FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Well I think one of my clowns has got ich, I have noticed a couple of spots on its caudal fin. The clowns are kept in a 6ft tank and the tankmates comprise a BGK, RTBS, BN, an elephantnose, a couple of leopard ctenopomas, a couple of angels, a couple of pictus, a chocolate striped catfish, hoplo catfish and a fire eel. The temp of the tank is 25-26c. What is going to be the best way of treating this without possible harm coming to the other fish. I've got a product called 'spot off' and the active ingredients are 0.01% Acriflavine, 0.1% Malachite & 0.05% Formaldehyde. No idea if this is going to be safe for my scaleless fish.

So, shall I slowly raise the temp up to 30c and treat with half dose of this medication or has anyone else got any other suggestions.

TIA

Robbie

Wow, Robbie a 6ft tank is going to cost you a lot in meds.
I normally don't suggest this, but I would remove the Clown Loach and put it in a QT tank. Use only 1/2 the doseage. Turn the heat up slowly to 30-32. I normally treat the fish in their own tanks, as the ick fells off and spreads in the tank. But that is going to be nearly impossable in your case with a 6ft. if you don't mind paying the price in meds, then treat them in that tank. But only 1/2 dose it because of all the scaleless fish you have in it. The tank sitting on 25-26 might be too low for the Clown Loach. They are easy to get ick. Ick is always there, but it takes either stress/ low temps to bring it out. Sit the tank around 27.
If you can not afford all the meds, just remove the effected fish. I know this is going to stress it out more, but at least the other fish will not be stressed. If the rest of the 6ft shows signs of ick, then you won't have any option but to treat the whole tank then.

you could try this the raised temperature method i have used it on a couple of my fish and it worked well here a link
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

I concur with greenmonkey.

Here is another link on treating clowns with a temperature raise and salt. Done it. It works.



Regards,

Bryce

http://www.loaches.com/salt.html

[span class="edited"][Edited by bryce 2004-07-04 10:48][/span]

You guys can concur all you want...

The fact is all these so-called ich experts haven't a clue where the ich parasite comes from but I can tell you it is in the water, dormant, in some form.

Just drop the temp real quick in your tank and watch the ich attacks occur. If you believe the parasite isn't in the water to begin with, then tell me where the heck did it come from??

Save your salt for your cheeseburger. It's useless for treating ich.

Clown Loaches are famous for contracting ich, especially new additions. If ich is on the fish you can be sure it's all over the tank.

So, with that in mind, there's only one way to treat Clowns in the host tank without damaging meds, and that's to raise the temp to 35c, 95 degrees, for one week or until all spots are gone.

Increase surface agitation to speed up gas exchange to allow more saturated oxygen in the water under high temp conditions.

This procedure guarantees immunity for Clowns from ich in the future and may create immunity in other species.

--garyroland.


[span class="edited"][Edited by garyroland 2004-07-04 11:29][/span]

could you do that in a smaller qt even if they dont have ick then they'll have immunity

Well Gary, I sure am glad that you have come around to my way of thinking that a temperature raise alone will kill ich. I remember being treated like an imbecile by you for suggesting such a thing. Glad to see youve done some research on the subject and learned something new. There have been a few advancements in the hobby over the past 30 years.

As for the addition of salt, of course it doesnt treat ich. WHAT the addition of salt DOES is reduce the osmotic stress on the fish while it is in a weakened state.

In the future please keep your condescending manor in check when referring to one of my posts. It may be impressive to the youngsters that frequent this site but it doesnt slice with me. Especially when you are less informed than you like to pretend to be.

Regards,

Bryce

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml is a pretty good link concerning the scientifics of ich. A quote I read that goes along with what was being said is

Recently, research at Cornell is confirming the long-held hunch of many aquarists that, once an individual fish has been cured of Ich, it has acquired some level of immunity

[span class="edited"][Edited by jake 2004-07-04 16:24][/span]

I made no such claim that high temps do not kill ich...

I did claim that "certain" high temps would not kill ich.

An increase to 86 degrees will not kill ich, just speed up the life cycle of the parasite.

And, if you will check back on any of my posts you'll discover the "high temp" treatment is 95 degrees, no meds, not 86 degrees.

I know what I'm talking about, now it's your turn to learn something. You have a way to go, Bryce.

Here's another kicker...fish are known, the same ones, to contract ich many times. What kills the fish is the fungus resulting from the continuing ich invasion.

Sorry I can't agree. Those "aquarists" should have talked to me.

--garyroland.

[span class="edited"][Edited by garyroland 2004-07-04 18:15][/span]

Thanks for the replies people. I shall attempt the temp raising procedure. What would be best: a one or two degree raise daily?

Robbie

That's correct...

It could also be five degrees in 24 hours.

Watch your fish for stress. If noticed, increase water surface movement or employ an airstone or both.

--garyroland.