Ich Problem- Help

[tropicalover]

After coming back from a trip I discovered that my http/www.fishlore.com/Profiles-DwarfGourami.htm was colorless and had white spots all over him. (A fish my family member had picked up from her friend had been placed in my aquarium while I was gone.) I freaked out and went to the store to buy air stones so I could raise the temp. I also purchased an expensive medication- General Cure API- that I was told would solve the problem. Now it has been a day, I have educated myself on http/www.fishlore.com/fishdictionary/i.htm#ich and now have come to find out this medication is useless- General Cure by API. I have also raised the temp to 82- but have also learned that high temp + med = bad. SO... I am stuck. My gourami is on death's door barely breathing and my cherry barbs as well as neons are showing white spots as well. I don't know what I should do. My filter cartridge does not have any carbon in it, but I don't want to replace it with a new one with carbon to destroy the BB. So my question is, what is the fastest way to remove medication- ie: insert a bag of carbon in the tank? water changes? should I just keep medicating?

 

[DoubleDutch]

A pic would be great.
I'd go for or heathtreatment of meds.
In this case I'd choose for meds.

 

[superswimmer]

You can do both- add carbon and do a few large water changes. Just be sure to take the carbon out before doing the next medication. However, I am assuming you are asking because you have already added the general cure. Continue this medication for the full dosage to see if it actually does fix the problem, don't stop during a dose. 

 

[cowgirluntamed]

I disagree with super swimmer on this one majorly. If this is truly ich and the medication you have does not treat it, quit using it immediately. Large water changes will help get the medication out. With ich it is recommended to do a lot of water changes anyway. There are certain medications you can use to treat it hut they can be very harsh in certain fish. You would have to do research to see. Heat treatment can and does work. I also did aquarium salt when I had ich along with heat. But again, not all fish can handle salt either. If you can fit a bag of carbon in the filter(or somehow attach it to where the outflow of the filter is running through it), do that for at least 24 hours to get the general cure out of the tank along with a couple large water changes. Diluting always helps.

I know gouramis are labyrinth fish as well so I'm not sure what medications they can handle. As well as I don't know what other type of fish you have or your tank parameters either.