# Bubbles at top while using ich remover. long thread



## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

Tank size:125 gallon (6inch x 20 x 18)
pH: 7.5
th hardness: 80 ppm
nitrite:0 are they suppose to be at 0
nitrate:0
Alkalinty: was between 0 and 80 ppm
tank temp:80 f

ph test kit, and strips

Fish Symptoms (include full description including lesion, color, location, fish behavior): Angelfish is sitting up at top of water surface, Breathing out of one gill, Red tail wag goes up there sometimes. other fish is orange, i wanna say its a red barb something and he looks fine out of all them and including my rainbow shark. I know i have or had ich, i had 2 bala sharks a dinosaur bichir and much more and they all dies so i had 10 fish down to 3 fish. i failed cause i just started the tank and i put them all in at once. so my filter wasnt caught up with my tank and blah blah blah. So my question is could this have caused the ich. so that might be reason 1 my fish could be stressed and weak. secondly i found out where i bought my fish supposedly had ich which would include the lil bala shark and the rainbow shark (i bought bout not even a week ago. But what dosnt make sense is that my catfish died first out of all them, within the day i put them all in the tank. i put them all in bout hour a piece i know wasnt smart. So my question is where could this ich come from and where does it come from and how does it start? im using medicine to cure ich and my tail root as well. I took the carbon out but still have my bio chem stars in my filter along with my pph foam and stuff just no carbon. I did a water change last night 25% cause i keep seeing this film build up or lil bubbles foaming at the top away from the bubble stones on the other side where my angel fish is chilling. what is this from? ive came accross many websites but havnt gotten a straight answer. what is the bubbles at the top of my tank doing. And my angel fish is like a light gold with black strips that come back and forth when he was normal but are on contently ever since all this stuff happened.

Volume and Frequency of water changes: 25% change first time since new tank has been running since i ran into problems with ich and tail rot and foamy mouth etc etc

Chemical Additives or Media in your tank: all thats running is my foam pads no carbon besides bio chem stars and the super ick cure stuff (1/2 dose) and melafix

Tank inhabitants:

Recent additions to your tank (living or decoration): new rocks new filter new tank. Yes i know i failed but is this what could have cause the "ich" breakout

Exposure to chemicals:none besides the medicines and water changed with water conditioners 

Main question: What is causing all the bubbles at the top of my tank. and what could have caused the ich break out. If they have tail rot do they have to have ich?

Digital photo (include if possible): My red wag use to have white stuff on his back but before his back fin.

























sorry if it dosnt make sense as its hard to say what is going on. if somthing dosnt make sense please let me know. if the pics dont work out let me know as i will get better ones.


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## Aqua Jon (Apr 8, 2010)

I'm sorry you lost all your fish :-( even though you didn't know what is going on - we've all been there. Unfortunately the ich outbreak was likely caused by the new tank, but it is not the killer. Ich is a disease that appears when fish are stressed. Stress is also the reason your angel's color (stripes) would fade. Strong, bold color in a fish is a sign of good health and a lack of color is an indication of stress. The reason your barbs survived is that they are very hardy fish and can survive the "cycling" toxins of a new tank (ammonia, nitrite, and high levels of nitrate). I made this same mistake with my very first tank and only my 4 rosy barbs survived, but lost color and ich occured throughout the tank. This forum can educate you, as it did me, on nearly everything fish. I encourage you to take advantage of that . As far as the fish who have died - they were likely killed by the high levels of ammonia and nitrite that appear during the first weeks to a month of a new tank. I'm sure you have been told by many about the nitrogen cycle, if not _please_ look for it or _ask_. 

The bubbles (in the top photo) could be a result from the medication. The ich medication I use does fizz a bit as well as stain the silicone a blueish color throughout the aquarium. Hopefully someone who has experience with the medications you have listed can determine if this is irregular in your tank. Also, I see that you have a bubble wall, turn that off for a few hours and see if the bubbles still appear. If they are gone then the bubble wand is the source. However, if the bubbles remain see if you can locate where they are coming from (if anywhere).

Tail rot and ich are different diseases. One does not indicate the presence of another. Both are indicators of bad water quality or an unhealthy fish. Tail rot is a symptom of bacterial infection of a fish's weak or damaged fins. It can also be from high pH, but you posted a pH of 7.5 so this is not the case. 

Back to Ich. Ich is a disease that, as I understand it, cannot be eradicated. It is always present in the aquarium. The ich should diminish in a few days (3-5) after treatment. So only dose as instructed by the products your using and give them time to work. 

I hope I answered everything well enough. If you have more questions, do not hesitate to post them.


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

Thank you Jon. But at the same time ive read some stuff about the color being bright and having the stripes ARE a sign of stress. And if they are faded that would mean there are not stressed. or does that work for diff fish. I have a pic of my angel fish again a better pic of him and the bubbles im talking about so you all can have a idea what it looks like. And for where the bubbles are coming from it isnt my bubble wall or my bubbles. im hoping its the medication.


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

And if its the bubble wall. What would that mean?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I think you answered your own question about where the ich came from. You had stated that the store where you bought your fish had ich. So the ich was brought in by the new fish. It is very contagious and if one tank at the LFS has ich it can spread to all their tanks if all their tanks are on a central filtering system. Make sure that you continue to treat for ich at least 3 days after you no longer see any spots on the fish. Here's a link to an article on ich so you can understand the life cycle of ich better:
The Skeptical Aquarist

As for the bubbles. it may be caused by the Melafix. I know the few times I've used Melafix in the past I seem to remember it being foamy. Once you're done treating your fish and have done a few water changes/added carbon back in to remove the meds the foam should dissipate.


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

Alright thanks. One more thing to add tho is my angel fish hasnt ate at all... and he sits at the top all the time.


I am not 100% sure i got ich from petsmart. only 2 people said that and i talked to a few employees and they said they had it months ago. But idk im hoping its gone but the angel fish dosnt look right.


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

Well it sounds like your tank is still cycling since it's new and you have no reading for nitrates yet. You need to check your ammonia reading. An ammonia or nitrite reading will cause your angelfish to act like that (along with an ich problem). Check for ammonia and if you have a reading you'll need to do a water change to keep the ammonia low and the fish comfortable.


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

Alright sounds good. Thanks.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

Alright still having some issues. My angel fish isnt eating. He is getting bigger in his stomach.

My reds glass barb is nippin at his fins.

My rainbow Shark looks fine. 

I am no longer treating them as it looks as its gone. but dont know yet. 

PH 7.4
Ammonia 0
Nitrite is less then .25ppm but not 0
Nitrate is less then 5.0ppm but not 0
Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...super-ich-remover-liquid-61447/#ixzz1DK7klrVL

Ya sorry for the 2 threads... 

its very FRUSTRATING 
​


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## Aqua Jon (Apr 8, 2010)

Strange question, but is he pooping? He may be backed up, which could be a problem.


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## aSpiritusSancti (Jan 30, 2011)

No he is not. I moved him to my 29 gal Tank so the others wont nip at him.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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