# Double Checking Ich Medication



## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

Hey forum

I have an ich infestation, and I was browsing through the threads online, and I have a couple questions. Today I bought Mardel Coppersafe; it's chelated copper sulfate. After reading the side label I realized I didn't want my snail/plants to die out. So...petco doesn't have too many options. There was MelaFix and PimaFix, but reading the threads I guess they're not for me (right?) I'm not sure what to do at this point. Should I try the salt treatment? I'm a little hesitant.

Opinions? It's a planted 18g with an apple snail, two mollies, three platies, pleco,betta, golden ram and a cory. The pleco, golden ram, and betta have visible signs.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

never use melafix with bettas and never salt with cory's.try maracyn and maracyn plus. other then that get aunt kimmy to send you the link to a forum thread thats gives good advice on treating ich.


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

thanks!


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

This article is a quick synopsis of Ich and its life cycle, a very informative read:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

Heat and salt didn't work for me and with plants and a cory it wouldn't be wise. 
Corys are sensitive to meds, (as are the fish in my tank) so don't do well with the meds you have purchased. Salt and heat cause plants to take a beating.
If left untreated Ich can be lethal so you may have no choice but to use it if you can find the ones I recommend below. 

What works beautifully for me is the following:

Kordons Rid-Ich+, used at half strength, follow the instructions on the bottle exactly. 
Byron uses Aquarisol, with the same great results that I get. I happen to not be able to find this medicine locally. Melafix and Pimafix are for infections that are fungal and bacteria in nature (I believe) and not for parasitic infections. Is there a LFS anywhere near you? They most likely will carry one or the other meds listed above. Good luck and keep us posted!


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## dorabaker (Jul 3, 2010)

um, to be honest i don't know a lot about different treatments for ich, but i had some tetras once that had it and i treated them with wardley 'ickaway' - i'm not sure if your lfs/petco stocks that, but it worked for me. i also turned the temperature up (to about 27 degrees i think.) anyway ickaway just contains malachite green and acriflavine, i think. i had corys in the tank when i treated it and it didn't harm them, although the pair i had were particularly resilient so its probably best not to use them as an example. it didn't harm my plants either. i don't know about snails though as i've never had them.
anyway that's just my experience, i think ickaway is pretty cheap and easy to get, it was for me anyway, ...but if its a bad infestation it probably wouldn't be strong enough, i'm really not sure. i hope the fishies recover anyway


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

I'm sorry Aunt Kymmie - I didn't understand what you meant by " you may have no choice but to use it." Does 'it' refer to salt or the meds?


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Excellent advice from Kymmie. She meant you may have no choice but to use meds. I never use salt or raise temps either when combating Ich. I use the same meds as Kymmie with no fish loss both times I've had it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

I still don't have to take out my plants, is that correct? My snail is going to another container, but can my plants stay where they are?

I got Rid-Ich+ today, so I'll be using that at half-dosage.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

I'm so glad you were able to find the Rid-Ich+, that's good news. No, you do not have to remove your plants. Sorry I wasn't clear on my prior post, luckily Lisa knew just what it was I was trying to say but failed at. 
Good luck with your treatment. Remember, 1/2 strength and continue treating for three days AFTER the last visible white spot has been seen. Keep up posted!


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

Yay! Thank you so much for the help ya'll. Thanks Kymmie for the advice. I just dosed my aquarium and ironically I don't see any white spots anymore, but I'll continue dosing for a little while longer.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Stay the course for a few more days, at least three days minimum. We want to be sure the ich is eradicated. I'm really glad you were able to find the proper medication.


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## LisaC144 (Oct 22, 2009)

Agreed. If you read up on the life cycle of Ich, Ich can only be killed in the free-swimming stages. The white cysts fall off the fish and land in the gravel. Then the Ich hatches out of the sacs and tries to find another host. This is why it is extremely importnat to treat for an additional 3 days; to kill it in its free-swimming stage before it can find another host (fish) to attach itself to. Sounds like you're on the right track, just to sure to continue treatment for those additional 3 days at half strength, as Kymmie has pointed out to you. Good luck!


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

Oh no guys my betta didn't make it. =[ One of the mollies doesn't look like it can swim any longer.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

may he RIP


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

An update on my methods, since Kymmie mentioned my name.

I recently had reason to use CopperSafe for something (not ich), and I have noticed that the sensitive fish have not in the least responded to this, which is an improvement even over Aquari-Sol. CopperSafe does (it says) treat ich and similar parasitic issues. I have heavily planted tanks, and I have not noticed problems with the plants, at least not yet. The other nice thing about CopperSafe is that one application lasts for a month (has to be replaced at water changes of course). Thought I'd pass this on.

The best remedy for ich would be heat alone. But, the fish have to be able to tolerate near-90F for a week. But if they can--and betta, rams, mollies, platys and possibly pleco could, but likely not the corys--this is by far the safest as no chemical of any sort is entering the tank.

Salt is not safe for many fish, and it will certainly kill plants if it is used at the levels usually recommended for treating ich. So I personally would never resort to salt.

Hope this adds a bit of info.

Byron.


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

Oh! That's interesting. Well thank you Byron =]


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

Well. My molly and cory have went to fishy heaven. =\ 

My pleco is the only one that seems to have ich now. Hopefully it'll go away soon.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

well best of luck with him.


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

well now pleco is in fishy heaven.

The bottle says to use 5 mL for every 10 gallons. Since I have an 18g aquarium, and I'm using it at half dosage so that means 5 mL, right? I'm doing everything right? I don't want more fish to die.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

Is this still the ich? It should be over by now, a week later. What medication are you using, how often, and how much each time?


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

There were no more ich spot neither yesterday or today. I'm using Rid-Ich+ once a day; pouring 5 mL in my aquarium. I've taken out the carbon filter (and put in a cotton substitute). The plants can't be absorbing the chemicals, can they?


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

shootingstar26 said:


> There were no more ich spot neither yesterday or today. I'm using Rid-Ich+ once a day; pouring 5 mL in my aquarium. I've taken out the carbon filter (and put in a cotton substitute). The plants can't be absorbing the chemicals, can they?


I would do a water change tomorrow, half the tank; use a good conditioner. Leave the carbon out, with plants you don't want it anyway as it removes nutrients.

I have never yet found any medication that does not stress fish to some extent, and the longer it is in the water the more it stresses them. All catfish seem particularly bothered by chemicals. Did you notice increased respiration (breathing) by the cory and pleco? This is usually the first sign that something is wrong.

To answer your question on plants absorbing chemicals, yes, depending upon the chemicals. Heavy metals like copper which is the basis of most ich medications will be taken up by plants and detoxified to a certain extent, but probably not sufficient for the medication to become ineffective, though I am just guessing at this. But the demise of the cory and pleco would tend to suggest that the medication was not being taken up by plants.

Byron.


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## shootingstar26 (Feb 24, 2010)

I think towards the end my pleco might have been laboring, but that could be (un)wishful thinking.


Thanks for your advice Byron. I will do what you said.


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