Medication Advice

[rk4n3]

Hi all,
 
I'm a total n00b at this, so please forgive certain ignorance on my part...
 
I have a 10-gal tank, with 3 platies and 1 tetra in it for about a month.  I was too ignorant to know about proper tank start-up, so the tank didn't get that.  I bought a test kit and the water seems to have stabilized with a nitrogen cycle, now.  I have a 29-gal tank that I'm just starting a proper start-up on (nothing in it yet).
 
I just battled ich in the 10-gal, and after medication for 5 days, and partial water changes every other day (done by vacuuming up junk from gravel), I see no signs of ich anymore, and the fish have certainly improved in their mood/activity.  One platy (a RedWag) shows some fin rot, on all fins and tail.  I noticed it first a couple days ago as a slight whitish "fuzz" along fins and tail, and now I see it is actually causing ragged edges where the "fuzz" used to be.  In this picture, its the RegWag platy in the middle:
 
 

 
 
So, my question:
 
I'm under the impression that I should continue treatment for the ich for a few days, just to make sure its really gone.  I really want to treat for the fin rot, too - I don't know if medication for both simultaneously is possible/well-advised or not.  Also, what medication(s) are the best-advised.
 
Your sage advice would be extremely welcome.  Also, I can provide more details on the history of my tank/fish (not sure how much advisors would like).
 
Sincere thanks,
rk4n3

 

[KrystaK]

For fin rot the best treatment is warm, clean water. Some medications claim to help, but the simplest treatment is just to keep the water clean.
 
So keep up with your ick treatment for the time remaining and when you add water back in to the tank, make sure it's a little warmer than the tank water. (Not much) Do you have a heater in the tank? If you don't, then get one and a thermometer and keep the tank around 80 degrees until you notice him/her getting better.
(Do small water changes every three-five days after ick treatment is over to ensure good water quality)
 
On a side note, if you can keep the room rather dark and quiet so there's nothing stressing your fish out that can only help

 

[rk4n3]

@Fish Addict - thank you so much for the advice
 
I do have a heater, and it seems to keep the water around 76F ... I say "seems to" because I have two thermometers, one "strip" that sticks to the side of the tank, and one floating thermometer.  The strip on the side of the tank says 80F, and the floating one says 74F, so I'm not sure which is more accurate.  Do you think this is adequate, or should I take measures to really ensure that I do have 80F water temp ?
 
I've been doing 25% water changes every other day, medicating daily for the ick after the water change, and on the days between water changes.  Should I continue this, or change to only changing water every 3-5 days ?  I'd be interested in the pros/cons of either, i.e. impact to cycle/etc, if you have a good way to explain.
 
Again, thanks so much

 

[Wills]

Hi as said above clean water is always the best option but I think Melafix and Primafix are a great set of meds for this situation. I keep American cichlids so torn fins are an occurrence in my tank from time to time and I always keep a supply of these herbal remedies at hand they are basically diluted tea tree oil which helps keep off bacteria and fungus You dont need to keep the water changes quite so regular unless your test kits are showing ammonia, nitrite or a high level of nitrate.
 
How long is it now since you saw your last bit of white spot? if its over a week I think you can stop medicating. What treatment were you using? I usually go for waterlife treatments as they are effective with only one active ingredient contain less heavy metals than some meds which can damage your filter and are safe to use with nearly all fish.
 
With your thermometers I would go off the one in the water the one on the glass can be affected by glass thickness and also the room temperature so will be a little less accurate.
 
Wills

 

[rk4n3]

Hi Wills,
 
The spots were gone for a couple of days, but now I see three spots (that's by far the most "sparse" I've seen, so I know the ick is on the run).  I haven't stopped the medication - hopefully this will be the last "life cycle" iteration of the parasite ...
 
My tank is still in the cycle process (I know, huge n00b mistake on my part, putting my fish in there - I've learned).  I think its almost there, as the nitrites have stopped sky-rocketing, and I have nitrates in the water.  I still show low levels (.5ppm) of nitrites, so I believe I have to continue PWCs ... tonight I'll try a 30% and see how that looks.  Does that sound reasonable ?
 
I'm using AP "Quick Cure", here's an example of it:
http/compare.ebay.com/like/160986897138?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar
 
... it was the only thing my local store(s) had, and I didn't want to delay treatment by ordering.
 
I'll definitely make a note of the waterlife product(s), in case I have further need.
 
Thanks for the info and advice

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Did you up the temp in the tank during treatment?  This will speed up the life cycle and give you a chance to kill the parasite more effectively.

 

[rk4n3]

Yeah, I did turn my heater up to its max, which keeps the tank between 78F and 80F.
 
The ick looks pretty much gone, except for one pesky spot (literally, one "salt grain") on one platy's tail.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

As frustrating as it is, you need to keep up the treatment until EVERY LAST SIGN of the ich is gone.  Don't give up... you're close to the end.  A few more days of treatment will be less stressful on your fish overall than stopping too soon and having to start all over again.

 

[Wills]

Totally agree with Eagle I would dose a little after the last spot is gone as well -  the spots sometimes hide in a fishes gill and can come out of no where.
 
Wills

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Absolutely - 4-5 days beyond the last sign is my normal recommendation...  Over caution is preferred when dealing with ich, IMHO.  At a slightly higher temp, the life cycle is less than 4 days, so that takes care of all of them, plus a day to be sure.

 

[rk4n3]

Thanks for the confirmation and info/support - I will definitely continue treatment for the ick at least 4 days beyond the last sign

 

[rk4n3]

UPDATE:
 
My 10-gal is fully cycled - yay !

 
All four fish are happy and playful, and all signs of ick and fin rot are gone.  I'm still medicating for ick, over a 4-5 day span after the last sign, and will be done with that in a day or two.
 
I'm working on a fishless-cycle of my 29-gal tank, and when that's complete I'll be moving the four fish to that tank, and getting them some playmates.  My plan:  get one new fish at a time, and quarantine in the 10-gal for two weeks (or longer if required) to verify absence of (or treat) ick and/or other fungus etc...
 
I may look into some plants, too.
 
This is fun - thanks so much for all your info/advice