# I've treated for ick but now their fins are rotting....did I treat it wrong?!!



## surfnchk (Aug 15, 2010)

Hello everyone! I'm new to the aquarium hobby. I've had my tank for a few months now and a week ago I noticed some white spots on one of my platys and then a few days later other fish were affected. I bought kordon Ick-attack and took out the carbon in my filter. I've been treating with the ick-attack for 4 days now and no improvement and have lost already a few fish  I've tested the water and ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and pH levels are fine according to the tests. The water however is cloudy. I've noticed with my fish they are lethargic and still have the white spots (looks like salt was poured on them) and now their fins are starting to rot. Please help I don't know what else to do!


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

surfnchk said:


> Hello everyone! I'm new to the aquarium hobby. I've had my tank for a few months now and a week ago I noticed some white spots on one of my platys and then a few days later other fish were affected. I bought kordon Ick-attack and took out the carbon in my filter. I've been treating with the ick-attack for 4 days now and no improvement and have lost already a few fish  I've tested the water and ammonia/nitrite/nitrate and pH levels are fine according to the tests. The water however is cloudy. I've noticed with my fish they are lethargic and still have the white spots (looks like salt was poured on them) and now their fins are starting to rot. Please help I don't know what else to do!


 
What numbers do tests give for ammonia,nitrites,and nitrates? What is the pH?
Livebearer's such as platy's need hard alkaline water with pH between 7.5 and 8.0 .
Ammonia and nitrites must read zero ,and nitrAtes are best kept around 20 ppm with weekly water changes of 30 to 50 percent.
They need a cycled tank with healthy biological filter.

To offer any more will require answers to questions that are posted in Disease section at the top of the page. See,(please read before posting) at the top of the page in tropical fish disease ,emergency section.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

you have cloudy water.thats what is causing the fin rot (either amonia burns or bacterial ) make sure the water is super clean but don't add clear to it.then start the fin rot meds. im very sure you can get maracyn and maracyn plus there.don't get the tablet form try liquid.they will ake the water cloudy so water change will be needed.if you can get interpet fungus away i would says thats the best i've used so far.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

kitten_penang said:


> you have cloudy water.thats what is causing the fin rot (either amonia burns or bacterial ) make sure the water is super clean but don't add clear to it.then start the fin rot meds. im very sure you can get maracyn and maracyn plus there.don't get the tablet form try liquid.they will ake the water cloudy so water change will be needed.if you can get interpet fungus away i would says thats the best i've used so far.


There are any number of reasons that water can become cloudy from overstocking,overfeeding,sudden bacteria die off,filter not rated for particular size of tank and or numbers of fish, chemical or mechanical media that needs to be cleaned,improper cleaning of chemical or mechanical media, bacteria blooms,sudden disruption or changing of substrate, and a few more that I could think of if pressed. 
Not all of them are reasons for fin rot.
Please don't be so quick to recommend medications that may or may not be needed until... we know what the water parameters are.
If water parameters are not suited for species being kept, then all of the medications available will not help the fish.(Problems will return)
I understand you wish to offer help ,but sometimes simply improving the water conditions can be much more helpful. The indiscriminate use of medications or recommendations of same without more information can often cause more damage than any benefits.
Would feel much more comfortable recommending a series of small daily water changes until such time as exact numbers for previously mentioned, Ammonia,nitrites,and nitrates are made known.
To do otherwise is Shotgun method, and in my view pure speculation.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

by using the words cloudy i was saying dirty water and that causes fin rot for sure plus he said .i qoute. " I've noticed with my fish they are lethargic and still have the white spots (looks like salt was poured on them) and now their fins are starting to rot. Please help I don't know what else to do!"
Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...reated-ick-but-now-their-49473/#ixzz0wm1eiJpY
​.


was the word fins starting to rot not clear or you must have missed it? and what ever the reasons are for a dirty tank i told him to make it really clean.that means he has to find out the problem and deal with it.as for small water changes you must be joking not to offend you but fin rot will kill a fish in 2 days if they are small like guppies,platies would probably be dead in 4 days if still kept in dirty water.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

and by the way i lost a fish that cost me 800 because someone told me to do small water changes for him when he had fungus.my water was clear and clean but the fish had gotten fungus from his new tank mate.add meds do small water changes and i had a dead 1 foot fish in 1 week.what meds i used.maracyn and maracyn plus in tablet form.i would agree that really clean water with medications like interpet fungus away would be way better then small water changes.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

kitten_penang said:


> by using the words cloudy i was saying dirty water and that causes fin rot for sure plus he said .i qoute. " I've noticed with my fish they are lethargic and still have the white spots (looks like salt was poured on them) and now their fins are starting to rot. Please help I don't know what else to do!"
> Read more: http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...reated-ick-but-now-their-49473/#ixzz0wm1eiJpY​
> .
> 
> ...


 

Don't believe I missed much of what little was offered.
Original poster provided no results for tests.
Original poster has treated for ICH for four days and conditions are not improving ,Usually takes longer than this to rid the fish/tank of ICH.
Would not switch to another med as you suggested ,without replacing carbon to rid the tank of ICH medication and would perform water change before starting with different medication.
Otherwise ,I would finish the ICH medication.
Dumping the meds you suggest on top of ICH medications will kill many ,many,more fish than daily water changes.
Will stand by my assertion that if these fish are being kept in water that is unsuitable with respect to ammonia,nitrites,nitrates,Ph,KH, GH,and temperature then all of the meds you care to use will have little to no effect.
Your quick to explain what you actually mean with your posts ,but perhaps explaining your meaning to those you are so quick to answer would be more helpful ,along with much more knowledege with respect to medicating fishes if this is an area that you feel compelled to submit your thoughts.
for me,, much of your content is vauge and often counter productive if not all out wrong.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

which part is wrong my fish died because i was given the advice you gave him with the small water changes thing and i kinda snap cause its my fish that was lost not yours and if he doesn't do something it would be his fishes next.you dont know what it's like to lose expensive fishes due to bad advice from people we think are experts.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

kitten_penang said:


> which part is wrong my fish died because i was given the advice you gave him with the small water changes thing and i kinda snap cause its my fish that was lost not yours and if he doesn't do something it would be his fishes next.you dont know what it's like to lose expensive fishes due to bad advice from people we think are experts.


 First I would state that I'm no expert, and trust me,I have lost plenty of fishes. I was wrong for suggesting daily water changes if fishes are still being treated for ICH.
Is equally wrong in my view to start another medication if tank is not cleared of the first. 
Would always follow recommendations on medications to the letter and would treat fishes for duration of recommended period of time before starting with new medications.
Have treated many fishes for finrot and fungus with nothing more than daily water changes. These were fish received in poor shape and they rapidly improved. 
Other fishes despite my best efforts and available meds , died. It happens.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

so sorry i snapped it has been rough since my fish died loss money met in an accident this morning to say the least.it was kept for 3 years and i got him when he was roughly 2 cm and i paid 800 for that fish.kept it with me 3 years like a puppy not to mention he was a fish kept for luck.the post just got to me. anyway i forgot to tell him to make sure there was no ich meds let in the tank before treating with fungus meds thats my mistake but i did tell him to dose it in the right amount and to do that he needed to read the booklet contained within on the usage page.


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## jtormey (Sep 3, 2008)

Be right back, getting the popcorn.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

very funny jtormy get me a coke while your there hehehehe


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

kitten_penang said:


> so sorry i snapped it has been rough since my fish died loss money met in an accident this morning to say the least.it was kept for 3 years and i got him when he was roughly 2 cm and i paid 800 for that fish.kept it with me 3 years like a puppy not to mention he was a fish kept for luck.the post just got to me. anyway i forgot to tell him to make sure there was no ich meds let in the tank before treating with fungus meds thats my mistake but i did tell him to dose it in the right amount and to do that he needed to read the booklet contained within on the usage page.


 I'm sorry bout your fish. I lost a runt Marlboro Discus that I had for nearly three years and despite all my efforts, I was unable to save it.


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## surfnchk (Aug 15, 2010)

*Tests*

Hi everyone!
So I ran some tests on my water. 
pH = 7.5
total alkalinity = 120 ppm (mg/L)
total hardness = 150 (hard)
Nitrite = 3
Nitrate = 0

This is done using Mardel 5 in 1 test strips. I tested the ammonia levels with a seperate test with the API ammonia NH3/NH4+ (that has the test tube and two solutions to test). I forgot to add that, since I have a 28 gallon tank and I'm also currently using an aquaclear 50 power filter on my tank as well. I do daily 20-25% water changes before adding more ich medicne as stated in the directions and kept my temperature up and stable as well. Today i added some aquarium salt and dissolved it in water before slowly adding it to the tank.


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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

surfnchk said:


> Hi everyone!
> So I ran some tests on my water.
> pH = 7.5
> total alkalinity = 120 ppm (mg/L)
> ...


 
Nitrites at levels you posted are toxic,(deadly) and I would perform larger daily water changes while continuing the ICH medication.
Would set temp at 82 degrees F and add an airstone to help increase dissolved oxygen which is depleted at higher temps.
Would withold feedings while medicating the fish or offer very tiny amount an hour before your next water change. (if fish are eating)
In two month old cycled tank, there should be zero ammonia,and nitrites,and there should be some detectable nitrAtes. Something has in my view wiped out the biological filter if the tank was indeed cycled at some point.
In any event,a little larger daily water changes perhaps 50 percent,, will be needed until the biological filter has once more been established. 
I would also purchase a water conditioner such as PRIME or AMQUEL+ both of which will detoxify ammonia,and nitrites along with chlorine and chloramines.
Would not clean or replace filter material for the next month as most of the good bacteria needed for biological filter will be found in the filter.
As long as you are getting readings above zero for ammonia and nitrites,daily water changes of fifty pecent and followed by re-dosing of ICH meds for time indicated will be needed. IMHO


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## surfnchk (Aug 15, 2010)

thanks for the great advice! I've got the biomax ammonia remover with the foam thing in my aquaclear. I'll try the 50% water change instead of the 25% every day and see if that works. A few of my fish are still eating which is a good sign. I'm hoping that this will work  I'm also keeping the temp at a steady 82 F. When I first started the tank i waited 2 weeks before adding fish and ran tests on the water so I'm not sure what went wrong. Only added 1-2 fish every 3 weeks. I'll keep everyone posted! Thank you everyone!


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## redchigh (Jan 20, 2010)

If you have nitrite, you probably have ammonia, and ammonia can cause the fins to 'burn away'.

Do water changes, and test frequestly. When ammonia and nitrites are 0, THEN consider treating with meds.


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## Russell (Jun 28, 2010)

Remember when you up the water changes from what is recommended by the medicine's manufacturer you have to do a little math to make sure that the medicines concentrations increase as the manufacturer intended. If you remove one quarter of the meds with the manufacturers suggested water change and you decide for other reasons even good ones to take out half the meds with a water change you need to add back in the lost quarter with the next dose.


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## surfnchk (Aug 15, 2010)

Thank you all for your suggestions. I got rid of the ick and have my water under control. I bought a master kit which is way better than those horrible strip tests. I got my ammonia, nitrite and nitrates under control and continue to do frequent water changes as directions of the medication. 

Unfortunately after the ick (since I think I caught it too late) I've lost many fish and they caught a secondary bacterial disease Columnaris which I'm currently treating for as well. Thanks to everyone who replied back and helped me and my fish


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