Multiple Problems In New Tank

[sjrose77]

Request Help

Tank size:10 gallon
pH:unknown
ammonia:stress
nitrite:unknown
nitrate:unknown
kH:
gH:
tank temp:78

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior):I have a betta, two platys and a pleco in the tank. The betta now has what appears to be fin rot--ragged fins with red in them. All of the fish now have ich--white salt grain looking spots on them, trying to scratch against things, acting crazy.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: I was changing the water weekly but I see now I need to change it every day or every other day because the ammonia is high

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: I have tried to kill the ich by raising the temperature gradually to 86 degrees and adding extra salt, but the fish did not tolerate the raised temperature

Tank inhabitants: betta, two platys, pleco

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): All of the decorations are new I suppose, the tank has only been up for 3 weeks.

Exposure to chemicals: None that I know of besides the salt

I am using aquatech filter and cartridges. I am feeding the fish very little now because of the ammonia. I know now I have done a lot wrong, like not quarantining new fish, and I did not know about the nitrogen cycle. My question is at this point my fish are really sick with ich...should I buy an ich medication or should I just be working on getting the water quality good? I do not yet have the master testing kit, I only have ammonia quick dip sticks. Please help asap!

 

[Shelby]

You should post this over in the emergency section. Wilder can help you the best.

 

[karin]

FIRST - FORGET THE ICH AND GET THE AMMONIA DOWN TO 0 WITH MULTIPLE WATER CHANGES DAILY.
You need to get a chemical test kit for Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrates. If not any elevated level of Ammonia or Nitrite will kill your fish, regardless of ich. Any level of Ammonia or Nitrite will weaken the fish so that they are susceptible to disease. The tests strips are not precise enough especially in this case.

I would bring the heat back down as well. Heat stresses the fish as well. And if ammonia is present you are making it that harder on the fish to get oxygen.

When ammonia is under control, then I would consider medications. See my thread in emergencies, "My Experience with Ich" just for an idea about how it goes with ich.

 

[sjrose77]

Thank you so much. I did try to post in the emergency section but I couldn't find a way to do this, it just said no new topics allowed. I would like to know how to post there. I did turn the heat down and do a water change today. I did not know I could do more than one water change a day. I know I need the master test kit but I am strapped for cash right now. Thank you both so much for your answers.

 

[OldMan47]

You are in a bit of a bad spot Rose.
You must do large daily water changes to keep the ammonia out of the danger zone but also must treat the ich or it will kill your fish. Ich will not wait for the tank to cycle before you treat it.
As far as your listing of new things in the tank, everything, including the tank, is new. That means you are in a fish-in cycle that is complicated by an ich infestation. I do not envy your position. Daily water changes of over 50% may well be needed to control ammonia but you cannot afford to let the salt concentration drop in the tank or let the temperature go much below about 84F.
Where that puts you is doing a 50% water change using water at the right warm temperature that is dechlorinated and treated with the salt before it is added to the tank. It can be done. I would run out and buy a digital thermometer like you might use for cooking. It will let you check the new water temperature before you add it back into the tank. I have one that I use regularly when doing water changes on all of my tanks. It is a handy quick check that means I don't need to save water samples for temperature matching. I just start filling my bucket, place the probe into the bucket and read the temperature, then I can adjust the temperature while the bucket finishes filling. In your case you also add a dose of dechlorinator and a dose of salt to that water in the bucket. The filling process will help mix in the salt and make the water ready to add right into your tank.

 

[sjrose77]

yes, I am in a bad spot. I already lost one fish. I will do the water changes. I have read conflicting information on how much salt to add to the tank. I have been adding 2 teaspoons per gallon but I am not sure if that is the best thing to do. At a temperature of 85 one of the fish was gasping for air at the top of the tank so I reduced the temperature. I do have a good thermometer that i have been using to make sure that the temperature of the new water is the same.

 

[sjrose77]

Ok, I have been doing water changes and the ammonia level is nearly ideal. Do I want to treat for ich now? Can anyone recommend a good ich medicine or will any do? Then I guess after this course of medication treat the betta for tail rot...ugh.

 

[OldMan47]

You can go at lower temperatures if you need to for temperature sensitive fish, the cure will just take a little longer. The minimum dose of salt to be effective is a full teaspoon per gallon but up to 3 teaspoons per gallon can be used with fish that can tolerate that much. Be sure to leave the treatment for a full 3 days after the last ich spot is gone from the last fish or you will be starting all over again in a fairly short time. You do not add the salt directly to the tank, instead take some tank water out, mix and dissolve part of the salt and slowly add the mix back into the tank. Repeat over a few hours until you have added all of the salt for the dosage. When you do a water change for ammonia, be sure to mix the salt into the new water before you add it back into the tank. That way the salt concentration in the tank never drops until the treatment is over. Your best bet, so that you really understand what you are doing, is to follow the link in my signature called Ich Info and get all of the details from someone who really understands the whole process. Nobody there will answer any questions, there is nobody there, it is an article on ich and its cure.