OK sorry but my NEW syno multi has ick

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 09 Mar 2004, 00:59

Here I was askin bout compatibility couple days ago and now its Ick. Just got my 1st Cuckoo on Fri. . He "seemed" fine , swam around a bit and finally "picked" his cave Sat. night/Sun morning. Well today I got home and found Ick on him. About 30 spots so far. Did a 20% H2O change on Tues. before,I got him on Fri. Nitrates were bout 30. It was my 1st h2o change since cycle (tank has been running 7 weeks when I got him=2 weeks cycleless with 50% h2o change with "seeded"h2o & filter media & aquascape at the end of 2 weeks and all other fish in tank at same time). Well I seen Ick today and did another 25% h2o change(nitrates up to almost 40 before). Tank is 55gal 48*19" footprint US. Filters 330 Penguin&30/60 Whisper&12" airstone. Fish include: 1 syno multi , 1 Lace syno ,1 FF syno , 1bumblebee jelly cat , 1 sailfin plec and 7 cichlids. I keep no salt in my tank(PH 8.0ish Hard). I guess after readin my ramblin is what to do? Ive treated Ick early on pictus cats , noluckwellve had bout 5 months now in 3 tanks and no Ick so I ve weakened myself =). 1st Ive read the good posts , am slowly raising temps(78 degrees is tank normal,and gonna work to 84 or 86 , but I dont want to use " treatment" as Ive seen what "half" doses can do to cats. No LFS fishguy to let me know what to do. By the way he is "wild" and expensive so I did call LFS I got from but nobody there tonight. So anyhoo maybe a salt bath tonight for an hour or so ? or treat the tank? all I got is Rid-Ick from prior treatments(5 months ago),malcite green and brutal to cats =(. BTW no other fish in the tank show signs of ick!!! Thanks for any help as I will contact LFS tommorow about him(just in case).

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 09 Mar 2004, 14:20

Update: Teus morning. Well tank is up to 80.5 degrees. Gonna keep lights out no food today,and raise temp to 82 degrees thru tonight. Well suprisingly I see no spots on him . He is out and swimming like the 1st 2 days. As before no other fish show any signs of illness. Possibly not Ick? Well anyhow I will get temp to 82 and monitor for a couple of days.

Crazie.Eddie · Post by **Crazie.Eddie** » 09 Mar 2004, 14:46

Could still be ick or oodium, which has the same life cycle (a couple of days) as ich. You probably picked up some of the ones that dropped on the substrate when you did a gravel vac. The later ones probably couldn't find a host fast enough to survive. I know I had 3 spots on a harlequin rasbora in my 55 gallon tank. Oddly enough, it never spread to any other fish, nor did it even spread on the rasbora. A few days later, it (ich) was gone.

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 12 Mar 2004, 21:31

Well its back today on Fri. mornin(US central). Kept heat about 82, lights on 4-5 hrs day, minimal feeding. Not many spots on my S. multi , but 1 side of the FF syno is covered. Well I decided to go with salt for the cichlid/syno setup for the electrolites , but I do have the sailfin plec and the Batro. Raninus to think about. I added 5 tablespoons (predissolved) with the H2O change today. I also used 1 dose (3 tablespoons) of coppersafe. I am gonna raise temp to 84 tonight. How much more salt? and what next H2O change to add it to? Its a 55g again and salt added was only half of recommended dose on FW aqua salt container. Just not sure how much salt each of my 5 cats can take. And do you folks think Im treating the tank correctly for the Ick? Coppersafe was the only no GREEN treatment I could find this morn., but I am following the directions correctly. And the temp, should I get to 86 by Sun. ? Again any info would be greatly appreciated as my last bouts with Ick were disasterous. Oh BTW , PH steady , hard, nitrites 0 , ammonia tester being purchased tomorrow LOL, nitrates again round 40 maybe 50 today before H2O change. I wonder if not vacuumin the gravel till last week and this week (50/50) has anything to do with it =( , that darn plec craps alot !!!

Post by **Barbie** » 12 Mar 2004, 22:24

If they were mine, I'd vacuum the gravel every day to remove more of the ich before it rises and attaches to your fish as part of its reproductive cycle. I personally add a teaspoon of water per gallon, every day, for 3 days, with a 30% water change per day. I keep the water changes up for a week, with the temp at 83 or 84 and never lose fish to ich, even in the LFS I worked in when we'd get a batch of severely nasty ich on incoming clown loaches. If you notice the plecos seem to be retaining water and their bellies are distended at all on the 3rd day, do a second 30% water change a few hours later. It's always worked.

Barbie

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 12 Mar 2004, 23:01

T-Y for quik reply. Ok so after todays 20% H2O change(12 teaspoons salt), I could resume with your schedule. So tomorrow 30% h2o change with 48 teaspoons salt. Next day 30% h2o change with 16 teaspoons salt?,and next day the same. How bout the coppersafe ? i.e. redose the water added or no? And would I have to change water after treatment to lower salt for the cats? And also how deep to clean the gravel , bottom as usual or just top half?(gravel is 1.5-2" deep)? Thank you for a responce=).

Post by **Barbie** » 13 Mar 2004, 19:30

I wouldn't redose with the coppersafe, but I tend to avoid using copper in my tanks in all forms. Other than that, you have most of it down perfectly, but you want to add the 48 teaspoons every day for 3 days. You are trying to get the salinity up in the tank high enough to kill the ich, but slowly enough to not stress the fish out. I've used it successfully, and if it makes you feel more at ease, you can do 50% water changes between additions, to remove a bit more, and it will still work. I do realize it sounds like a huge amount of salt compared to what people recommend, but its much faster than the 2 weeks of water changes you'll need to do otherwise. I would vacuum as much of the gravel as you can, every day. You should see a noticable improvement in 3 days. The added benefit is that if it was some form of water quality issue that brought it on in the first place, you'll be alleviating that. Hope that helps.

Barbie

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 14 Mar 2004, 14:36

T-Y again Barbie. Ok yesterday I did 33% change (15g of approx 48g) added 34 teaspoons salt(had added 20 t day before=removed about 6t). So now tank has 48t in 48g. I did add coppersafe to new water accordingly but will stop copper treatment(did change before new post). Today I do 33% with 48t salt(that puts tank at approx 80t in 48g). Tommorrow 33% with 48t salt(puts tank at approx 102t in 48g) . Am I on the right track? Then continue 33% for 4 more days without salt? 2 days would bring tank back down to 46t in 48g. Would that be "good" to maintain at for my tank. I know the cichlids and the synos would be good ,but not sure about the gibbiceps and the batro raninus? No signs of clamping or rapid breathing so far . S. multi still a few spots(6-8),FF syno still covered but far less, maybe 3-4 spots on the Lace syno and the bat.raninus. Gibb is fine as he is my only fish left from 1st bout with Ick(5-6 months ago). Cichlids are fine. Thank you for your patience =). Im determined to beat it this time.

Post by **Barbie** » 14 Mar 2004, 16:15

I personally do not keep salt in my tanks as any form of preventative. I simply quarantine new fish thoroughly before adding them to my existing tank. It makes all the difference in the world. The quarantine tank not only gives ich or any other creeping crud a chance to show up, it also allows the fish to regain its strength and get used to your tap water condition, without having to struggle for a place to feel safe in a tank full of other fish. I realize some people feel it's a big waste of time and space, but believe me, the tank pays for itself easily when you don't need to replace fish you've already had for years.

Barbie

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 14 Mar 2004, 23:33

Yeah , I agree kinda also. Ive never had salt in my tanks(only 8-9 months now), and my friend who got me in to it never has either (for over 2.5 years now). I usually quarentine some of my fish(i.e. clown,yoyo loaches and some cats), but LFS said no need to and prob shouldn't with this "wild" syno. And since I got him , my cycled 20g QT tank became a dwarf puffer tank(for my lovely wife). So Im stuck with what Ive got now , 4 tanks and no QT tank. But as you say the fish I QT'd are all great and kickin'(and I should have QT'd the Cuckoo). Thank you for your help and I will post if Im havin problems in the next 5 days. BTW did 33% today so salt is to 80t and no signs of stress yet!

stallion81 · Post by **stallion81** » 21 Mar 2004, 15:28

Update: Well I have seen no visible spots since late last Sun. Salt is now minimal in tank and working temp back down. I would just like to thank you Barbie for the valueable treatment method youve taught me. I will help any others with ICK , by passing on your treatment. I am just so happy =). THANK YOU again for taking the time to help, I am in your debt.

Post by **Barbie** » 21 Mar 2004, 17:03

No thanks required. I'm just glad it worked as well for you as it has for me over the years. Now you can enjoy your fish!

Barbie