ich!

[cheseboy]

Ok, well here's the story:

I had just finished the cycling of my new tank a couple of weeks ago. I bought 2 rosy barbs. Then my rosy barbs started to get ich! I found put in a dose of copper-safe, 1 rosy barb diden't make it, his case was more advanced (infection of the gills). The other one was recovering, So then I decide to buy 2 neons and slowly add more after. Well I had one goldfish in the beginning. He started to get ich after I put in both of my neons. Now everything in my tank has ich except for the 1 rosy barb that survived the first attack.

Ok let me explain why I added in my neon tetras when my last rosy barb's ich was almoast gone. Well I did this because of how this disease is transmitted. When it multiplys it goes out to find a new host. I thought by adding in copper safe, I am instantly temperally immunizing my tank from ich. In other words inch can't survive in the water. So I thought that once I put my neons in they coulden't get infected because, I thought the ich woulden't live in the water.

Ok, well anyway here is my current tank status:

1 neon tetra

1 rosy barb (no ich)

1 goldfish

so far the ich has killed 2 fish. I was treating with coppersafe for a little while, then I decided to switch to Ich Clear (tank buddies) Fizzing tablets. So currently I am using that. I am using half the normal dose because all my fish are small. I have done 2 doses, since it says to do every 24 hours until cured. It also says usially clears ich in 24 house witch I find impossible because of it's lifecycle.

Anyway, what should I do now, I don't want any more deaths.


God bless thoes fish

[Doodles]

Ick has phases it goes through. It falls off the fish into the gravel so when you see the ich spots gone it does not mean they are cured. When it is in this phase is when the medication starts to work.

So you can add some salt (1 TBS per 5 gallons) as this will help cure the ick as well. If you turn the temperature up this will speed up the ick process. I find copper safe and fizzing tablets not to be very effective. You may want to switch to products like Quick Cure, Rid Ich, Nox-Ich. I find these to be extremely effective.

I would use these at full dose since you don't have an scaleless fish.

Oh and be sure to take the carbon out if you haven't already.
Good Luck

[heatherhoge]

i don't use meds for ick I use aquarium salt. 1 tspn per 10 gal. For the 1st 2 days. day 3 water change 25%. If still ick treat again. I stay away from meds as much as possible. It may help with one thing but causes problems for the fish with other things. I use all natural meds if need meds such as primafix and melafix.

[kristian18f]

Just a quick thought (I'm no expert) but aren't fish more prone to ich when they are stressed? I know you introduce fish in small groups into a new environment, but maybe the neons were stressed from not having a large enough school.