Rid Ich and Tiger Barbs

[A. Scott]

OK, long story....if you wanna skip to the questons, they are at the
bottom.

Quick Stats:
12gal tank (holds 11 gal after gravel and decorations)
2 1/2 weeks through cycling, just as we start an ammonia spike.
Community: 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Rosy Barbs.
Avg temp of tank 75-77 F.
Water in good shape on other factors except for ammonia (no sign of
nitrites or nitrates yet)

-------------------

Not So Quick History:
Notice Ich appearing on what has typically looked like the weakest of
the Tigers. Immediately go get Rid Ich. 25% water change every other
day, Rid Ich treatment every day (1 tsp as per directions for full
dose for 10g) mixed with new water on alternate days, added directly
to tank water otherwise.

Ich started showing signs of not progressing further. Tried to
gradually raise the tank temp to help as well. Suddenly all Tigers go
in to stress mode (nose down, fins flying, color fading). Reduce temp
back to 77. Some Tigers start to get a spot or two of Ich, original
Ich victom breaks out like a 13-year old two days after Halloween.
Continue treatment, alternate water changes between 25% and 50% now.

Now it is 4 days later. Ich continues to pester the original Tiger
viciously. Two other Tigers show no sign and act mostly normal and
are back to normal color.

However, one of those two has started to develop, for lack of a better
term, a film over his eyes. It came and went on one and is now
appearing on another. At first I thought he was losing his eye, but
later the film disappeared or fell off.

Lastly, the fourth tiger has never come out of stress mode. Dorsal
fin is constantly raised, fins fidget incessantly, and he is very pale
for a tiger.

Now, I've gradually raised the temp back to 80 F. No real change in
anyone in the tank. BTW, the Rosy Barbs seem completely unaffected by
anything going on. They just manage their schizophrenic lifestyle
amongst the wounded looking Tigers without a care.

___________

Finally, to my questions:
1) Is it possible the Rid Ich is making the one Tiger sick?
2) I read that Ich usually runs a cycle of about a week, but I'm
surprised at the outbreak that showed up days after treatment began.
Is this usual?
3) Am I doing something wrong or this just how things progress?
4) And, lastly, what is that membrane, film, gooky stuff, that is
appearing on the one Tiger's eyes and should I be concerned?

Sorry for the lengthy dialog but I'm hoping to save you from having to
ask all the diagnostic questions.

Thanks!

[BigBadGourami]

Some salt will help. Get a big plain rock salt (NaCl) from the hardware
store and put say 2 tsp per gal. They sell Rock salt for water softeners or
deicing as well. That will make life very unpleasant for the ich reduce
stress on the barbs and promote a better slime coat to resist further ich.
That in combination with daily meds might be enough. You can increase the
treatment to full strength twice a day If you do 30- 50 pecent water changes
every day during treatment. Vacum the gravel Thuroughly during the water
changes.

"A. Scott" > wrote in message
...
> OK, long story....if you wanna skip to the questons, they are at the
> bottom.
>
> Quick Stats:
> 12gal tank (holds 11 gal after gravel and decorations)
> 2 1/2 weeks through cycling, just as we start an ammonia spike.
> Community: 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Rosy Barbs.
> Avg temp of tank 75-77 F.
> Water in good shape on other factors except for ammonia (no sign of
> nitrites or nitrates yet)
>
> -------------------
>
> Not So Quick History:
> Notice Ich appearing on what has typically looked like the weakest of
> the Tigers. Immediately go get Rid Ich. 25% water change every other
> day, Rid Ich treatment every day (1 tsp as per directions for full
> dose for 10g) mixed with new water on alternate days, added directly
> to tank water otherwise.
>
> Ich started showing signs of not progressing further. Tried to
> gradually raise the tank temp to help as well. Suddenly all Tigers go
> in to stress mode (nose down, fins flying, color fading). Reduce temp
> back to 77. Some Tigers start to get a spot or two of Ich, original
> Ich victom breaks out like a 13-year old two days after Halloween.
> Continue treatment, alternate water changes between 25% and 50% now.
>
> Now it is 4 days later. Ich continues to pester the original Tiger
> viciously. Two other Tigers show no sign and act mostly normal and
> are back to normal color.
>
> However, one of those two has started to develop, for lack of a better
> term, a film over his eyes. It came and went on one and is now
> appearing on another. At first I thought he was losing his eye, but
> later the film disappeared or fell off.
>
> Lastly, the fourth tiger has never come out of stress mode. Dorsal
> fin is constantly raised, fins fidget incessantly, and he is very pale
> for a tiger.
>
> Now, I've gradually raised the temp back to 80 F. No real change in
> anyone in the tank. BTW, the Rosy Barbs seem completely unaffected by
> anything going on. They just manage their schizophrenic lifestyle
> amongst the wounded looking Tigers without a care.
>
> ___________
>
> Finally, to my questions:
> 1) Is it possible the Rid Ich is making the one Tiger sick?
> 2) I read that Ich usually runs a cycle of about a week, but I'm
> surprised at the outbreak that showed up days after treatment began.
> Is this usual?
> 3) Am I doing something wrong or this just how things progress?
> 4) And, lastly, what is that membrane, film, gooky stuff, that is
> appearing on the one Tiger's eyes and should I be concerned?
>
> Sorry for the lengthy dialog but I'm hoping to save you from having to
> ask all the diagnostic questions.
>
> Thanks!

[D&M]

I love tiger barbs for the fact that you can put them through hell, bring
them to the brink of death, put them in a clean tank, and they'll fully
recover. I've had one, rotted his entire tail fin off, blood streaks through
the body, stuck him in peaceful tank, completely recovered with new tail fin
in 1 1/2 weeks. My tigers have survived umpteen ich outbrreaks, no losses.
I've lately switched to a new routine. I no longer treat for ich. If ich
infects a tank, I'll only increase the temp, and add salt. Works every time,
with no fish loss so far. When I treated with Nox Ich or Rid Ich, I always
lost fish, likely due to stress from the harsh meds, etc. These meds also
killed off the bio filters, increasing the stress on the fish (even though
people say these meds won't do that).

My advice, keep the water clean, back off on the meds. Use more natural
remedy's like salt and elevated temps. Lots of aeration. Barbs are strong,
can usually pull through things on their own. I'd almost say look for an
underlying problem why they got the ich to begin with as mine were usually
very resistant to contracting ich, only the weak ones contracted it. Healthy
fish won't show visual signs of ich in the tank (except the occasional
flash) usually.


"A. Scott" > wrote in message
...
> OK, long story....if you wanna skip to the questons, they are at the
> bottom.
>
> Quick Stats:
> 12gal tank (holds 11 gal after gravel and decorations)
> 2 1/2 weeks through cycling, just as we start an ammonia spike.
> Community: 4 Tiger Barbs, 2 Rosy Barbs.
> Avg temp of tank 75-77 F.
> Water in good shape on other factors except for ammonia (no sign of
> nitrites or nitrates yet)
>
> -------------------
>
> Not So Quick History:
> Notice Ich appearing on what has typically looked like the weakest of
> the Tigers. Immediately go get Rid Ich. 25% water change every other
> day, Rid Ich treatment every day (1 tsp as per directions for full
> dose for 10g) mixed with new water on alternate days, added directly
> to tank water otherwise.
>
> Ich started showing signs of not progressing further. Tried to
> gradually raise the tank temp to help as well. Suddenly all Tigers go
> in to stress mode (nose down, fins flying, color fading). Reduce temp
> back to 77. Some Tigers start to get a spot or two of Ich, original
> Ich victom breaks out like a 13-year old two days after Halloween.
> Continue treatment, alternate water changes between 25% and 50% now.
>
> Now it is 4 days later. Ich continues to pester the original Tiger
> viciously. Two other Tigers show no sign and act mostly normal and
> are back to normal color.
>
> However, one of those two has started to develop, for lack of a better
> term, a film over his eyes. It came and went on one and is now
> appearing on another. At first I thought he was losing his eye, but
> later the film disappeared or fell off.
>
> Lastly, the fourth tiger has never come out of stress mode. Dorsal
> fin is constantly raised, fins fidget incessantly, and he is very pale
> for a tiger.
>
> Now, I've gradually raised the temp back to 80 F. No real change in
> anyone in the tank. BTW, the Rosy Barbs seem completely unaffected by
> anything going on. They just manage their schizophrenic lifestyle
> amongst the wounded looking Tigers without a care.
>
> ___________
>
> Finally, to my questions:
> 1) Is it possible the Rid Ich is making the one Tiger sick?
> 2) I read that Ich usually runs a cycle of about a week, but I'm
> surprised at the outbreak that showed up days after treatment began.
> Is this usual?
> 3) Am I doing something wrong or this just how things progress?
> 4) And, lastly, what is that membrane, film, gooky stuff, that is
> appearing on the one Tiger's eyes and should I be concerned?
>
> Sorry for the lengthy dialog but I'm hoping to save you from having to
> ask all the diagnostic questions.
>
> Thanks!

[james mitchell]

> with no fish loss so far. When I treated with Nox Ich or Rid Ich, I always
> lost fish, likely due to stress from the harsh meds, etc. These meds also
> killed off the bio filters, increasing the stress on the fish (even though
> people say these meds won't do that).

I used Rid Ich for my Ich outbreak with success. I lost no fish even with 3
types of Tetras (16 total) and 4 Silver Dollars. Rid Ich did not affect my
bio filter in any noticable way. I checked ammonia & nitrite daily during
treatment and both remained at 0. I did not raise temp or add salt. I
didn't want to further stress the fish.

The only complaint I have about the treatment is the 25% water change before
each new application of Rid Ich. With a 90g tank, this is a lot of work.
I'm sure these water changes are very important to avoid over stressing the
fish.

Jim

[Dinky]

"james mitchell" > wrote in message
om...
>
>
> I used Rid Ich for my Ich outbreak with success. I lost no fish even with
3
> types of Tetras (16 total) and 4 Silver Dollars. Rid Ich did not affect
my
> bio filter in any noticable way.

As always in this "hobby", YMMV. I've never experienced any biofilter loss
with meds, either.