Crap! My Fish have Ick!

[fishyz]

Some of you may know that I just got some American Flagfish on Monday for my 29g tank and now one of my femal Flagfish has ick. I shoure it's because I dumped all the water frome tha bag into the tank (I have no idea why I did that). Good thing I already had an empty 10g tank with water in it so I just had to make it into a secure feeling place for the fish. I'm going to make daily 50% water changes in both tanks ,cleaning the gravel well in the 29 to remove any parasites that are in it, and put all the fish in the 10g that have ich to be treated. The temature in the hospitol tank is at around 80 degress F because I aded water that was to warm to it. I was trying to get the temp down when I remembered that Discus fish don't get ich as easily because of the high temp of water they live in so would it help to get rid of the ick on my Flagfish. I don't think the high temp would harm my Flagfish because they come frome florida and aroud the Gulf of Mexico. Please tel me if the high temp would work and of any other triks you might know of to get rid of this. Thanks.

 

[cichlid savage]

When treating for ich you need to raise the temp in the tank to around 84-86 degrees f as long as the fish can tolerate it. That speeds up the life cycle of the parasite making treatment more effective, as well as speeds up the metabolic rate of the fish making them more receptive to treatment. Don't forget to add an airstone as water with higher temps has less oxygen. you also need to treat both tanks as the parasite for ich becomes free floating and looks for a new host. so just treaating the fish may cause another breakout of ich when you reintroduce the fish. I am sure there are several threads in the health and disease forum about treating ich. Search there I'm sure you'll find helpful info.

Good Luck!!

 

[fishyz]

OK thatnks.

 

[DeLgAdO]

arent flag fish coldwater?

did yours actually come from florida/ gulf coast of mexico?

id be concerned about the high temp

 

[fishyz]

Either that or they're tank bred because that's they're range in the wild so I think they'll be fine. But to be safe how can I tell it it's to hot in the tank (besides dieing fish)?

 

[guppy]

Flagfish prefer low to mid 70s but can tolerate higher temps. you need to watch for gasping and clamped fins as signs of over heating or to low an O2 level. They are also very salt tolerant. There is a sticky about using the salt and heat treatment in the health section that shouls help you. If they show signs of not liking the heat and you end up treating at a lower temp just treat for a longer duration.

 

[fishyz]

Thanks guppy, I think the stickys trick worked.