# An Update on the Ich Situation



## Ellador (Dec 25, 2010)

Hello, all! I want to provide an update, and decided to start a new thread to do so-- here is the link to the previous thread: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/tropical-fish-diseases/ich-again-58246/

I had ordered the Kordon Rid Ich +, but it still hasn't arrived, and I was becoming impatient with not being able to treat my fish. The spots on my two Clown Loaches that are showing spots appear worse, last night I noticed a spot on one of my male Rosy Barb's tail-fin, and I decided I needed to act quickly rather than waiting for UPS. I did some online research this morning and stumbled across an organic ich treatment called Microbe-Lift Herbal Actives Herbtana. (Here is a link:  Microbe-Lift.com :: Herbtana (Freshwater) ) I called a couple of my local fish stores and one store had it in stock. I asked the guy what his experience had been with it-- he told me he had only used the saltwater version, which worked great. I was nervous about using the harsher stuff anyway... and as an added benefit, I won't have to do daily water changes before each treatment. Oh-- I also read online that the organic treatments for ich usually work better, because ich hasn't build up resistance to it yet.

I did the first treatment today-- I'll let everyone know how this goes, and if anyone has had experience with herbal/organic ich treatments, I would love some feedback. 

Maybe this is just wishful thinking, but my loaches already seem less lethargic...


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

I've no experience with organic/herbal treatments. Saltwater Ich and Freshwater Ich are two different animals, just an FYI. When the Kordon's shows up don't use both that and the herbal treatment together, as who knows how that would effect the fish, but I'm sure you already knew not to do that! Keep us updated, for sure.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

I just looked at the link and it tells you what the product does but not what's in the product. What does the label list as its active ingredient(s)??


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## Ellador (Dec 25, 2010)

Hi, Kymmie! The bottle doesn't have the ingredients listed-- so, super special, super secret, super organic ingredients... ; )
This isn't far from the truth, apparently-- after reading your post and not being able to find ingredients on the bottle, I called the fish store to ask them. The guy kind of laughed, told me people ask him that all the time, and he wishes he could answer. He said he knows tree oils are part of it, one of which being eucalyptus, but beyond that he has no idea. My next question, naturally (pun intended), was why they don't list the ingredients. He said they probably want to keep the formula to themselves.
All of this made me feel a bit skeptical as to the effectiveness of the product, and I told him so-- he agreed with me, and told me he had felt the same way when they first started selling it, so he performed a little experiment. The store has a few quarantine tanks in the back for new shipments, and one QT tank containing neon tetras started showing signs of ich. He said he split the tetras into two separate QT tanks side-by-side, and starting treating one tank with the organic stuff and the other with the "usual Kordon treatment". He said the ich was cleared up in both tanks at practically the same time-- maybe a day longer with the organic stuff, but he treated for a week after anyway, to make sure it was gone before un-quarantining the tetras. During the week-after treatment, he lost 2 tetras in the "usual treatment" tank, but none in the organic treatment tank. He said after that experiment, he was no longer skeptical about the organic treatment, and now recommends it over the other for sensitive fish.
This conversation made me feel much more secure with this stuff. I thought about it, and I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be lying to make a sale, since the sale was already made (here's hoping, anyway-- I am pretty trusting... ).
I just gave them their second dose a little while ago, and all of my clowns are out right now, busily inspecting the gravel. This stuff does smell good, too-- like eucalyptus. ; )


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## Ellador (Dec 25, 2010)

Hello, everyone! 

After the second dose of medication on Friday, all of my loaches were out and about, and all 3 babies are showing signs of ich—no body spots, just fins. I have 6 clown loaches in all, and the 3 slightly larger ones are not showing any (visible) signs-- as in, no spots. I checked around the tank for other signs of ich besides flashing, which all of my fish seem to be doing, and there is 1 white spot on one of the female rosy barb’s tail-fin. I had previously stated that I thought I saw a spot on one of the male Rosy Barb's tail-- I must have been mistaken, because I have not seen spots on the males since. They move fast, and often together, so I think I just confused one for the other. 

I have been medicating for 4 days now and have not seen any improvement in the appearance of the ich, but I have not seen any worsening of it, either. All of my fish seem to be handling the treatments just fine, and I think they are feeling better. My 3 clowns that are showing visible signs of ich have been more active since I began the treatment. 

I do have a question: On my clown loaches, the 3 with visible spots also have some fraying happening on the edges of their tail-fins. Is this fraying typical of ich? I'll try to get some pictures.


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## fishingfor2001 (Aug 4, 2010)

I do not know if this will work for you but i bought 6 zebra danios on Friday and noticed all had ich and were lethargic. I did a 50 percent water change and added stress coat. Within an hour all white spots had fallen off and the danios were happily swimming around again. Stress coat has aloe in it and forms a protective slime coat on fish. Before I started using this product I had two bouts with ich and treated with this. I use stresscoat once a week now when doing my 30 percent water change. Never had a problem with ich again.


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## Ellador (Dec 25, 2010)

fishingfor2001 said:


> I do not know if this will work for you but i bought 6 zebra danios on Friday and noticed all had ich and were lethargic. I did a 50 percent water change and added stress coat. Within an hour all white spots had fallen off and the danios were happily swimming around again. Stress coat has aloe in it and forms a protective slime coat on fish. Before I started using this product I had two bouts with ich and treated with this. I use stresscoat once a week now when doing my 30 percent water change. Never had a problem with ich again.


Thank you, fishingfor2001-- I suspect this stuff I'm using has aloe in it as well. In the product description it mentions strengthening their protective mucus layer and their immune systems. I would be so, so happy to see all of these d#@n white spots simply drop off, the way you describe-- but, clown loaches are not as hardy as danios, so I doubt I'll be that lucky. Thank you for this post-- if this organic stuff does clear up the ich, I might start using it weekly as a preventative measure, or with every water change.


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## Ellador (Dec 25, 2010)

Trying to take pictures of my clown loaches is like trying to take pictures of the loch ness monster. My German Ram wasn't helping matters, either-- he's a little prima donna, and kept putting himself in the center of every shot, chasing everyone else away! ; ) 
I took about 16 pictures, only 1 of which shows the fraying on the tail I mentioned-- this picture is of 1 clown, and 3 out of 6 are showing similar fraying combined with the typical ich spots. I upped the contrast and lowered the exposure, and the original is included.


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