Ich Question.

[P & D]

First Post, So Hello everyone and what a fantastic site this is. I wish I had found it a little earlier. I just lost 4 Modestas and 2 Clowns to Ich. When I realized what I had I started Jungle Ich Clear and halfed the dosage. I stayed with this and painfully watched my babies die one after the other. I was also doing 50% water changes each night right before re-treatment. After 4 dead I decided Jungle was c@#p and got some Mardel Coppersafe, but by then my last 2 modestas were obviously not going to make it. This was before Thanksgiving. I have found the source of the Ich and it was eliminated. I have done a 75% water change and continued Ich treatment for two weeks. I have left the tank running with filters in place and water quality is good. Before I get any more loaches is there anything else I need to do to this tank?
The tank is empty and has been for over a month. Should my bacteria still be alive? I don't want to cycle a tank with the fish in it. Do I need to do anything else about the ich? Please any help is appreciated and I am not getting anything until I am sure the tank will be safe.

[mistergreen]

i believe ich is a opportunistic protozoan.. they're everywhere. When a fish is sick or stressed, it goes on the attach. I don't think you can get rid of them but you can reduce their number like you just did. Just make sure to give your fish a healthy stress free environment.

you might want to redo (take out the gravel and do a little washing) your tank because of all the meds you put in. don't forget the filter too.

[angelfish83]

You will have to re-cycle your tank..

You can avoid ich by simply keeping your tank hot when you first add the clowns (and keep the aeration up obviously). Clowns can tolerate temps over 85, ich cant. that's all there is to it.

About 3 days at 86 or 87, and the ich will be deader than a doorknob.

[chefkeith]

i believe ich is a opportunistic protozoan.. they're everywhere. When a fish is sick or stressed, it goes on the attach. I don't think you can get rid of them but you can reduce their number like you just did. Just make sure to give your fish a healthy stress free environment.

you might want to redo (take out the gravel and do a little washing) your tank because of all the meds you put in. don't forget the filter too.

I'm not about to start an ich debate, but this is completely false.
Just google ich or read these links
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml
http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich

[newshound]

pwease note the sticky at the top of the loach forum.

[chefkeith]

I have found the source of the Ich and it was eliminated. I have done a 75% water change and continued Ich treatment for two weeks. I have left the tank running with filters in place and water quality is good. Before I get any more loaches is there anything else I need to do to this tank?

What do you mean you found the source for ich?

It's best not to get any loaches until you have a very stable well cycled tank. Start off with some other fish.

To prevent future infections in your main tank you need to get a quarantine tank for new fish and quarantine them for 2-3 weeks with a wide spectrum medication or 6 weeks with no meds. Many public aquariums or those with expensive reef tanks will quarantine new fish, plants, and invertebrates for atleast 6 weeks, and sometimes for up to 1 year for rare fish.

If don't quarantine, you're just playing with fire.

[P & D]

Thank You for the responses, Sorry about the delay...Holidays. I will turn up the temperature to 88 for a couple of days and then bring it down and do the fishless cycling. The source of the Ich was from Walmart, last fish added and the first fish to show signs. Now I truely understand the need for a Quarantine tank and bought one today. I do not like any other fishes and have none, only modestas and clowns. Is this a problem? Thanks Again for the help!