Ich

[Deadeye]

Have you tested your water?

No

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?

71-80%

How frequently do you change your water?

Every two weeks

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.

I was stupid and didn’t quarantine the new mollies I got (in my poor defense I didn’t have a qt tank at the ready).
I know ich isn’t the worst thing I could bring in, but one of my mollies now clearly has it, and I’d like to stop it before it spreads.
I have api super ich cure (doesn’t that stain everything?) or metroplex, not sure if either are going to be any good. I also have cupramine, but that’s a no go with puffers.
Could I just take the affected molly out and treat it, or am I right to assume it could have already started spreading?
Am I best using no meds and raising salinity + increasing temp? If so, is reef salt fine or do I need something else? What salinity do I shoot for? Will salt kill my plants or is it not high enough of a salinity to do so?
Sorry for all the rambling, thanks in advance!

 

[FJB]

I believe you will receive different opinions on what to do, and what treatment.
If it were me, I would tell myself- Rats! I screwed up. I brought ick into the main tank and now I have to treat the whole tank, and hope for the best. Taking the mollie out to treat... maybe too late. Unfortunately ick is only one of various things it may have brought and one would have to be very attentive to what else may occur. But the ick is certainly urgent now.
I have not used the medicines you mentioned. I have used successfully Rid-Ick + temperature + salt (regular table salt) + lots of surface agitation (for increased gas exchange), and the sooner one begins the better. Changes from one day to the next can be major. I would accept that probably it can be beat, but that there can be loses.
I don't know about puffers susceptibilities. Hopefully others can chime in.
I wish you good luck. It is discouraging and a pity but happens to all of us from time to time.

 

[1 2many]

Definitely heat + salt. I’ve used this treatment method in the past and had excellent results

 

[1 2many]

White Spot, Ich ((Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) - Read information!

This has been posted in the other sticky thread entitled "Freshwater Disease Guide" actually but I think I'll stick this separately since not everyone seems to be reading the article that should be able to cover almost every question about ich you have in mind. Hopefully, it will be less...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[1 2many]

One proven way to treat ich/ick

I am writing this because it is something that comes up so often. Ich is a protozoal infection that afflicts fish and can rapidly kill them, most often by damaging gill tissue. The organism goes through a life cycle of; a small white spot feeding on your fish, which drops off to the floor of...

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[Deadeye]

Thanks!
Is each dose to raise it up a .1%, or is that to maintain a certain one (as in only dose 2 times if I want 0.2%)?
I guess with the pleco and loaches 0.3% would be a bit high.

 

[1 2many]

Each dose from day 1 until the end will either be 0.1 (1tsp), 0.2 (2tsp), or 0.3 (3tsp) of salt per gallon of water. The percentage varies due to the different fish hardiness.
Start with 0.1 (1tsp per gallon) and see how your fish tolerate it. You can always increase the amount of salt you add if need be.

 

[1 2many]

Each dose from day 1 until the end will either be 0.1 (1tsp), 0.2 (2tsp), or 0.3 (3tsp) of salt per gallon of water. The percentage varies due to the different fish hardiness.
Start with 0.1 (1tsp per gallon) and see how your fish tolerate it. You can always increase the amount of salt you add if need be.

If your fish can tolerate 1tsp per gallon 0.1 and the ich is also resisting treatment at 0.1, increase the dose amount to 2-3tsp per gallon 0.2 - 0.3

 

[Deadeye]

Am I dosing daily or just the 3 times 12 hours apart?
I put the first dose in an hour ago, at 0.1.
Sorry for all the questions, this is my first time actually dealing with freshwater ich.

 

[1 2many]

You can dose every 12hr if fish are ok. It will most likely take more than just 3 doses to complete