nmbr1ddy wrote:
I was so happy to have the clown loaches I had watched them closely. I
tested regularly and again once I saw the spots. All tests were in the
ok or safe range ph7.2-7.8, hardness between 75-150 closer to 75,
nitrate(n03) 0 and nitrite (no2) at .05 or less. The spots appeared
overnight.Only change to routine was hikari algae wafers for 2 days
prior to spots. When I applied the quick cure it was at about half
strength diluted in a quart of the water change. That's why I was
wondering if it was something other than "ICK" and if so how should I
treat the whole tank before replacing Clowns. I have added the quick
cure again after 48hrs with water change, and will do so wednesday as
well. Again... No other fish affected.
Thank you all for your replies.
Change water and treat again Saturday so the Quick Cure is in the water
for a full week. Add fresh carbon back the following Monday. Wait a
minimum of another week before getting more clowns to be sure spots
don't appear on any other fish. Two or three weeks is a safer, more
conservative approach. An even better choice would be to quarantine the
loaches so you can treat anything that crops up without exposing your
display tank.
I'm still bewildered as to why half strength Quick Cure killed your
clowns when I've seen so many clowns do fine with it. Your water seems
fine, although the pH is fluctuating more than I prefer. Perhaps you
had a particularly aggressive strain of ich that stressed the loaches
more than what I've seen. Velvet is another parasitic disease that
causes white spots. However, velvet usually looks more like a dusting
of golden power than neat, pure white salt grains.
If you get ich on your next batch of loaches, try gradually raising the
water temperature to 86F and feeding generously with high-protein foods
to strengthen the fish. Be sure you're using a filter with a return
that agitates the water surface or run an airstone becaue the very warm
water carries little oxygen. 86F is a high enough temperature to kill
most strains of ich, and most tropical fish can tolerate it. My tanks
have been hitting 88F lately and my fish aren't having any trouble at
all. You can raise the temperature over a day or two, but it's good to
lower it again more slowly.
--
Elaine T __
http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__
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