How long to treat for ICH in goldfish?

[John Soong]

Hi all, I am new at this, so would appreciate some advice.

I had a new tank set up: 10 gal, undergravel filter, a bunch of hornwort &
2 small (1") fantails.

I had the tank running for a week before adding the plants, then the fish 2
days later.

On Day 4 after introducing the fish, I did a 30% water change, that's when I
noticed the ICH. The fish were covered head to tail with white spots. I
ran out & got some Clear Ick (Jungle), and treated the tank. 36 hrs later,
the spots are gone, except for maybe one in the tail fin.

Although the label says treat once & forget (and maybe a second treatment if
needed), from reading about this, ICH can survive for a long time as cyst,
so I am a bit sceptical.

To be sure, I did a 25% water change 48 hrs after treatment, and added more
medicine (to make up for the new water).

The fish are fine (actually, they showed no signs of distress at any time),
and I am now wondering how long to keep the Ich meds in the tank.

From reading the tropical fish news/web sites, I gathered that the cysts
should be gone 2-3 days after they disappear from the fish, but they all say
that at lower temperature, the cycle can be much longer.

So the question is: How long to keep up the treatment so as to irradiate the
pests once & for all? BTW, my tank temp is around 70-75 F (we are having a
heat wave!).

Thanks in advance.

JS.

[[email protected]]

if the ich treatment has copper sulfate in it, then it is one treatment cause it
doesnt inactivate... has to be removed by water changes or charcoal.
normally, quick cure is used every other day 3 times with 30% water changes on teh
day the med isnt added.
what are your water quality parameters, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and pH?
change water, add 1 teaspoon salt per 5 gallons, no additives, dissolve first, add
slowly. http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/puregold/care/care1.htm#essentials
sudden drop in temp by more than 4oF will bring on ich. as will poor water quality.
Ingrid

"John Soong" > wrote:

>Hi all, I am new at this, so would appreciate some advice.
>
>I had a new tank set up: 10 gal, undergravel filter, a bunch of hornwort &
>2 small (1") fantails.
>
>I had the tank running for a week before adding the plants, then the fish 2
>days later.
>
>On Day 4 after introducing the fish, I did a 30% water change, that's when I
>noticed the ICH. The fish were covered head to tail with white spots. I
>ran out & got some Clear Ick (Jungle), and treated the tank. 36 hrs later,
>the spots are gone, except for maybe one in the tail fin.
>
>Although the label says treat once & forget (and maybe a second treatment if
>needed), from reading about this, ICH can survive for a long time as cyst,
>so I am a bit sceptical.
>
>To be sure, I did a 25% water change 48 hrs after treatment, and added more
>medicine (to make up for the new water).
>
>The fish are fine (actually, they showed no signs of distress at any time),
>and I am now wondering how long to keep the Ich meds in the tank.
>
>From reading the tropical fish news/web sites, I gathered that the cysts
>should be gone 2-3 days after they disappear from the fish, but they all say
>that at lower temperature, the cycle can be much longer.
>
>So the question is: How long to keep up the treatment so as to irradiate the
>pests once & for all? BTW, my tank temp is around 70-75 F (we are having a
>heat wave!).
>
>Thanks in advance.
>
>JS.
>
>
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[John Soong]

The treatment is malachite green, which I gather will degrade in light, but
unsure of how long.

Also thought of using salt, but it may kill plants, so tried the chemical
first.

JS.

> wrote in message
...
> if the ich treatment has copper sulfate in it, then it is one treatment
cause it
> doesnt inactivate... has to be removed by water changes or charcoal.
> normally, quick cure is used every other day 3 times with 30% water
changes on teh
> day the med isnt added.
> what are your water quality parameters, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and
pH?
> change water, add 1 teaspoon salt per 5 gallons, no additives, dissolve
first, add
> slowly.
http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/puregold/care/care1.htm#essentials
> sudden drop in temp by more than 4oF will bring on ich. as will poor water
quality.
> Ingrid
>
> "John Soong" > wrote:
>
> >Hi all, I am new at this, so would appreciate some advice.
> >
> >I had a new tank set up: 10 gal, undergravel filter, a bunch of hornwort
&
> >2 small (1") fantails.
> >
> >I had the tank running for a week before adding the plants, then the fish
2
> >days later.
> >
> >On Day 4 after introducing the fish, I did a 30% water change, that's
when I
> >noticed the ICH. The fish were covered head to tail with white spots. I
> >ran out & got some Clear Ick (Jungle), and treated the tank. 36 hrs
later,
> >the spots are gone, except for maybe one in the tail fin.
> >
> >Although the label says treat once & forget (and maybe a second treatment
if
> >needed), from reading about this, ICH can survive for a long time as
cyst,
> >so I am a bit sceptical.
> >
> >To be sure, I did a 25% water change 48 hrs after treatment, and added
more
> >medicine (to make up for the new water).
> >
> >The fish are fine (actually, they showed no signs of distress at any
time),
> >and I am now wondering how long to keep the Ich meds in the tank.
> >
> >From reading the tropical fish news/web sites, I gathered that the cysts
> >should be gone 2-3 days after they disappear from the fish, but they all
say
> >that at lower temperature, the cycle can be much longer.
> >
> >So the question is: How long to keep up the treatment so as to irradiate
the
> >pests once & for all? BTW, my tank temp is around 70-75 F (we are having
a
> >heat wave!).
> >
> >Thanks in advance.
> >
> >JS.
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.

[John Soong]

I guess I may be using the wrong stuff. The package also states there is
"acriflavine" to prevent secondary infections, may be this will help?

At any rate, I am now day 6 after the spots had disappeared, and nothing had
came back, so I will keep my fingers crossed & keep an eye out for further
troubles.

BTW, I am half way into cycling the tank .. NH3 - nil, NO2 - between 2 & 3,
pH around 7.5. Perhaps the highish NO2 had something to do with the Ich?
(although I read somewhere that you can expect NO2 to hit 10 while cycling).
Maybe I should keep the NO2 a bit lower?

Thanks for your time & advice.

JS.


> wrote in message
...
> malachite green alone isnt very effective against ich. Ingrid
>
> "John Soong" > wrote:
>
> >The treatment is malachite green, which I gather will degrade in light,
but
> >unsure of how long.
> >
> >Also thought of using salt, but it may kill plants, so tried the chemical
> >first.
> >
> >JS.
> >
> > wrote in message
> ...
> >> if the ich treatment has copper sulfate in it, then it is one treatment
> >cause it
> >> doesnt inactivate... has to be removed by water changes or charcoal.
> >> normally, quick cure is used every other day 3 times with 30% water
> >changes on teh
> >> day the med isnt added.
> >> what are your water quality parameters, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates and
> >pH?
> >> change water, add 1 teaspoon salt per 5 gallons, no additives, dissolve
> >first, add
> >> slowly.
> >http://users.megapathdsl.net/~solo/puregold/care/care1.htm#essentials
> >> sudden drop in temp by more than 4oF will bring on ich. as will poor
water
> >quality.
> >> Ingrid
> >>
> >> "John Soong" > wrote:
> >>
> >> >Hi all, I am new at this, so would appreciate some advice.
> >> >
> >> >I had a new tank set up: 10 gal, undergravel filter, a bunch of
hornwort
> >&
> >> >2 small (1") fantails.
> >> >
> >> >I had the tank running for a week before adding the plants, then the
fish
> >2
> >> >days later.
> >> >
> >> >On Day 4 after introducing the fish, I did a 30% water change, that's
> >when I
> >> >noticed the ICH. The fish were covered head to tail with white spots.
I
> >> >ran out & got some Clear Ick (Jungle), and treated the tank. 36 hrs
> >later,
> >> >the spots are gone, except for maybe one in the tail fin.
> >> >
> >> >Although the label says treat once & forget (and maybe a second
treatment
> >if
> >> >needed), from reading about this, ICH can survive for a long time as
> >cyst,
> >> >so I am a bit sceptical.
> >> >
> >> >To be sure, I did a 25% water change 48 hrs after treatment, and added
> >more
> >> >medicine (to make up for the new water).
> >> >
> >> >The fish are fine (actually, they showed no signs of distress at any
> >time),
> >> >and I am now wondering how long to keep the Ich meds in the tank.
> >> >
> >> >From reading the tropical fish news/web sites, I gathered that the
cysts
> >> >should be gone 2-3 days after they disappear from the fish, but they
all
> >say
> >> >that at lower temperature, the cycle can be much longer.
> >> >
> >> >So the question is: How long to keep up the treatment so as to
irradiate
> >the
> >> >pests once & for all? BTW, my tank temp is around 70-75 F (we are
having
> >a
> >> >heat wave!).
> >> >
> >> >Thanks in advance.
> >> >
> >> >JS.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> >> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> >> www.drsolo.com
> >> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> >> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> >> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> >> endorsements or recommendations I make.
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
> http://puregold.aquaria.net/
> www.drsolo.com
> Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
> compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
> endorsements or recommendations I make.

[[email protected]]

yes and yes. keep it at just detectable, but also be sure to match the temp when
changing water. sharp drops in temp bring on ich. Ingrid

"John Soong" > wrote:
Perhaps the highish NO2 had something to do with the Ich?
>(although I read somewhere that you can expect NO2 to hit 10 while cycling).
>Maybe I should keep the NO2 a bit lower?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[John Soong]

> wrote in message
...
> yes and yes. keep it at just detectable,

OK, been trying to keep nitrite below 1, so far so good.

>but also be sure to match the temp when
> changing water. sharp drops in temp bring on ich. Ingrid

I keep my water in a plastic tub overnight before change, so temp should be
the same as tank.


Thanks for all the help. Hope this is the last I see of those spots!

JS.