Can’t get rid of Ich

pakash

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2009
73
36
51
Mexico
Have you tested your water?
Yes
If yes, what is your ammonia?
Fine
If yes, what is your nitrite?
Fine
If yes, what is your nitrate?
Fine
If I did not test my water...
...I recognize that I will likely be asked to do a test, and that water tests are critical for solving freshwater health problems.
Do you do water changes?
Yes
What percentage of water do you change?
21-30%
How frequently do you change your water?
Every week
If I do not change my water...
...I recognize that I will likely be recommended to do a water change, and water changes are critical for preventing future freshwater health problems.
Hello guys my girlfriend has been battling ON HOW to get rid of itch (ICK OR WHITE SPOT), she´s been using Aquarisol but as soon as shes ends the treatment, the parasites are back on the fish.

Aquarium:
- 80l tank

FISH:
  • 3 blue ramirezi
  • 4 corys
  • Tetras
  • Khuli loaches

Filtration:
- Aquaclear 30

MEDICATIONS:
- Aquarisol raising temp to 29° for 10 days and waterchange withouth carbon. Then ICK (WHITE SPOT) came back after 10 days of treatment.

- She bought SEACHEM PARAGUARD, but we´re not so sure how to use it, it says 1 capful for 40l it means i need 2 for 80l every day, but what about keepong the light on or not? What about waterchanges. Please help i feel really sorry for her and we do not know what to do, shes really sad please guys anyone could help me with SEACHEM PARAGUARD.

Thank you
 

Rocksor

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Nov 28, 2011
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Seachem Paraguard loses effectiveness every 24 hours, hence the reason to dose it every day. When you do a water change and add water conditioner, you should not add any medication for a period of 3 hours since the water conditioner will reduce the effectiveness of the medication. SO water change, add water conditioner, wait 3 hours, then add medication like Seachem Paraguard. Seachem Paraguard should have a total treatment time of 21 days, or at least 10 days past the last visible signs of ich.

She could go back to using Aquarisol, but she will need to extend the treatment time to stop using it 10 days after no longer seeing any ich on the fish. So if she shes ich on September 22 and then sees no ich on September 30, then Aquarisol needs to be in the tank until Oct 10. If she does a water change anytime, follow the directions above with regards to water conditioners.
 

pakash

Plecostomus
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2009
73
36
51
Mexico
And what about paraguard how to really use it, how many days and what about water changes and temperature pliz
 

thebiggerthebetter

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MFK Member
Dec 31, 2009
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The only reason for this cycle to occur that I can think of is that the fish are stressed. We never treat fish for ich, it goes away on its own, never jumps on tank mates, unless it is an intense outbreak and then one round of Rid-Ich or similar stuff based on a dye, such as Methylene Blue or Malachite Green and some form of formalin / formaldehyde, like MicrobeLift Broad Spectrum Disease Treatment works like a charm.

Stressed fish's immune system can't keep ich under control. Healthy fish's system does no problem. All fish carry ich on them. It only is able to break out when the immune system weakens from stress.

You must find the cause of the stress and eliminate it. Otherwise, any treatment is temporary and in the end hopeless.
 
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Chet E.

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 12, 2021
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116
41
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Minnesota
Hello, sympathys,
.
Curious. I've been in the aquarium business a while and occasionally experience issues with ich. Usually ich prospers in response to a stress of some sort. Oftentimes temperature fluctuations.
.
Generally, my advice would be first to increase the temperature to above 27C for a week if the fish will tolerate this much heat. (I believe yours will.) Often this will be the end of the ich.
.
Plain old salt will irritate some parasites and may benefit the fish. 1/2 to 1 teaspoon per gallon. (Salt is not good for plants.)
.
If more is needed, then a weak dye treatment such as you've listed above will take care of the troubles. Copper treatments may help, but I usually avoid adding metals into my aquariums. Copper would likely harm the loaches and corys.
.
If troubles persist then do much cleaning and repeat the above.
.
However, I've heard of instances where the water changes are actually the root of the problem. Usually, temperature related. The addition of cold replacement water or too much daily temperature fluctuations in general. If there is a problem with the changing of the water you might consider avoiding water changes for a while to verify this.
.
The dumb questions... Sorry...
Is the temperature in the aquarium stable?
Is the heater on a timer circuit?
Is it malfunctioning?
Are the lights hot?
Does the room temperature fluctuate a lot?
Is the aquarium in direct sun light?
.
One final thought,
I worked at A World of Fish. One of my customers, Michelle, deliberately killed guppies just to garner attention from me. (Which worked.) It was an interesting relationship. Just saying. Careful how you approach your girlfriend with that one. ;)
.
Best regards,
Chet.
 

duanes

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1663943440791.png
The fish above, arrived from being shipped with this bad case of ick.
I added 3 lbs of water softener salt per 100 gallons.
Within a little over a week, this is how they looked that week later.
1663943647822.png
I did not raise temp, because the tank was 100 gallons, and higher temps often promote bacterial infections in the lesions created by the ick parasites.
I continued the salt treatment another 10 days, and ick did not return.
1663943906133.png
I use the weight method, as opposed to volume method, because different salt grain size produce different salinities, and a 3ppt salinity is what is required to stop ick in its tracks. Weight is always the same, no matter grain size
 

jjohnwm

Potamotrygon
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Mar 29, 2019
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Manitoba, Canada
Common wisdom has long stated that Ich is present all the time, and that a stressor makes fish susceptible when otherwise they are able to resist infection. On the other hand, I have read convincing arguments for the idea that this is not true. Which to believe? Who knows? I personally have seen outbreaks of Ich in tanks that had no additions of new stock, plants or "used" water for many months, brought on simply by the apparent stress of a drop in temperature that was too abrupt...so I know which side of the argument I am on.

And although a drop in temperature has long been considered the "classic" cause of an Ich outbreak, I can't help but wonder how the fish in my outdoor stock tanks could experience temperature swings of as much as 10 - 12 degrees Fahrenheit...and sometimes even more...twice daily for days on end...and come out of it perfectly healthy and in astonishing colour.

So...is there a recurring stressor at work here? Gotta say, answering the "sick fish questionnaire" requests for information regarding water parameters with repetitions of "fine" makes me wonder.
 
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Redshark1

Peacock Bass
MFK Member
Oct 18, 2017
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If the Whitespot/Ich comes back after ten days of treatment maybe keep treating for longer.

Fix the underlying problem that has caused Ich to appear in the first place.

It can be tough to treat with new (stressed) fish and a new (stressed) keeper. Or rather an inexperienced keeper.

In my case I purchased my Clown Loaches cheaply (in a very emaciated state). Bad inexperienced keeper mistake. They developed whitespot. One of my six Clown Loaches did not cure with the others. After the recommended treatment period I isolated it in a floating plastic box. Although I would not normally do this, because it was a desperate situation I increased the dose to 2 x the dose and ten days later to 3 x the dose for a further 10 days. The spots had disappeared. Luckily the fish would eat live bloodworms throughout the treatment despite being skinny with bones sticking out. It is still with me today 27 years later and much healthier.

The medication I used was King British WS3 which is malachite green and acrivlavine. One 50ml bottle will treat up to 4,500 litres /1,000 uk gallons of tank water and so it was very economical to use. I've never needed to use it again on my Clown Loaches.

I have read that malachite green and formalin is the best combination and some remedies contain this.

Nowadays Clown Loaches are supposed to need only a half dose because they are sensitive but I don't know what to make of that.
 

duanes

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One of the evolutionary strategies of the ancient ick parasite, is that a few individuals, have a built in timer (programmed) , that allow them to sit inert in damp (or even dry) substrate for a time, over a season, as long be a year, maybe longer.
This inert cyst is programmed to hatch out only, when conditions are perfect (the same conditions that their fish host would thrive in).
In the dry season as osmotic condition become inhospitable for ick, , the cysts form, and drop to the substrate. (the same osmotic conditions, meds or salinity provide)
In nature, when spring rains come, and the osmotic conditions in water improve, the ick are programmed to hatch back out and search for a host.
It is also possible that these inert cysts can be carried by the wind, to more habitable areas.
This is one of the advantages of vacuuming the substrate during treatment, and replenishing treatments.
Vacuuming eliminates those inert cysts in the substrate, lessening the chance of reinfection once treatment has been halted, and conditions improve for latent ick cysts to re-emerge.
 

jjohnwm

Potamotrygon
MFK Member
Mar 29, 2019
3,710
8,967
164
Manitoba, Canada
One of the evolutionary strategies of the ancient ick parasite, is that a few individuals, have a built in timer (programmed) , that allow them to sit inert in damp (or even dry) substrate for a time, over a season, as long be a year, maybe longer.
This inert cyst is programmed to hatch out only, when conditions are perfect (the same conditions that their fish host would thrive in).
In the dry season as osmotic condition become inhospitable for ick, , the cysts form, and drop to the substrate. (the same osmotic conditions, meds or salinity provide)
In nature, when spring rains come, and the osmotic conditions in water improve, the ick are programmed to hatch back out and search for a host.
It is also possible that these inert cysts can be carried by the wind, to more habitable areas.
This is one of the advantages of vacuuming the substrate during treatment, and replenishing treatments.
Vacuuming eliminates those inert cysts in the substrate, lessening the chance of reinfection once treatment has been halted, and conditions improve for latent ick cysts to re-emerge.
Now that is interesting! So is it the assumption that once these dormant cysts do eventually hatch, the normal immune system of healthy fish prevents the occurrence of a full-blown infestation, whereas if the fish are stressed in some way these late-blooming cysts can cause such an infestation?
 
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