Betta Has Ick!

[Trabetta]

I read up on ick and saw something about how it can spread after it shows on a fish, and eventaul infect the whole tank. So I took my betta out of my 5 gallon tank and put him in a quaritine tank (cup I got him at petsmart for). I was woundering would it be ok to put the ick medication in the small cup or not, because I don't want to go out and get a medicine that hurts or kills my snail and live plants. So what do you guys think?

 

[SlyPolak]

If your betta has ick them most likely your whole tank has is but theres no visible signs yet... Just wait a while for a more experienced person to help you out. You might want to get your water stats read because that is always needed, pH,ammonia,nitrites,nitrates,temp,kind of tank, and any "neighbors" of the betta. Hopefully they know of a med that will be safe for your plants/snails. GOOD LUCK

 

[taffy1]

I read up on ick and saw something about how it can spread after it shows on a fish, and eventaul infect the whole tank. So I took my betta out of my 5 gallon tank and put him in a quaritine tank (cup I got him at petsmart for). I was woundering would it be ok to put the ick medication in the small cup or not, because I don't want to go out and get a medicine that hurts or kills my snail and live plants. So what do you guys think?

Depends on what product you are using to treat the ich, and how severe it is right now. Most do require some form of airation.

Aquarium salt can be helpful, which Bettas tolerate very well. If the tank is planted, you will want to add the salt very gradually, say 1/3 the amount, over a 3 day period. Normally, you would give 1 tablespoon per 5g of water. If you have plants, you'd add 1/3 tablespoon daily. Also gradually raise the temperature (if possible) to about 80 F (26.5 C), as this speeds up the ich parasite's life cycle. IF you have a UV sterilizer, that can also help as well for the free floating ich. Gravel vacs can get rid of a lot of the other stages of ich. If possible, gravel vac daily or at most alternate days. If the temperature is lower, you can do it every 2 to 3 days. Each gravel vac you do, you would add the appropriate amount of salt needed to replace. For instance, if you already have 2/3 tablespoon salt in the water, and you did a 30% water change with the vac, then you would add 2/3 tablespoon of salt again (1/3 to replace the amount lost due to water change, plus the 1/3 for that day). Once you have the full amount of salt, you would only add the replacement dose.

If you did have the UV sterilizer, the salt, and controlled temperatures, you may not even need to use any medication at all, other than water conditioner - which can help replace the slime coat, making fish better able to fend off the ich.

If you do not have the UV, and the ich is pretty bad, then it's best to treat the tank. If needed, remove the plants (if the product you are using is hard on plants) and keep them in a bucket of water and put in a window as needed for light. You can then treat the fish as recommended by the product you are using. (Higher temperatures can still help, as well as frequent gravel vacs) Once you have completed the treatment, do another full gravel vac, taking at least 30% of the water. Add fresh carbon to help remove the remaining meds from the tank. After several hours, or the next day if cautious, you can add back your plants.

Unfortunately, I can't advise as to what ich products might be safe for plants or not. Perhaps others could help with that.