Need more help!

[Drumm22]

Have you tested your water?

Yes

If yes, what is your ammonia?

N/a

If yes, what is your nitrite?

0

If yes, what is your nitrate?

0-40

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?

41-50%

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.

Ok so its been 4/5 days of treating ick on my 2 ebjd. It looked like it went away after a day, i still havent stopped treatment but its gotten way worse it seems i cant really put a pin on it. Ive been doing 50% changes every other day, gravel vaccing the entire time. And using “Acurel knock out ip”. Water temp is 84 rn. And just put the heater to 86. My clown loaches are showing no signs of ick. Is it common for it to get worse before better? Didn't use salt bc of loaches and plants.

any input would be appreciated. I understand baby ebjd are delicate but they dont seem like they r dying. The one will kinda sit in a plant but as soon as i walk by the plant, it swims around w the other one.
I did an at home strip test there was a small amount of nitrate. the carbonate hardness

 

[duanes]

Ick almost always gets worse before it gets better, and you have already been advised that it sometimes takes two to 3 weeks to eradicate.
Are you continuing to re-add meds after water changes.
Water changes dilute medication so you must replace what has been removed or you prolong the disease. If you remove 10 gallons during a water change, the equivalent medication to treat 10 gallons must be added back.
Each spot on the fish erupts into 100 new spots, so if you delayed treatment even a day or 2 before adding meds, , those eruptions of new spots are probably what you are seeing now.
What did you use for medication?

 

[kno4te]

It’s a natural treatment. Seen the reviews on amazon but I don’t trust it. Other reviews were about the seller. Since it got better would redose and cont till about 2-3 weeks. Hope you won’t have to switch to another product or salt.

 

[Drumm22]

Ick almost always gets worse before it gets better, and you have already been advised that it sometimes takes two to 3 weeks to eradicate.
Are you continuing to re-add meds after water changes.
Water changes dilute medication so you must replace what has been removed or you prolong the disease. If you remove 10 gallons during a water change, the equivalent medication to treat 10 gallons must be added back.
Each spot on the fish erupts into 100 new spots, so if you delayed treatment even a day or 2 before adding meds, , those eruptions of new spots are probably what you are seeing now.
What did you use for medication?

Acurel knock out ip

 

[duanes]

Simply having spots disappear is not a 100% accurate indicator of the fish getting better.
Because in the normal life cycle of the protozoa, each spot naturally disappears as it erupts into hundreds of microscopic, new ick, it sometimes gives the impression it is over, but these new young ick are invisible, and only become apparent as they grow on the fish.
Being a microbiologist, I tend to be skeptical of treatments that haven't been tested over time.
Salt to me, is the most reliable (and natural) treatment, but only if used in the proper, and strong enough dose, it is also something ick can't normally build resistance to.
When started as a treatment right away, it has the ability to osmotically control the spread of the disease, by killing young ick as they erupt.
It could be that by delaying treatment, the new ick have now got another foot hold. which could prolong the invasion and necessitate extra weeks of treatment....or....what ever you are using may not be an effective treatment if the fish are filling up with new spots because the new ick are possibly resistant..

If even 1 spot remains, its not over.