Ick Problem

[sic0198]

I have had all but 2 or 3 of my fish to die, they had a bad case of ick. I have a 29 gal and I wanna get back into this hobby. I'm going with convicts because I've heard they were great beginner fish, they fit the bill as I want a really aggressive fish and I wanna see the parental behavior. Anyway-

What is the best way to clean the ick out of it. We are gonna move the tank anyway so everythings coming out, I will be cleaning the filter out (take the cartridge out and trash it). Or should trash the filter and get a new one. And I will get new substrate...I'm thinking sand. I'm gonna wipe the tank out with really hot water...multiple times. Then I am gonna wait a week or so and set it all back up, recycle it. Get a quarantine tank or two and buy two convicts put one in each one wait 14 days and if there OK.................put them in.

Should I do anything else?

 

[mark.w.jones]

The main things are to make sure you get your filter completely cleaned out and dried. Boiling water is the safest way to sterlise things although be aware that not all tubes, seals etc. will withstand it so be careful. Other than that I would highly recommend you fishless cycle your tank with ammonia solution before adding any fish at all. There is a link in my sig. to it. Just follow the add & wait method.

 

[OldMan47]

Ich is a parasite. Without a host it will die off. I would keep the cycle going with ammonia, raise the temperature to about 30C and wait 2 weeks before adding any fish. The warm water will shorten the ich's life cycle by speeding up their metabolism and the 2 weeks will give the parasites plenty of time to die off. End result is no seals damaged by scalding hot water, no chemicals that need to be removed and cleaned, cycled tank that has been maintained with ammonia so no living fish for the ich to survive on.

 

[sic0198]

So I raise the water temp. up to like 86 F (30 C) fishless cycle the tank then after cycling completes wait 2 week before I add fish.

That will get rid of the Ick.

 

[Colin_T]

Ich is a parasite. Without a host it will die off. I would keep the cycle going with ammonia, raise the temperature to about 30C and wait 2 weeks before adding any fish. The warm water will shorten the ich's life cycle by speeding up their metabolism and the 2 weeks will give the parasites plenty of time to die off. End result is no seals damaged by scalding hot water, no chemicals that need to be removed and cleaned, cycled tank that has been maintained with ammonia so no living fish for the ich to survive on.

beautifully said

 

[OldMan47]

Unless you get carried away cleaning, the cycle will just be maintained. No reason to start over on the bacteria if you keep it alive with ammonia while the parasite goes through its life cycle and dies off.