# Pleco sick and platy fry in danger, maybe.



## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

Today I noticed my Pleco is covered in white spots. How unfortunate. Even more unfortunate is that I used the water from the 55 gallon tank he is in to set up a 10 gallon platy breeding tank. To top it all off, my pregnant platy gave birth on its way home from the pet store, so now I have fry in danger of getting ick.

I'm going to try pima fix or similar medication for my 55 to see if it clears up along with salt and a partial water change.

Is there anything I can do for the 10 gallon without risking death to my first batch of fry?

None of my other fish are exhibiting symptoms, with the exception of my aralius barb who has been sitting with a more vertical disposition than normal, but is also brightening in color and being more active than usual. Perhaps it's the 4 addition baby aralius I just added.

Any thoughts?

55 gallon, 3 weeks from a full water change, 74 degrees, Very hard water 300ppm, slightly alkaline 7.5 or so (nothing I can do about those last 2, city water sucks and I use good dechlorinator) Nitrate and nitrite levels unknown. 70 gallon capacity 3 stage HOB power filter with bioballs and foam for filter media (carbon is annoying) Gravel looks a bit dirty. Good heater

The 10 gallon has the 55 gallon water, a 10 gallon HOB filter with carbon, sponge, and bio material plus a 10 gallon capacity air pump with fine bubble stone. Fry are in a screen.

Food, High quality flake diet, Tuboflex worm cubes, Algae wafers, and Hikari first start something or other for the fry. No heater, tank temp is 74


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

Well, I would really recommend getting a water testing kit, get API liquid water testing kit with ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH... I'm assuming you haven't cycled this ten gallon? What about the 55?

Ok, don't add meds. Theres like... Probably the best ich cure I've ever found, on this forum. It takes some time, but it's totally worth it, theres no meds involved and it makes for a happy healthy aquarium. One sec, let me dig through some old stuff and see if I can find it for you 


Edit: Ah ha! Here we are!! http://www.fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=7705 Follow the directions and you'll be laughing! So long as you have no loaches or cory cats, any 'scaleless' fish will not be able to handle the salt and it will do more harm then good. But platys are good for salt, although I'm not sure about plecs, I'm finding a lot of conflicting things about it  Some people say they have used salt with their plecs to cure ich and they were totally fine with it, but others say it causes much stress on the fishes kidney and may cause the fishes life to be cut short. I have yet to read of any plecos dying because of the salt. But from the sounds of it, it's probably not good for them. I'm sure someone on this forum has an opinion about that? If not, then try only using half the recommended amount of salt.


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

I should get a test kit and I will soon. The 55 should have just finished cycling upon setting up the 10 gallon, which has only been in operation for 1 day now.

I added copper sulfate to the 55 along with aquarium salt and a 80% water change, and have added salt to the 10 gallon.

Here's the big question though, my 10 has no heater, and all the fish still appear healthy. Should I treat the 10 as if it's infected, or let it be until problems present themselves.


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

Oh no  You shouldn't use the copper meds!! I used the copper meds to rid my ich, not only did it not work but I'm pretty sure it finished my pleco off! They are sensitive to the copper too, as my research last night showed. It said if using any meds to use a 70-80% the recommended dose. 

Umm... So lol sorry, but if the ten gallons not even cycled the why worry about the ich killing the fry? An un cycled tank will do that much faster then the ich will. And this salt treatment will not work without a heater. The heat speeds but the ichs life cycle so the become free floating in the water more quickly and the doses of salt kill them then. 

....Why did you change 80% of the water? Thats way to much water to change ever, did you look at the link I showed you? It tells you very easy to follow directions for getting rid of the ich. 

Upon taking another look at the link I sent you this guy actually used it on his tank full of corries, loaches and plecos. So follow those directions in your plecos tank too.


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## toilofday (Jun 29, 2007)

Yes, upon seeing your response I realized that I had made several small, but important mistakes. I wrote the initial message right before I was leaving to get some sort of treatment for my 55 gallon (salt at a minimum) and I saw the copper sulfate and remembered reading something about copper being safe for regular preventative disease maintenance. I bought it and implemented it then came back to the forum the next day to check on what to do about my 10 gallon.

As of right now my fry are still alive, and my pleco seems to be doing ok.

I guess I'll see what happens with the 10 gallon before moving forward with treatment on that one beyond salt.


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

Hmm... Ok. I really recommend getting a heater for that tank though! It's just a ten gallon, a heater won't run you more then 25 bucks. 

I'm glad to hear your fry and pleco are still kicking, remember to check the parameters in your ten gallon every day and do water changes as needed! I would keep a close eye on your 55 gallon too, that massive water change may have thrown something off. 

Well, best of luck, keep us updated


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