[Midnight Mick]

I have a 20 gal tank with 2 corydoras; 1 pleco; 4 neon tetras; 4 platies. I have religiously cleaned and changed 25%-35% water weekly. The water tests usually are very good except I have hard water and the pH is about 7.6-7.8. The aquarium is planted has been well established for 3 months. I quarantine new fish and I have had no new fish added within the past month. Yesterday I saw white spots on one of the tetras and sure enough I found that ich had spread throughout my tank to the other fish too. I have researched so many articles and now I wonder if I am treating this appropriately as I lost a platy this morning. I started API Liquid Super Ick Cure last night at a 1/2 dose as the instructions say to do for sensitive fish like the corydoras. I turned the heat up to 82-84F, turned off the light, and covered the tank to keep it dark in there. My daughter wants to know what the odds are that any of them will live? Is there anything else I can do? What steps do I need to take to prevent this in the future? Is the hardness in my water an issue? I am very worried about my fish as this is the first time I have ever had a problem with them.

 

[Ice]

It's best to treat fish with ich in a hospital tank than in your main tank.

 

[Midnight Mick]

Ok. Get a hospital tank even if all of fish have ich? Why? Is it so I can sterilize my main tank? What do I do with the plants?

 

[TheOldSalt]

NO. The tank is infected, so it needs treatment too. Kinda pointless to take out the fish only to put them back later.

 

[TheOldSalt]

The reason hospital tanks are used is to reduce the amount of medicine needed, since hospital tanks are smaller.

 

[TheOldSalt]

Some meds also wreak havoc on an established tank, so treating sick fish in another tank is sometimes a good idea.

 

[TheOldSalt]

However, with Ick, unless you plan to keep it free of fish for 2 months, you might as well treat the main tank.

 

[TheOldSalt]

The pH & hardness is not a factor, no.

 

[Midnight Mick]

Old Salt- Trying to follow you. Are you saying to get a hospital tank for the fish and treat my main tank at the same time? Or leave them in the main tank? I have them in the main tank now with the light off and tank covered to reduce stress. Sorry, I'm new to this so I'm clueless as to how to save these fish.

 

[Midnight Mick]

However, with Ick, unless you plan to keep it free of fish for 2 months, you might as well treat the main tank.

Thank you. Got it.

 

[lohachata]

i always treat the main tank if ich is present..it is on the fish and on all of the surfaces...
see if you can find " Aquari Sol"..i always try to recommend it because i have found it to be one of the most effective treatments and it does not stain the water like many meds do..

 

[Ice]

Shouldn't the tank go fallow for a few weeks to rid of ich? Maybe I'm confused with SW tank treating of ich.

 

[BettaGuy]

You will end up killing the plants if you keep it dark for the whole procedure of the treatment. Ich doesn't really care if its light or dark. Otherwise just keep doing what you are doing, once the ich falls of the fish DO NOT STOP TREATING THE TANK. This is the time when the medicin actually kills the ich. Keep the temperature high, this speeds up the live cycle of the ich allowing you to kill it quyicker.