My Fish Looks Like Nemo

[blw0489]

my panda platty is missing his fin or at least 75 % of it. he is swimming and eating and acting completely normal. The only problem is, is that I just got him a week ago so he either came with it or it just happened. side note all my fish came down with ick! I just noticed that today as well but Im always analyzing my tank.. can anyone tell me what this is and why and how to treat her please! Posting a pic!!!

1 month old tank, cycling is 75 % done, 20% water changes EOD, have a master test kit. today I purchased copper safe and began ich treatment.

 

[blw0489]

Tank size: 10 g
pH: 6.5-7
ammonia: .1-.2ppm
nitrite: .3-.5ppm
tank temp: 78F


Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: beneficial bacteria and copper safe

Tank inhabitants:2 molly 2 guppy 2 platty

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration):
live plants and driftwood been in there the whole time
Exposure to chemicals:
not that I'm aware of

 

[DreamertK]

Large water changes EVERY DAY. You picked the strugglers life of a fish-in cycle, which means you ABSOLUTELY need to do this. You can see the damage it's already done. Plus clean water helps the healing process.
 
Generally you put the heater on a bit higher as well in conjunction with the ich medicine.

 

[the_lock_man]

I'd agree with Dreamer, 20% EOD is just not enough for a fish-in cycle. You have to keep those two toxins below 0.25ppm at all times, and with that level of fish in that small a tank, the toxins will build up seriously quickly. I would estimate that you should have been doing ~90% daily, and whilst you reckon that the process is 3/4 done, the ammonia leaves a lasting damage on the gills. You may well have learned the hard way.

 

[blw0489]

my local fish store never told me about cycling I most certainly learned the hard and it's cost me a fortune. I can't seem to get these nitrites down if my life depended on it! and now with copper safe i have to remove part of my filter which I'm sure is messing with my biological filter, oy vey!!! I will do at least 50% water changes everyday. Thanks - should I be medicating the fin? also like I said he probly had been missing the fin before i got him..

 

[DreamertK]

I went through the same thing.

I thought I was going to go crazy having to do so many WC every single day.
 
Hopefully you only removed the carbon from the filter. It's like a liver that ensnares medications in the water. It doesn't hurt the filter, but it's good to put it back in when your done with the medications.
 
You don't have to. It should grow back (depending on how bad the damage is). The best medication is clean water.

 

[blw0489]

I went through the same thing. I thought I was going to go crazy having to do so many WC every single day.
 
Hopefully you only removed the carbon from the filter. It's like a liver that ensnares medications in the water. It doesn't hurt the filter, but it's good to put it back in when your done with the medications.
 
You don't have to. It should grow back (depending on how bad the damage is). The best medication is clean water.

UPDATE:yes I only removed the carbon and replaced it with a white foam that's meant to support a biological filter but works mechanically by removing debris. seems to be working fine I rinsed it in tank water.. the ich seems to be gone (well the obvious white dots) but I'm sure it's still alive in my tank. do u reccomend me quarantining my fish so the ich in my tank can die off or honestly start all over to ensure the ich is gone? I returned most of fish to the store bc I felt like a murderer and they needed a second chance at life the LFS understood and said people love adopting fish - i warned him about the ich he is gonna treat them. so I have 1 molly and this boy is really hardy. I will not over stock my tank again. and ideas??? should I keep doing 50% water changes and hope the ich dies off or remove my fish and put him in a 1gallon( my only other tank) for 3 days so the ich can die in my tank. or do I take apart my tank and boil everything? HELP experts!!! my fear is messing with my almost complete biological filter if I havnt done so already by removing the carbon.

 

[the_lock_man]

The coppersafe should tell you to continue medicating even after the spots have gone - the parasite is impervious to the treatment whilst it's on the fish, only when it's swimming around in the water. Don't quarantine the fish in case there are any parasite just attaching themselves.
 
With your test kit, if you see a reading that's less than 0.5ppm for both ammonia and nitrite, do a 50% change. If either reading is above 0.5ppm, do a 90% change. If niether show a reading, don't do a change.

 

[blw0489]

The coppersafe should tell you to continue medicating even after the spots have gone - the parasite is impervious to the treatment whilst it's on the fish, only when it's swimming around in the water. Don't quarantine the fish in case there are any parasite just attaching themselves.
 
With your test kit, if you see a reading that's less than 0.5ppm for both ammonia and nitrite, do a 50% change. If either reading is above 0.5ppm, do a 90% change. If niether show a reading, don't do a change.

This AM: pre water change nitrites were .4 and ammonia .2
POST 50% water change ammonia is .2 and nitrites are .2. I have been doing this everyday and supplementing the new water with tetra safe and copper safe. the molly is really doing great fins are Long and out, good appetite, casual swimming..I will continue with the copper safe for the full month.. anything else ?
oh and I have been getting ammonia reading between .2-.25 for the past 2 weeks no change there even with the water changes i assume it's bc I'm still cycling : /

 

[DreamertK]

Try testing your tap water or whatever water you're putting into the tank when you do the WC.

 

[b3cca]

Are you using anything like ammo lock or any other chemicals that neutalise ammonia ?
I believe These can still cause you to have high ammonia readings on the test kits even if the actual reading is lower or 0
 
You cannot just have a set limit for partial water changes if doing a fish in cycle.
If you do a 50 % and are still seeing high ammonia nitrites then you need to do another part water change and another if needed.
 
If you have to do 3 or 4 large pwc per day, so be it.