Treating Ich...

[bunjiweb]

Well, Out of 75 fish, I have had my first outbreak of disease. I first noticed it towards the end of last week and I have been treating it since. It primarily affected my rainbows and clown loaches, but has spread to my synodontis petricola and my tiger plec.

Since I have been treating and doing water changes the rainbows seem to be getting alot better, however, all 3 of my clown loaches have white spots all over them. They keep slapping themselves and rubbing themselves against the rocks.

I read somewhere that when the ICH is at this stage it isnt necessarily treatable. Is this true? Am i fighting a loosing cause?

My clown loaches are getting stressed by the ICH, and this obviously isnt helping.

The Treatment I am using is called "WS3" and I have done a 10% water change daily since I got it, then mixed in the solution with the water I am adding back in.

I have raised the temperature, but this doesnt seem to be helping much.

How long should I expect to have to wait to see an improvement in my Clown loaches? They are one of my favourite fish and I cant bare to see them like this

Ben

 

[Def]

It's not that it isn't treatable (ie: they're going to die), it's that all the current treatments cannot kill ich when it's in white spot form. The treatments kill ich when the white spots (cysts) burst and the parasite swims into the tank to find new hosts. Thats why (quote from Interpret #6) most treatments remain "active in the water for a few days".

Follow the directions, keep treating, they should get better. Ich is a total arse to get rid of, it took me about 4 slightly stronger doses of Interpret #6 to kill it before (Interpret say 2 doses and it's gone after 7)... Just keep treating them, raise the temp in your tank to at least 26degrees, and take carbon out of your filter if you have it.

 

[bunjiweb]

Yeh I have upped the temp and shall continue treating as I am doing so now.

I just hope the dont die!

Ben

 

[Leslie]

If you can get your hands on some Ich-X try using that. We use it at the LFS where I help out very successfully, even on Clown Loaches. Unfortunately Clown Loaches often develop Ich about 3 days after coming into the shop due to the stress of shipping.

 

[bunjiweb]

But do they survive or do they often die from ICH?

Ben

 

[Leslie]

Survived. That's why I said successfully

 

[Dwarfs]

Don't we all hate ich? When I cure my fish I use Quick cure with a raised temperature, and for tanks without cories or plecs I add some aquarium salt As long as you treat the tank with the correct dosage and keep up the water changes it will hopefully clear up Good luck

 

[bunjiweb]

Well 2 of my 3 clown loaches died today. However the 1 that has survived is looking better, much less whitespot on him. I have changed the water in the container they are in, I hope he recovers nicely so I can put him back in the 50G when the whitespot is all gone and get him some new friends.

Ben

 

[Dwarfs]

Well 2 of my 3 clown loaches died today. However the 1 that has survived is looking better, much less whitespot on him. I have changed the water in the container they are in, I hope he recovers nicely so I can put him back in the 50G when the whitespot is all gone and get him some new friends.

Ben

Aww that sucks At least one is pulling through

 

[bunjiweb]

Some of the fish in my 50G dont have it - my bristlenose plec for example. Would I be able to move him to my new tank without ANY risk of transfering the disease? Or is it possible he could still carry it?

Ben

 

[cometcattle]

Some of the fish in my 50G dont have it - my bristlenose plec for example. Would I be able to move him to my new tank without ANY risk of transfering the disease? Or is it possible he could still carry it?

Ben

Don't move them, Ben. You need to treat the whole tank. You run a good risk of spreading it.

 

[MissClaire]

Well 2 of my 3 clown loaches died today. However the 1 that has survived is looking better,

Sorry to hear about that Ben, clown loaches are beautifull creatures! You must be heartbroken, at least you have one little trooper still left!

 

[bunjiweb]

Third one died earlier today

 

[amityv]

So sorry to hear that your having problems too. i just wanted to give my 2cents.
This my 3rd day of treating ICK with Aquarisol. i got it at Walmart. I just looked in my tank and i only have 2 fish out of 12 that still have spots and even they are almost gone. I had a silver dollar not doing well, and clown knife when this ick broke out and this evening they are acting fine and eating. 1st time in 3 days.
I hope everything turns out ok for ya.And no more fish die. It freaks me out anytime one of my fish get ill.

 

[bunjiweb]

Seems to be clearing up in the 50G but I just noticed the female fighter in my 57G I have been using for cycling has a few white spots on her tail!!! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

As for the rest of the guys in the 50G, the only ones I am concerned about are my tiger plec and my 2 synodontis petricola, besides that everything else seems to be pulling through alright.

As for meds, I am continuing to use this WS3, although I am not sure whether it is actually that effective, as I have heard people treating the white spot much quicker and easier than this...

I am so fooooked off!!

Ben