Poisoned By Ich Medication - My Beloved Elephant-Nose Fish

[ceveji]

Thanks TwoTankAdmin. My new medicine-less treatment idea is to keep my tank a little bit hotter (89-90 degrees) than usual (85) for two weeks or so and feed my fish Dr. G's anti-parasitic Rx food (cf. http/reefbuilders.com/2012/07/17/dr-gs-medicated-frozen-foods/). They've had two feedings already and though they don't like it, they're eating it. Those medicines are just too hard on the tank, not to mention the elephantnose.
 
Sawickib, another Q for you: What do you think of 3 EPNses? I just can't live with one -- love 'em ++! Better than 2? If I rearranged the tank when I put them in maybe that would break up the main guy's territory? Tx! 

 

[sawickib]

85 degrees for normal temp seems kinda hot, I would have it from 80-82 for normal but for ich treatment high temps are ok.

Having three may work, but the 2 largest team up on the other one, and bully it to death, so I wouldn't suggest getting anymore I'm afraid, maybe if you upgrade your tank to 75 gallons+ you could do proper numbers, but you really don't want below 6 in numbers.
Np wilder

 

[ceveji]

Hi again everyone, more advice needed (and very appreciated): 
 
Here is the update to the Ich fiasco. The clown loach died of Ich. Three of the Discus have white spots on their fins and the two larger geophagus are "flashing" and puffing out their throats (expanding their gills, kinda). The elephantnose seems fine ever since I took the Rid Ich meds out of the tank with some massive water changes (3 days ago).
 
So, I went again to the LFS and told them I need to get rid of Ich but WITHOUT MEDS this time (because of my elephantnose tragedy). They recommended some Dr. G's Anti-Parasitic Rx Fish Food. So I have been keeping the temperature at 88 and feeding them this medicated food (only) twice a day. They don't like the taste (it has chloroquine phosphate in it = bitter!) but they're eating it. No improvement as of yet, but no dying (except for the clown loach, and that was before medicated food) either.
 
So the Q: how HIGH to keep the temperature? I want to feed them the food to kill the Ich in their system but I want to kill the Ich in the water via high temp only. How high does it need to be? I've read that above 86 they don't reproduce anymore. But how hot to KILL the little buggers?
 
Thanks a bunch! Ceve

 

[TwoTankAmin]

I am aware of a different med for ich. I highly doubt a med for internal parasites will do much to deal with a protozoan, but I could be wrong. I have never read anything anywhere in the last 13 years which suggest internal meds for the treatment of ich.
 
Look into quinine sulphate it can also be found in a med called Crypto-Pro. You can buy it here http/store.nationalfishpharm.com/NFP-products-Crypto-Pro-59602.Item.html
For more info Google "quinine sulfate + ich"

 

[sawickib]

Hmmm I don't really know much about that, maybe wilder can help with that, sorry about your loss though.

Can you isolate your one ele somehow? And them treat the full tank? That's all I could suggest.