Ich

[Lozzer]

I've got a 80ltr tank which I have platy fish in it but they have ich, I've treated them but the nitrite is high so for the last two days I have done a 25% water change but it's still very high. Please help, any advice will be welcome as I am a beginner.

 

[Essjay]

The best treatment for ich is heat. Raise the temperature to 30 deg C/86 deg F and keep it there for 2 weeks.

Nitrite must be kept at zero. Water changes are the way to do this. The water changes need to be as large and as often as necessary to drop nitrite to zero - if necessary, 75% daily water changes. This is a lot easier to do using heat for the ich as all you need is to make sure the new water is also at that temperature.
Using Seachem Prime water conditioner will help as that detoxifies nitrite for 24 hours and will keep the fish safe until the next day's water change.

What is the ammonia level in the tank?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Increasing the temperature of the water to 86F for 2 weeks will usually kill off the parasite. If the water is below 75F, then the temperature should be raised to 86F slowly, over a 24-48-hour period. Another method of treatment is with any medication that contains Malachite Green. Malachite Green is a chemical that contains powerful anti-fungal properties, that can easily kill parasites. Please note, that Malachite Green is known to cause cancer, so you should always wash your hands after coming into contact with this chemical.

(https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-is-ich.7092/page-2)

 

[Lozzer]

The best treatment for ich is heat. Raise the temperature to 30 deg C/86 deg F and keep it there for 2 weeks.

Nitrite must be kept at zero. Water changes are the way to do this. The water changes need to be as large and as often as necessary to drop nitrite to zero - if necessary, 75% daily water changes. This is a lot easier to do using heat for the ich as all you need is to make sure the new water is also at that temperature.
Using Seachem Prime water conditioner will help as that detoxifies nitrite for 24 hours and will keep the fish safe until the next day's water change.

What is the ammonia level in the tank?

PH 7.4
AMMONIA 0.25
NITRITE 2.0
NITRATE O
bit scared of heating water up as platies keep going up for air. I will do a 75% water change, the treatment I'm using is Interpet Anti White Spot is this the right stuff to use, thanks

 

[Lozzer]

Increasing the temperature of the water to 86F for 2 weeks will usually kill off the parasite. If the water is below 75F, then the temperature should be raised to 86F slowly, over a 24-48-hour period. Another method of treatment is with any medication that contains Malachite Green. Malachite Green is a chemical that contains powerful anti-fungal properties, that can easily kill parasites. Please note, that Malachite Green is known to cause cancer, so you should always wash your hands after coming into contact with this chemical.

(https://www.fishforums.net/threads/what-is-ich.7092/page-2)

Thank you for the advice

 

[Essjay]

The platies are gasping for air because of the nitrite in the water. This binds to the fish's blood and stops it taking up oxygen. This makes the fish feel as though they are suffocating so they try to get oxygen from the air. If you get the nitrite down to zero, the nitrite will slowly flush out of the blood and the fish will stop gasping at the surface.

 

[Lozzer]

The platies are gasping for air because of the nitrite in the water. This binds to the fish's blood and stops it taking up oxygen. This makes the fish feel as though they are suffocating so they try to get oxygen from the air. If you get the nitrite down to zero, the nitrite will slowly flush out of the blood and the fish will stop gasping at the surface.

Thanks for that I'll try the heater

 

[Fishiemang]

Heat, and water changes.

The parasite you see on the fish drops into the gravel. This is one instance where gravel vac'ing could be recommended. But heat will cause the.life.cycle of the parasite to speed up, and you want to get the larvae that drop off out of the tank. It takes a while to.accomplish this.

There are other unorthodox methods that work too, but not something a beginner should attempt, unless willfully knowing things could go the wrong way if not done.properly.

 

[Essjay]

The higher temp must be maintained for at least two weeks een though the spots have gone.
The parasite has a three stage life cycle. The first is on the fish where it feeds on the fish's tissue. The second is where it drops off the fish as Fishiemang said, and it covers itself in a sort of cyst and multiplies within that cyst. Then the cysts splits open and the tiny new parasites swim off looking for a fish to infect. This last free swimming stage is the only stage where it can be killed so the temp must be raised (or med still in the tank if you use a med) when the very last cyst opens. If any of the free swimming parasites are not killed, they'll start the cycle all over again.