# Ich help please!



## Sosbart (Feb 2, 2012)

My tank is a 5 gallon and is 8 weeks old. I don't have a water testing system so I apologize for that. The last time I got it tested it was all in normal ranges. I also don't have an adjustable heater but the tank is heated to 74 degrees (so I can't raise the tank temp). I have 2 male platies and 1 male guppy. 

I came home to see that my fish have spots which look just like ich. I dealt with ich while cycling the tank so I had medicine on hand. I have put Mardel Coppersafe in the water and removed the carbon filter. I was concerned with removing the filter b/c of all the nice bacteria in the material but did think I was supposed to remove it, right???

I don't know what else I should do. I can't raise the temp. I do realize that this is a small tank and I bought it for my 3 yr old who absolutely loves these fish (and the ones prior that we have lost in the cycling process--I was unaware of other ways to do that-- now I know). 

Any suggestions would be great--- thank you


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I would buy ich medicine like wardley's ick away. Add some aquarium salt also. When you see white spots disappearing, keep treating. That means the parasite is falling off and reproducing. Treat for 10 days after white spots are gone for 48 hours.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Dont add other medications like Betta man suggested. Using a copper based medication, and some aquarium salt will do the trick. Raising the temp would help if you could get it to go any higher. 

Cut a slit in the filter pad, and dump the carbon out. If it is left in, it will remove the medication from the water. You will need to add carbon later to remove the meds (you can buy it in bulk at most pet stores). 

Between the copper and the salt, your fish will be better in a week. After 10 days from initial treatment, add the carbon to the filter, and do a water change.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

sorry. I must have forgot about the med you are using. don't use two meds together unless they say they will work together.


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## Sosbart (Feb 2, 2012)

THanks for your help. I added a tablespoon of aquarium salt last night.
!!
Couple more questions.... should i be doing more water changes? When should the spots be gone? 

They are active and ate this morning. That made me really happy


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Yes, do frequent water changes and vacuum your gravel really well. At 74 degrees it'll probably take 5-6 days for all the spots to be gone.


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## Sosbart (Feb 2, 2012)

So sorry--- more questions... should I re-add salt and meds every time a change? How much water in a change? How many times--- once a day or couple times a week? My filter is going to be difficult to keep with the medium in it. I tried to get all the charcoal out there is a small amount in there still. Should I just start a new filter once all ich is gone (10 days after the spots disappear completely) or just put it in the filter with a few remaining charcoal fragments to keep the good bacteria that's in the filter medium?

I am ridiculously worried about the little fishies! I really think I caught it early enough. I hope. 

Thanks so much for the help again--- i am truly appreciative.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Replace the salt you took out when you change water. So if you have it at 3 tsp per gallon and you take out 10 gallons, put back in 30 tsps.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Changing 10 gallons out of a 5 gallon tank would be interesting lol

Anyway, I think your fish will be ok if they are swimming and eating. Just keep up with the copper and the salt. If you change the water, you need to replace both the copper and the salt you removed. 

Good luck!


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## Sosbart (Feb 2, 2012)

HELP! There are new spots on the fish. It was almost cleared up so then I thought to do a water change on Monday night and by this morning (wed) the fish are covered in spots-- worse then the first time. When I did the water change, I did add the correct amount to replenish the medicine and the salt. Carbon filter is still out. I am using Coppersafe.

Should I add MORE medicine and salt? I put a tbsp of salt initially in the 5 gallon tank and when I changed the water, I replaced it with a tsp/gallon. Meds I followed package instructions. Is this a second outbreak or lingering of the first? 

The platies look covered and I have honestly been staring at the guppy and don't see any spots at all. Initially, the guppy just had one spot that was visible to me. 

Please help! We really want to save our fish!


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2012)

Ok first get cure-ick or any medicine that will cure ich. Then follow the directions on the bottle. Turn the temp up slowly so you don't stress your fish. Ich will survive in the lower temps.

I am not sure what the highest temp that platys can tolerate, but ich cannot survive at high temps.


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## Sosbart (Feb 2, 2012)

I don't have a heater that is adjustable b/c it's a small tank (5 gallon). The Coppersafe did say it cured Ich. It's what the LFS guy reccommended -- though i've learned in my small fish tank experience that many LFS don't exactly know that much


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2012)

Sosbart said:


> I don't have a heater that is adjustable b/c it's a small tank (5 gallon). The Coppersafe did say it cured Ich. It's what the LFS guy reccommended -- though i've learned in my small fish tank experience that many LFS don't exactly know that much


I understand about the heater not being adjustable. Yes coppersafe can sure ich but there are strains of ich that are resistant to it. I would get cure-ick, rid-ich, etc. Any one of the ich medicines should work against ich. You may have to attack it aggressively.

Also salt will do more harm to your fish than good. Unless your fish are saltwater fish, I would not use salt to treat your fish. 

Here is a link about what salt can do to your fish:

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Guppies can be acclimated to full marine, similar to mollies, so low-end brackish would be no problem with gradual acclimation. I have no information on platties, but I would not be surprised at all if they could also live in brackish water.

Fishfarmacy is trying to sell their product, so they don't want you using salt. There is no mention about livebearers. I guarantee that if I live in New York or some other place where the water is extremely soft coming out of the tap, the experiment they tell you to do will give the opposite results of what they claim if your fish of choice happened to be mollies. 

Blanket statements like that are almost always not completely true. Know your fish, know their preferences, and know if they can tolerate salt before you expose them to brackish conditions.


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