asking in the wrong forum now

 

[Alien Anna]

i'm not sure, but i think i'd like some different fish. i've heard of mountain minnow (is that them? i can't remember now ), they've been mentioned a few times on this forum. would they fit happily in a 5gal tank, and how many would there have to be? any other ocldwater suggestions? i guess i'm asking in the wrong forum now

White Cloud Mountain minnows are lovely fish and ideal for a 5 gal cold water tank. Also rosy minnows. Sticklebacks are very hard to obtain, but fascinating small fish. All of these fish are stream fish so require good oxygenation and clean water.

 

[rosierabbit]

how many could i put in a 5 gal.?? they are shoaling, i take it, so could i fit a decent shoal in there? thanks

 

[Alien Anna]

how many could i put in a 5 gal.?? they are shoaling, i take it, so could i fit a decent shoal in there? thanks

White clouds are quite small so provided you have good oxygenation you could probably fit a shoal of 6 or 7 in quite happily. They do like current.

One of the forum's fairly new members has a lovely little tank with rosy minnows (the pink version of White Clouds).

 

[rosierabbit]

well i've definately got the current - goldfish get blown away from my filter if they don't concentrate some liked it though. i've seen white cloud minnows at my lfs, so i'll get some