Tropical Fish Keeping banner

Need advice regarding ich and my inhabitants.

2K views 13 replies 6 participants last post by  fish_4_all 
#1 ·
Hello.

Just today I noticed several white dots all over my Betta's fins. They weren't there several days ago, now they are. I believe some are beginning to form on my catfish.

I believe it is ich.

How can I treat my entire tank, especially since I have 4 scaleless fish and two shrimp? I can't use salt, and I can't find too much info on common ich meds when used with scaleless fish.

Someone help, I went through hell to establish my tank, I'll be damned if this kills my boys.
 
#3 ·
So basically I need to buy some ich medication, lots of it, raise my temp, and treat them for a couple of weeks. I think I may just treat my Betta, cause the dots I thought were on my catfish, at a closer look, are the designs on their skin.

If it is just my Betta I have a separate tank for him to treat him in. I think I'll move him there tonight and then see what happens with my main tank. If no other spots appear, then perhaps I saved my tank in time.
 
#4 ·
MattD said:
If it is just my Betta I have a separate tank for him to treat him in. I think I'll move him there tonight and then see what happens with my main tank. If no other spots appear, then perhaps I saved my tank in time.
Not a good method. Ich will still be in your main tank. They will reappear if your other fish become stressed. It is recommended to treat the whole tank.

You can't use salt I suppose?
 
#5 ·
No I can't with my catfish in the tank.

Perhaps I should remove the shrimp, put THEM in my far tinier tank, and treat my whole main tank.

So essentially I need to halve the doses of most ich medicines in order to keep my catfish safe from the normal doses? Will the treatment still be effective?
 
#6 ·
MattD said:
No I can't with my catfish in the tank.
Dissolve salt first before you put it in your tank.
So essentially I need to halve the doses of most ich medicines in order to keep my catfish safe from the normal doses?
For scaleless fish such as loaches.
Will the treatment still be effective?
It still is although full dosage is more effective. Treat for two weeks minimum, not when all the spots disappeared.
 
#8 ·
MattD said:
Any benefits are lost if dissolved first then added.
No. It is still the same as adding the salt straight away without dissolving. Is this a question or a statement?:question:
 
#10 ·
Lupin said:
MattD said:
Any benefits are lost if dissolved first then added.
No. It is still the same as adding the salt straight away without dissolving. Is this a question or a statement?:question:
According to Bettababy in the stickied ich post, it's a statement. I've never used salt before since I was under the impression my catfish wouldn't be able to handle it.
 
#11 ·
I used salt only, successfully on my Otos. I think they are a dwarf catfish species, and a sensitive one are they not? Correspondingly, I have good reason to think CopperSafe meds killed one.

I've read many many cases of using salt with bottom feeders and softscaled fish, but almost all of them indicate pre-dissolving it. (And you can absolutely see the salt in the water, when you pour it in the tank so it's obviously still there in the water, not to mention, the only way to remove salt from a tank, is water changes. Clearly it continues to be there after dissolving.)

Almost all of them indicate adding it to the tank slowly. Basically over the period of a day or more. Usually adding predissolved to the tank, either by a drip line, or a few teaspoons at a time over the course of hours, they do ok. By the way, all of my Otos never seemed to notice the accidental overdose. Over 3 tsp/per gallon that accumulated over 2 days. (Sadly my first dwarf gourami couldn't handle it.)
 
#12 ·
Julie said:
Lupin said:
MattD said:
Any benefits are lost if dissolved first then added.
No. It is still the same as adding the salt straight away without dissolving. Is this a question or a statement?:question:
If scaless fish are present then it's important to dissolve it first otherwise it can burn the slim coat off the fish.
I like to use aquarium salt with hot water to clean things. It only takes about 30 seconds when it starts dissolving in the water to feel it burn MY skin.
 
#14 ·
Disreguard my previous post.

Add the salt directly to the tank. I have seen this before and I did not know that it actually changed it chemically. Betta Baby explained it and it makes snese now. There is a chemical change depending on how much salt you add to the tank and how much water you dissolve it.

As for catfish, specific species that require soft water are the ones that are going to be effected most by salt the most. I don't know which ones but will try to find out. Do a google search on your catfish and see if they need soft water. Also, salt can cause damage if used too long with other catfish so treatment is ok but make sure to get the levels way down after treatment with water changes; which should be done anyway after chemical treatment.

I will try to get more specifics but for the time being, do your research to protect the species of fish you have. If they are ok in harder water then salt will be ok to use in your ich treatment. If you add salt, add it directly to the tank and just try not to get it on the fish.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top