Sorry, Ich Again

[ruhorserider]

Hello,
Sorry to bother with this agian, I know it is a common topic.
My fish appear to have gotten ich after I added a few tetras.
Long story short, I've started treating with API Super Ich Treatment (liquid). It's been 36 hours, and I see no results. No one has died so far, but the spots are not getting any better, in fact seem worst.
I removed carbon from the filter. Just running bio wheels now.
Also, I thought the water should turn blue/green. Well it was for about 20 minutes, then it seemed to clear... I've read somewhere that it means the medication is getting removed somehow, is that really true?
Anything else I should do for my poor fish? So far no one has died, and I would like to keep it that way!
Thank you very much!

 

[OldMan47]

You need to understand the ich treatment and life cycle. Some treatments specifically react with organics which means they can be removed by simply having a heavy organic content in your tank. I cannot advise what to do with that. I use a 5gm/litre treatment of salt and it does not get "used up" by organics in the environment. It also does not kill off my biological filter or get removed by carbon in my filter.

The life cycle is simple. The ich lives for a few days on the fish and produces the lesions that you see. After that they drop off and live a few days in the substrate. The next stage is free swimming organisms tat are seeking their next animal host. Only this last free swimming stage can be killed by the treatments. Your fish will develop lesions based on the parasites that have infested them regardless of any treatment.

The benefit of the treatment is that once a parasite has dropped off it cannot survive to infest the next fish. The reason they specify higher temperatures is to shorten the life cycle and thus cure the fish quicker. The fact that the parasite spends a few days in the substrate is why you continue to treat after all signs are gone from the fish. Those few extra days are to kill off the last of the free swimming parasites.

 

[ruhorserider]

Don't worry, I am a veterinary tech, and do get the ich life cycle.
However it sounds like some people get the results very quickly. Mine still seem to be the same. I will probably follow the directions on the bottle, and if all fails, try different drug. I guess there is a few things available to kill it off.
Thanks for the info.

You need to understand the ich treatment and life cycle. Some treatments specifically react with organics which means they can be removed by simply having a heavy organic content in your tank. I cannot advise what to do with that. I use a 5gm/litre treatment of salt and it does not get "used up" by organics in the environment. It also does not kill off my biological filter or get removed by carbon in my filter.

The life cycle is simple. The ich lives for a few days on the fish and produces the lesions that you see. After that they drop off and live a few days in the substrate. The next stage is free swimming organisms tat are seeking their next animal host. Only this last free swimming stage can be killed by the treatments. Your fish will develop lesions based on the parasites that have infested them regardless of any treatment.

The benefit of the treatment is that once a parasite has dropped off it cannot survive to infest the next fish. The reason they specify higher temperatures is to shorten the life cycle and thus cure the fish quicker. The fact that the parasite spends a few days in the substrate is why you continue to treat after all signs are gone from the fish. Those few extra days are to kill off the last of the free swimming parasites.