HELP! One dead already...

[Mollybreeder]

Hello,

Today when I woke up one of my favorite molly was lying dead on the bottom of the tank. I had noticed white dots on her fins and body a few days ago. Now my black molly has the same white dots on is tail and a little around his eyes. Please someone help me and let me know what to do. Here are my tank stats...

10 Gallon

3 guppies

1 molly

4 tetra glow lite

My water is fine, I just tested it and I have a few baby guppies in there that I am also worried about.

 

[chemflex]

Sounds like you've got a breakout of ich in your tank. You need to add some Protozin to the tank.

You will need to remove any carbon from your filter. Read the bottle to work out your dosage. You will need to treat the tank on days 1,2,3 and 6.

 

[snowyangel]

How big is your tank?
I use QuIck Cure(only cost $5) and it's cured ich everytime for me. It states on the bottle that is guarentees to cure ich within 3 or 4 days. In the mean time, turn up your temp to 82-83F and keep that water clean by doing water change 2x a week.

 

[WILDER]

http/www.badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article2.html

 

[pseud]

Why do they say to remove the carbon filter when treating for Ich?
(and what the hell are you supposed to do with it?)

 

[WILDER]

Carbon filter is usually just a black sponge that removes chemicals that's the only sponge you remove, good luck, throw it away as it's not good once it's out of water.

 

[Mollybreeder]

Ok, thank you for your help. Why do I need to change the carbon? I just put new carbon in a week ago.

 

[WILDER]

Black carbon is used for removing chemicals and meds from the tank, you don't really need it in a tank anyway, only if you have used meds and then add it to the tank to remove them after the end of the treatment, never keep black carbon once it has been taken out of the tank, as it is completely useless then.

 

[pseud]

Hmm, I don't really agree with your posts.
My carbon filter isn't a black sponge, it's a 'bio bag' with carbon in and that's what my filter uses to filter the water. It wont be completely useless once it's been taken out of the tank, the carbon will still work, but the useful bacteria that changes amonnia to nitrites and nitrites to nitrates will have died. (Unless it's put in some water and fed ammonia and oxygen, but that's just not worth doing for a few bucks a new one can be bought)

 

[Torrean]

I had a thought earlier today and I guess this is a pretty good time to share it. Could the bacteria on the "bio bag" be kept alive if you took out the carbon and put the bag back in empty? That way your bacteria will have more room to grow and you'll have a bag ready for when you need to add carbon to remove the meds after treatment.

 

[Angel Lady]

Here are some suggestions:


1. Raise your temp. to 85-88 F. The ich parasite cannot survive in its freeswimming stage at temps of and over 85F. the parasite can survive and reproduce at 82F, The raised temp. also quickens the lifecycle of the parasite, speeding up the whole process.

2. I would do a 30% water change perhaps first and then raise the temperature.

3. If you DO NOT HAVE corys or any other salt sensitive fish in the aquarioum
I would suggest using aquarium salt for FRESHWATER aquariums at the dosage suggested on the package. DO NOT use table salt or marine salt to treat a freshwater tropical aquarium, that way madness lies..

So,

Water change,
Slowly raise temp to 85-88