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Post by muddyboots on Jan 16, 2008 12:55:49 GMT -5
Tommy Gun: Thanks for all the info. I did research ich before writing even my first post in this thread, but it looks like there's a lot of mis-information out there. I re-researched the things that you said I had wrong and found that you are most likely correct in every case, you obviously know your ich.  But, just as an FYI -I find the tone of both of your posts a bit put-offish. I have no problem admitting I'm wrong, but I think you'd put many people on the defensive with some of your comments. Anyway, I'm continuing to treat, the last pleco's still doing fine. I figure I'll do a really good vac of the gravel this weekend, then treat for another week before adding new fish. One remaining issue: I have a dead pleco in an inaccessible location (under and behind a 75lb piece of holey rock) and probably as a result seem to have a boom in the population of those little (<1cm) thread-like worms that wiggle as they float up the gravel vac.  Anyway, thanks again for all the help. I originally posted this as just a rant, but I've gotten a lot out of the help and info that's been provided here! -Erica ---- photography.muddyboots.org |
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Post by Tommygun on Jan 16, 2008 20:19:58 GMT -5
Yea, I realize that. I have tried for a long time to 'perfect' what I say and how I say it but in reality this is probably one of the hardest forms of communication to use because we lose the non-verbal ques so no matter what, people tend to get offended any ways. Hopefully you can understand this as well and trust me when I say that I am only trying to speak in a helpful manner. Besides, I had had to spend more time trying to tip-toe across everyone's feelings, my posts would be twice as long and I know people don't like reading them as they are right now.
I apologize if I seemed to be rude or as if I am a 'know-it-all'....unfortunately, I do know ich all too well. To be honest, I have been writing a couple books lately and so I am in this mode of writing in the second person or much like a text-book, so my writing style has kind of gotten stuck. I guess I am also used to correcting people on another forum so maybe I am standoff-ish from all of that as well.
Again, sorry about that.
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Post by muddyboots on Jan 17, 2008 10:17:18 GMT -5
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Post by muddyboots on Feb 7, 2008 20:57:00 GMT -5
Hey everyone, well a week after I got my cichlids, they and my new pleco all started showing signs of ich. I'm quite sick of dealing with this... For 2 weeks my temperature's been at about 85F and I've been treating with various copper medications to no avail. First was Aquari-Sol then I ran out yesterday and they no longer had it so I bought CopperSafe instead. Neither of them come with great instructions. The Aquari-Sol was to be added daily, but this CopperSafe seems to say that you add it monthly, and no more except to replace what's lost by water changes? I didn't begin adding salt until yesterday, and I did it slow so that I didn't reach 3tsp/5gal until tonight. At this point, I almost expect to loose the new pleco -he's covered in spots, especially around his eyes  -he moves around, but not much and I have no idea if he's eating. My 2 acei are covered in spots, but active and eating. The others have only a few spots, so hopefully they'll make it through. My original pleco (who was the only survivor of the first round of ich) still has no spots, but seems to be breathing fast. Again, no idea if he's eating, his behavior's always been shy, so...? Is copper the wrong way to go? I feel like I should be seeing improvement. It's been 2 weeks! The pet store guy recommended the medication that turns your water green -I'm avoiding that because I have a very nice piece of white Texas Holey Rock in there -it's about 80lbs, so I can't exactly remove it! But, if that's quicker or more effective I'll rethink it. Tommy Gun (or anyone) -got any more suggestions for me?  -Erica |
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Cichlidgirl
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Post by Cichlidgirl on Feb 7, 2008 22:48:42 GMT -5
I use the over the counter meds. i have never had ick last two weeks in my tank . I have used Ick cure, its in a white bottle and it works good, and also some generic kind of ick medicines, they both worked good. It did stain my silicone slightly in the seams of my tank, but not too bad, and it did not color any of my rocks , (i dont know if texas holey rock is different, i have never used it.)The only over the counter cure for ick that i did not care for was the tank buddies by jungle, they are the small tablets that you drop intot the water and they fizz. I did not find they worked too good for a fungus cure, but then i did not try the one for ick, i knew the other ones did work so i always get them. Hope this helps, if the one fish is breathing hard its cause the ick is now infesting his gills and you should consider changeing to the other cures if you want to save him since they are fast working and gill infestation will usually kill a fish pretty quick. If you decide to do the medication i would do a really big water change and run the carbon for a couple hours at least to remove the copper meds still present, then add in the new meds, make sure you remove the carbon and follow directions on the bottle. I find the new ones on the market now are very blue at first and within a hour or two fade to hardly noticeable tint, and are worth the slight tint to my silicone. I believe there are even some now that dont tint the water blue or green but you would have to check on that. Hope this helps.
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Post by muddyboots on Feb 8, 2008 7:05:40 GMT -5
Texas Holey Rock is white limestone with lots of holes and caves in it. Since it's white, I have a feeling it'll get stained pretty bad if I use those meds...  My husband (who knows nothing about fish, but is quite opinionated and doesn't want to see our pleco die) says we should move the fish to a new tank and treat them with the staining stuff there, then to get rid of the ich for good in the big tank, drain it and let it dry out completely for a week before adding the fish back in. Sounds like a big pain to me (I can never the catch plecos -there's too many places in my tank for them to hide!) ...but I'd be willing to do it if the alternative is loosing all my fish. -Erica |
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Post by Cichlidgirl on Feb 8, 2008 15:43:58 GMT -5
i would not drain your whole tank , thats forsure. It would kill off your benefitial bacteria and you would have to recycle the tank. I have mbuna and have many colored rocks, some of them limestone and granit etc.. it has never colored those rocks. just plastics and silicone so i think you will be ok. I would treat the fish with the ick cure. IF you are still concened about the holey rock then i would remove all the fish to a seperate tank and treat them there then you can leave your main tank fishless and continue doing the saltwater treatment for the ick that is in that tank. I would personally just treat with the meds, as i have said the dye attatches to plastic and silicone and not the rockwork so i believe the holey rock would be safe.
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Post by JasonB on Feb 12, 2008 23:06:04 GMT -5
Texas Holey Rock is white limestone with lots of holes and caves in it. Since it's white, I have a feeling it'll get stained pretty bad if I use those meds... My husband (who knows nothing about fish, but is quite opinionated and doesn't want to see our pleco die) says we should move the fish to a new tank and treat them with the staining stuff there, then to get rid of the ich for good in the big tank, drain it and let it dry out completely for a week before adding the fish back in. Sounds like a big pain to me (I can never the catch plecos -there's too many places in my tank for them to hide!) ...but I'd be willing to do it if the alternative is loosing all my fish. -Erica
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Post by clumic on Mar 26, 2008 17:17:52 GMT -5
I have a cichlid that is currently fighting ich, and its a really bad case in my eyes. He is the only one in the tank and I have been using quick cure to help him out along with 50% water changes. I know that this will stress the fish out but I am at a loss at what to do. I am currently at day four and now my catfish seems to have a little bacteria in the eye look like a small peace of cotton I have melifx but not sure to use it because of the articles that say not to jump to antibiotics because most fish can get through it. if there is anyone with any ideas please let me know. thanks mike
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Post by Mike on Mar 26, 2008 19:51:34 GMT -5
Best thing to do is not to worry to much about it ICH IS A VERY COMMON THING and is easily taken care of melafix is not something I would recommend with ich/ick I would use Jungle's ich gaurd I & II not only does it help fight ich/ick but it stops it from infecting the rest of the tank.
Also what type of cichlids and non cichlids do you keep in your aquarium? This will help me help you better with fixing this problem for you. Let me know thanks for posting.
Mike
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-he moves around, but not much and I have no idea if he's eating. My 2 acei are covered in spots, but active and eating. The others have only a few spots, so hopefully they'll make it through. My original pleco (who was the only survivor of the first round of ich) still has no spots, but seems to be breathing fast. Again, no idea if he's eating, his behavior's always been shy, so...?
-Erica
