Ich!

[joelllllll]

Okay can someone please help me out here, can someone please give me a step by step explanation on how to cure ich(white spot) I have put in the appropriate treatment, but how often do I do water changes? do i need to turn off the filter cause the blue stuff is gone (i dont have filter carbon in) after the water change do I need to put in more of the treatment?
Thanks to a speedy reply

 

[SlyPolak]

If you are willing to use meds. their directions vary...... Usually add proper amount daily ( not day 1/3/5 ) and do atleast daily 50% water changes and replace with proper amount or just redose..... BUT if you are willing to go the "O" Natural method and have a few weeks to spare you could use heat and heat ONLY...... Thats exactly what I did several weeks ago, turn the heat up to 88/89F GRADUALLY, maybe 1 degree per 2 hours. And just look for signs of stress because some fish do not tolerate high heat very well.( If you see fish stressing out LOWER the heat ) Leave the heat up that high for about 2 weeks and you are good..... Then just lower back down to normal GRADUALLY.....

 

[joelllllll]

okay sweet ill ill just do water changes daily and redose
Yeah i wish I had time to do it the natural way, but ill let the meds do it for me
Thanks for your help

 

[SlyPolak]

If youre going to stick with the meds just do a water change right before you dose for that day, try doing about 50% daily and it would be best to use a gravel vac as a way of doing the change because the flea "babies" settle on the bottom and ornaments and such...
ALSO you should still pick your tanks temp. to about 85/86F as long as your fish will tolerate it because this speeds up Ich's life cycle so you can get rid of it quicker....


GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[joelllllll]

oh one more thing with the treatment, how long is the water sposed to stay blue for because my filter filters it pretty quickly? should i turn it off? or take the sponges out?
Cheers

 

[SlyPolak]

If your filter is taking the blue out that might mean you have carbon inside the thing. You HAVE TO take all carbon out when medicating, either if its little black "rocks" or pads. Carbon is used to filter out meds after you have finished. Just take all carbon out and leave the filter running... If you have one of those pads with carbon inside it just give it a tiny cut at the top and take as much out as possible.........

 

[OTIS]

Go get Kordon's Methylene blue. Follow the instructions. It will take about 3 weeks and a whole lot of filters (you have to take carbon out during medication and replace to clean it out, I had to do this about 5 times for my 55gal.)

It WILL turn your tank extremely blue, and dye your silicone and some decor, but ti will calm the fish down and get rid of the ich.

OTIS

 

[joelllllll]

okay so Ive been doing it but my tanks water has not been staying blue for long (only a few hours)? Ive taken everything out of the filter so it cant possibly be filtering it out, i do have loaches and tetras so I have been using half the dosage but should the water stay blue for longer?

 

[SlyPolak]

I don't know how long your water should stay blue BUT DO NOT TAKE ALL YPUR FILTER MEDIA OUT!!!!
Just the carbon because thats what would take the meds. out... You need your floss/pads whatever in there because thats what your bacteria live on

 

[stuuk1]

When I treated for Ich, I used 'Interpet, anti-whitespot'. I put the temp up and on the instruction, it told me not to do any kind of water change for 10 days. Its a two dose treatment and it cleared my tank of it completely, I was extremely happy with the results.

I took out my carbon media during the process. The dark blue was removed by the filter within a few hours and has stained the media. The media is fine tho, I didnt suffer any kind of mini cycle so the bacteria was fine.

Just check before you start doing water changes while using meds. If you do daily changes, you are removing the meds from your tank!

 

[SlyPolak]

Just check before you start doing water changes while using meds. If you do daily changes, you are removing the meds from your tank!

Yes, you are but thats why you redose after the water change... Like I said, it depends what meds you are using.. I have never followed directions on the box/bottle and always came out with good results... like Anti-bacterial meds that say only treat for 5 days!! BULL .. With any antibiotics you NEED a 10 - 14 day treatment..


Even with meds that say add everyday with no water changes I just do the water changes and then add the meds. MOST meds. parasitic/fungal/bacterial-- have a "half-life" to where they are actually effective
with Ich meds that say add on day 1/3/5 I would add EVERY DAY with water changes..

IDK-- do as you suppose but these "directions" have been given to me by more than a "few" bosses on this site and I can say they WORK!