African Knives and Ich

[Sundew]

I recently bought four African Knives from a local Petsmart, they looked healthy and were some of the largest I have ever seen them get in. But being on a central system, I put them into a 10 gallon quarantine tank with a sponge filter, heater and some PVC pipe. After three days at 84 degrees I noticed that one of them had the lower half of its body covered with ich. I had some Aquarium Pharm. Super Ich Cure on hand so I emptied half a packet (since they seem like scaleless fish) and since they did not react badly, I added the other half of the treatment in about an hour.

Has anyone had any experience with this product and AKF? I know it knocked out the ich on some juvenile Chocolate Cichlids with only one dose, overnight! I just wondered if the AKF are sensative to Malachite Green or other ich treatments. Probably should turn the heat up a bit also, but that medicine did such a good job on the cichlids, I did not want to stress the fish further.

Just one more good reason to quarantine!!!!

 

[Miles]

I have treated brown knife's with malachite before (quick cure), and they never had any ill side effects.

Even though brown knifes are scaleless fish they tend to be much hardier than their counterparts.

I believe salt and heat is a more efficient and less stressful method for treating Ich. If you are killing Ich overnight, it means your disrupting the cyst that is on the fish, which usually does not die without killing the fish also. When the cyst ruptures, it releases the offspring which are very sensitive to small amounts of malachite, formalin, or salt. The temperature effects the metabolism of the parasites, so it speeds it's life cycle. Salt is less stressful, while malachite green can cause damage to the fish.

 

[Sundew]

I have treated brown knife's with malachite before (quick cure), and they never had any ill side effects.

Even though brown knifes are scaleless fish they tend to be much hardier than their counterparts.

I believe salt and heat is a more efficient and less stressful method for treating Ich. If you are killing Ich overnight, it means your disrupting the cyst that is on the fish, which usually does not die without killing the fish also. When the cyst ruptures, it releases the offspring which are very sensitive to small amounts of malachite, formalin, or salt. The temperature effects the metabolism of the parasites, so it speeds it's life cycle. Salt is less stressful, while malachite green can cause damage to the fish.

Thank for the info, I will have to go check the fish shortly to see how they did overnight (they are in a workshop). I did raise the temperature in the 10 gallon to 87 (it was 84). The only problem I have had with salt is that it did not seem to work all that well. About five years ago some cardinal tetras got ich so they were placed in a 10 gallon and a tablespoon of aquarium salt was added. Over the next few days the tetra began dying off and the ich did not seem to be affected. So I did a water change and raised the heat to 87 and just left it there for several weeks which did the trick. When I put the tetras into the main tank I kept the heat at 85 and never had further disease problems. Cardinals didn't mind the heat though, other fish might not tolerate it as well.

 

[arowana man]

this happens alot with akf's. i use ick attack by Kordan. it 100% organic. and i had no problems at all.

 

[Sundew]

this happens alot with akf's. i use ick attack by Kordan. it 100% organic. and i had no problems at all.

Hmmm, never heard of this product. I do use pima and melafix which are natural products and work well for the problems they treat. How long does this product take to work?

I did give the AKF the second dosage of Super Ick Cure and it seems to have worked, but probably will wait before adding them to the polypterus tank. I can't tell if they are eating, they are probably stressed from the medication and from being couped up in a 10 gallon tank.

 

[killerfish]

there a little sensitive to meds but not nearly as sensative as say pictus cats or loaches still salt and heat are the best way but as a quick cure you can use ich meds i useually go for a 3/4-full does depending on how they react to it but with my cats i'll go 1/2 does at most

 

[Miles]

Most FW fish can withstand a very high amount of salinity for a few weeks period. It will put a strain on fish that aren't used to that many dissolved solids in the water, but will benefit fish that enjoy it.. Temp just speeds up the process.

organic rid-ich is good stuff too, I recommend it!

 

[Sundew]

Good news, the ick the fish had is long gone (they were in quarantine for 2 weeks while I was out of town). I moved them into their permenant home today, a 135 with 6 polypterus and 2 ropes. So far, so good.

Sadly, I did go back to the same Petsmart today, they had a rather rare Leporinus species - with ick - and four more AKF which I resisted the urge to buy. The saleswoman did not know enough to realize the fish were ill and said they would have to get someone else to look at the problem. I may go back and reconsider the Leporinus anyway.

 

[arowana man]

Hmmm, never heard of this product. I do use pima and melafix which are natural products and work well for the problems they treat. How long does this product take to work?

I did give the AKF the second dosage of Super Ick Cure and it seems to have worked, but probably will wait before adding them to the polypterus tank. I can't tell if they are eating, they are probably stressed from the medication and from being couped up in a 10 gallon tank.

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