My fish are getting a bad case of ich that just wont go away so I need some support guys!
First is first some background info on the tank:
Tank is a 125 that is overstocked but has plenty of filtration ( bio-wheel 330, Rena XP3, and DIY sump pushing about 750GPH ). I do a 50-70% w/c every 5-7 days. My current params are:
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrIte: 0ppm
nitrAte: 40ppm
pH: 7.6
Temp: 81
I jsut recently moved and the tank is in my unfinished basement in my new house and its cool down there. I have 3 heaters turned up to the max and pushing 850W
total just to maintain a temp of 81 degrees.
All fish made it through the move just fine as it was just down the street and I took all the precautions to keep the media alive and I had no ammonia spike or anything in the weeks after the move.
A week or two later I noticed that my cichla had a minor case of Ich so I tried my usual salt method and raising the temp. My problem is that I can only get my temp to 81 (normally I like about 85 when treating ich) and I cant use that much salt because I have a ray and loaches. I dosed the tank with salt at a ratio of about a tablespoon per five gallons of water. After 3-4 days I did a water changed and dosed it to a tablespoon of salt per 8-10gallons.
After a week and a half I got that under control and added two 5.5" clown loaches. Within a week they were covered with ich so I used salt again. No luck after a week or so, so I bit the bullet and took home some ich medicine from work. Its a green powder made by Jungle brand but the name escapes me for the moment. Knowing that it isnt the safest to use malachite green (spelling) on rays, loaches, and the like I just did a 3/4 dose followed by a 50% water change the following day and redosing to about 1/3 dose yesterday. I didnt do a w/c today. Right now all my fish are fine including my ray (hes bullet proof) and even my 10" BGK and pair of dats, but all five of my loaches ranging in size from smallest at 4" to my largest at 6.5-7" are COVERED in ich. I honestly dont know how long they will last. I just fed the tank shrimp and they (the loaches and everyone else but my catfish) ate as usual but are still looking bad. My stripped ralph cat looks the worse. He is actually turning a redish color and has cloudy eyes and is behaving quite oddly.
Given my situation of not being able to raise the temp, using too much salt, or too much ich meds what other options are out there?! HELP!!
First is first some background info on the tank:
Tank is a 125 that is overstocked but has plenty of filtration ( bio-wheel 330, Rena XP3, and DIY sump pushing about 750GPH ). I do a 50-70% w/c every 5-7 days. My current params are:
ammonia: 0ppm
nitrIte: 0ppm
nitrAte: 40ppm
pH: 7.6
Temp: 81
I jsut recently moved and the tank is in my unfinished basement in my new house and its cool down there. I have 3 heaters turned up to the max and pushing 850W
total just to maintain a temp of 81 degrees.All fish made it through the move just fine as it was just down the street and I took all the precautions to keep the media alive and I had no ammonia spike or anything in the weeks after the move.
A week or two later I noticed that my cichla had a minor case of Ich so I tried my usual salt method and raising the temp. My problem is that I can only get my temp to 81 (normally I like about 85 when treating ich) and I cant use that much salt because I have a ray and loaches. I dosed the tank with salt at a ratio of about a tablespoon per five gallons of water. After 3-4 days I did a water changed and dosed it to a tablespoon of salt per 8-10gallons.
After a week and a half I got that under control and added two 5.5" clown loaches. Within a week they were covered with ich so I used salt again. No luck after a week or so, so I bit the bullet and took home some ich medicine from work. Its a green powder made by Jungle brand but the name escapes me for the moment. Knowing that it isnt the safest to use malachite green (spelling) on rays, loaches, and the like I just did a 3/4 dose followed by a 50% water change the following day and redosing to about 1/3 dose yesterday. I didnt do a w/c today. Right now all my fish are fine including my ray (hes bullet proof) and even my 10" BGK and pair of dats, but all five of my loaches ranging in size from smallest at 4" to my largest at 6.5-7" are COVERED in ich. I honestly dont know how long they will last. I just fed the tank shrimp and they (the loaches and everyone else but my catfish) ate as usual but are still looking bad. My stripped ralph cat looks the worse. He is actually turning a redish color and has cloudy eyes and is behaving quite oddly.
Given my situation of not being able to raise the temp, using too much salt, or too much ich meds what other options are out there?! HELP!!
