Stubborn Ich :(

[fishyfreak]

I've been having an ongoing Ich problem since I set up my tank a month ago, all water parameters are good (Nitrate's a little on the high side, but slowly improving). I'm on my 3rd remedy and am getting a bit frustrated. It's not out of control and I haven't lost any fish yet but it's just so persistent. I started with Super Ich cure, it helped but only for a couple days then it was back. After that I tried Maricide, after 4 treatments it was still there. Now it was recommended by my supplier to use Cupramine (copper buffer). I added the 2nd treatment yesterday and I'm supposed to leave it in for 2 more weeks, as of today they're still scratching.

Although I'm hopeful that this last treatment will take care of it, I'm doubtful. Could there be any underlying problems that would cause this? The fish are all very active, breeding and hungry, about 40 various young Cichlids altogether. Filtration is inadequate, 180g filtered with a sump (old pump) I estimate turns the water over once an hour. I'm buying a new pump soon, but could this be adding to the problem? I also do weekly water changes of min. 25%.

Any new advice would be appreciated.

 

[goosej13]

turn your filter off when you treat them... the carbon in your filter absorbs the meds

 

[fishyfreak]

turn your filter off when you treat them... the carbon in your filter absorbs the meds

There's no carbon in my filter.

 

[goosej13]

are you adding any salt??

 

[Bignose]

Did you treat every single day? Or did you only do one dose and then wait? Lots of the medications don't have the proper instructions on them.

The best thing you can do is learn about ich and its lifecycles. I've recommended this webpage ( http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml ) a lot, but it is still the best resource on ich in the Internet in my opinion. It has the best collection of facts about ich that are known today.

In particular, note how ich has many steps in its lifecycle, but is only vulnerable to medication during one brief step in the lifecycle. Therefore, you have to treat every day to catch all the ichs as they progress into the vulnerable step.

And, because the ich is not susceptible to medication in most of it's lifetime, you have to medicate after all visible symptoms are gone. I usually recommend treating for at least 7 days after all visible signs are gone -- all the spots and all the scratching. That way the ich would go through around two more cycles at tropical temperatures and you really increase the chances of killing 100% of the population.

On the other hand, are you sure that it is ich? Are the fish just scratching, or have you definitely seen the slat grain like white spots?

 

[Colin_T]

copper should work but as Bignose asked, are you sure its whitespot and not just the fish having the occassional scratch.

 

[fishyfreak]

Thanks for the info. Yes I have been seeing white spots, and agree with you about being persistent with the treatments. I think the copper is working, they are scratching less often and are not as frantic about it and I haven't seen a white spot since Monday now. I will keep the water at this concentration for 2 weeks and if I see any more scratching I will do a water change and continue the treatments until 1 week after all signs are gone like you recommended. I will check out that site, as a note, my Kenyi seem to be affected the most, thing is I have yet to see a spot on them.

Goosej13 "are you adding any salt??"

Yes, I added 1 tablespoon per 7.5 gallons of water as recommended for the 1st 2 treatments. I didn't go as high as 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons because of my catfish.

Thanks for all your replies, this is my wife's 1st experience at fish keeping and I keep promising her "it will get better!" lol...she absolutely loves all the fish and has even named them but she's not too happy about spending $60 per treatment, fortunately the copper was only a third of that and it seems to be the most effective one yet.

I'll keep you all posted, at least I can say that this has been a learning experience.