HELP! Ich and fungus!

[courtneem]

I have a 55gl tank

4 spotted pictus - under 4inches
2 fourline pictus - both 5"
1 common pleco - 4" or so
5 clown loaches - 2" still babies

several various tetra

ammonia = 0
nitrIte = 0
NitrAte = 20
PH = 7 to 7.2 i suck at reading the test tube color

temp always kept at 80F, 50% pwc every week and gravel vac

until this weekend I had one HOB filter now I have 2 rated for 30-60gl

Not all fish are showing signs of ich but some are pretty bad. I raised the temp to 86F as far as I can get it with two heaters for some reason. Not sure why.

Air bubbles and water level dropped to help increase air in the tank.

added salt

today the ich is so bad on 2 of my spotted pictus and 3 of my bleeding hearts i broke down and bought some ich guard II made for catfish and loaches with out scales. put that in this evening.

I noticed the two spotted pictus are getting a fungus on them now, which doesnt shock me.

what do I do? treat the entire 55gl or

I have a 5gl bucket I can move the two spotted pictus to. I can add a airstone to it and a small heater.

or I can move the betta out of the 10gl into a 1gl and use that as a QT tank.

I have some fungus clear tabs (which I know if I use I have to go half dose) and I have melafix on hand and that is it.

Im stressing!

 

[OscarHook]

try using that 10g as a quarantine tank. Up the temp to 86-88 and double the salt dosage. leave the lights off and every other day to a partial water change then add the salt based on what you took out. this can work for fungus as well. Then go ahead and treat the fungus guys with melafix, you can with ick i dont but some do, and everything should make it. I always use the salt technique because it works on most any fish and doesnt harm that many. oh and take out any carbon, even with salt i do that as a precaution. Hope all goes well and hope others share there remedies for you.

 

[bigspizz]

I have heard plecos are pretty sensitive to salt.

 

[courtneem]

yeah ive read that too, why i havent added near as much as I should. dont imagine my pictus like it either.

it says 1 tbsp per 5gl

i added 5tblsp all together in the 55gl

did a 50% pwc and added 6tblsp

I just have a feeling the fungus will not stop at these two spotted pictus, they are just more advanced in the ich.

I decided to add the jungle fungus tabs. i added 2 of them to the 55gl. it states one tab per 10gl. i figure 2 tabs is half dose for 40gl. I have my water dropped some and with the decorations etc i rather be on the lower side of the dose then the higher.

i have not seen 3 of my 5 clown loaches at all today.

 

[OscarHook]

crap didnt even see that you have a pleco. pictus should be alright but you might want to think about isolation, maybe just isolating the pleco?

 

[bigspizz]

sounds like you got a good handle on the situation. We are all here if you run in to anything. Keep us posted.......Good luck.

 

[courtneem]

ok here are some pics

can see the fungus like stuff on the top fish, ich on the other

the worst spotted pictus

my biggest fish in the tank my 5" fourline he seems perfectly fine. No spots at all.

pleco as well showing barely a sign, but i know it can be under his skin. *sigh*

 

[M|L]

I suggest you go grab some medication. Most advanced stages of ich can't be easily cured by adding salt.

Jungle brand works well in my past experiences.

 

[courtneem]

I did add ich guard II I am kind of strapped by having fish with out scales I added it yesterday. The problem is pictus cats hide all the time and on the top of them you couldnt hardly tell they had it, it was when they came out and I saw their tummies I could tell. I got the Ich Guard II right away yesterday and dosed it. I have yet to make a pictus through ich, this is the second time. Meds even at less then half dose takes them out. 2 of the spotted pictus were infested with ich, the 3rd one didnt look bad, the fourth one looks fine as well, im sure they have it but they were not bad off like the other 2.

I lost 3 of 4 spotted pictus.. the last one is on the way to death

so far my two four lines are healthy and active yet

3 clown loaches are out today and active.

The bleeding heart tetra do not look any better....

 

[ANGELMINE]

I would try this stuff called rid-ick it worked great,without hurting my catfish.I did the salt and turned up the heat 86 and removed the carbon,ick gone in 4 days ...then did 30percent water change...good luck