Ick

[Stephenie4578]

I have set up a tank, for my daughter and now i have ick on my two guarmies, and have lost five neon tetras. I have been using the "ick guard" treatment, and nothing is improving. I took some water to the pet store to have it tested, and they said my water was fine. I have gone through 1 and a half bottles of ick treatment, and all that has happened is things are getting worse. I dont know what else to try. Any help?
I am very new to this and don't know what to do.

[fletch]

Hi Stephenie I hope that the information on this web site will help!! Just click on it http://www.nunnie.com/ick.html Good luck and keep us posted ...................... John

[Birdlady]

I have also read that raising the temperature of the tank prevents and gets rid of ick. Raise it to the very top end of the recommended temperature (I think it is 78 - 80 F)
I just remember when I had my FW tank, I kept it at the top of the green line on my thermometer so I can't quite remember the exact temp. and I never had another Ick problem

[Stephenie4578]

thank you for your suggestions. The tank is at the highest temp., and we have had it there for quite a while. Thank you for your help. The web site is very helpful, and has alot of great ideas i will try. Thank you again

[Bugsy]

Hi, I have always used Aquarisol for my treatment of ick. It says to raise water temp to 86 and put in 10 drops per 10 gal of water. If you have used a whole bottle of ick guard you might be battling something more than just ick. Are their fins ragged looking? Any white film on their bodies? What conditon are the fish in right now?

The use of copper based treatments usually attacks ick right away with follow up treatments to make sure it is gone for sure.

Let me know how the fish are.

bugsy

[Craig Manoukian]

Not familiar with fresh water ich, but since you don'y have crustaceans or corals copper sounds like a viable treatment if ich is what you have.

[Stephenie4578]

Some of my tetras have ragged fins and tails, but they are constatnly biting at each other, and they dont have the white spots. I have not noticed any white film, or any other out of the ordinary things. I think we will try the copper treatment, and see how it goes. Is the copper treatments safe for all fish, i have 10 tetras, five platys,two guarmies(both have ick) ,2 ghost shrimp, and two neon tetras left. Thank you for all your help.

[Craig Manoukian]

Saltwater ich looks like spots of salt on the skin of the fish. If the fins are tattered then it means nasty territorial squabling in all likelyhood. The stress of fin biting may make the Tetras more susceptible to ich if that is truly present. Talk to yuour LFS about traeting a fresh water tank with copper. Good luck!

[Bugsy]

My only concern is your shrimp. Check with the LFS to see if they can handle copper based meds. If not then take them out and put them into another tank. The copper based meds will kill ich, it did for me and i have had freshwater fish for over 20 years.

Ich is brought on by stress and poluted water. If i were you I would do a small water change. Raise your temp to 84 and add recommended dose of your copper based med. You will need to add the same amount each time for 3 days in a row. You should see some results with copper.

Copper and marine tanks do not mix at all. The fish can be treated with it carefully but corals and inverts it will kill.

Do you have lots of plants (live or plastic ) in your tank)? What size of tank is this? How many of each fish?

Some of the teras can be little buggars at nipping and this will cause stress and ich breakouts too.

Good luck and keep us posted....Bugsy

[Craig Manoukian]

I believe it is a fresh water tank Bugsy.