Sick Clowns

[KieronP]

Hi
This is my first post to this forum but I need some help prety urgently......

I have kept fish for quite a while and have had clown loaches for about three years reasonably problem free. However, the tank was a bit "empty" most of the time with the loaches hiding and the Corys sitting around not doing much so we bought some Tetras to keep our daughter happy.
Anyway, I had the biggest Ich outbreak I have ever seen and my three biggest loaches were covered in it.
I used the usual medication but I think I must have overdosed as the loaches are very sick now. One is lying on its side and seems not to be unable to swim upright. Another is hiding with his mouth pointed upwards gasping for air and the other has not been seen for a while but seems a little bit better off.
I have made 2 50% water change sin the past two days. I have checked the pH, Nh3, No2, NO3 and all are acceptable considering the water changes.
The temp is currently 82F.

I am not sure there is anything else I can do for the loaches to try to get them better? I have not really seen fish recover from being this ill but I want to try. Does anyone have any advice?
I am introducing a UV filter to try and kill off the Ich and I am putting in new filter media with Carbon to get rid of the medicine in the water.

What are their chances?

thanks
Kieron

[mikev]

Hi, KieronP,

Sorry for the problem you are having.

Your post is not clear about the current ich situation. You said

I had the biggest Ich outbreak
...
I am introducing a UV filter to try and kill off the Ich

Do you still have Ich signs or not?

If you still have some Ich signs, or Ich dissappeared very recently, the likely cause is Ich that is still present in the gills where you cannot see, in all cases you must concentrate on killing off the ich.

If Ich has been eradicated, than the problem is something else (overdosing? Ich damage to the gills?), to check your overdosing theory one would need to know exactly what you treated with and how.

In either case, increasing the airation should be helpful.


As for UV: it is not a tool to eradicate Ich. It is a great helper for Ich indeed, but it will not do anything to the Ich already on the fish, and IME it often will not fully eradicate Ich in the tank, it will only cut down the amount of parasite in the water, resulting in a low-level infection.

hth

[Emma Turner]

Hi KieronP,

A really quick way of increasing aeration is to drop the water level in the tank by an inch or so. Position the outflow from the filter just above the water's surface so that it causes a 'splash down' - this will increase O2 levels significantly and make the fish a lot more comfortable.

Please could you specify your location and what medication you added to the tank. Maybe others in your region will be able to advise on whether you overdosed.

What are your actual readings for ammonia, nitrIte, nitrAte and pH? You say they are ok, but can you give us the actual readings. All this information will help us to help you.

Emma

[KieronP]

Hi
thank you for your replies. I do not have exact readings for the chemicals as I used a colour chart, will estimates be OK?

The Ich has gone from the other fish (Red tailed shark that never had any sppots at all, Bronze corys and tetras) but the loaches are covered in it still. I lost one last night (the largest) and the remaining two today are laying around looking quite a sorry state. I guess the loaches are that much more susceptible to the parasite? I understand that i can not treat the spot on the fish and I just have to try and kee them alive until the parasite "hatches". I have reduced the water level and have the jets making bubbles but I think I may be too late.

I am in Kent in the UK and our water is quite hard. I used Inter Pet anti white spot plus to treat the ich, I have used this before but not with loaches.

Thank you for you help, do you think it is kinder of me to put them out of their misery or shoudl I let nature run its course just incase they survive?

thanks
Kieron

[grizzlyone]

I guess first of all you need to read the ick sticky above.

If you read the sticky, you'll see some of the suggestions and suggested medications...first of all, you are going to remove the carbon again, and increase the temp to speed up the reproductive cycle of the parasite. The increased aeration is a must when you raise the temp.


Kevin

[Emma Turner]

Waterlife's Protozin would have been a better product to use, but seeing as you went with the Interpet, did you put in a full or half dose? How many days have you been treating for now?

The loaches deserve a chance, up the temperature and definitely up the aeration.

Also, what are the estimated readings of your water paramaters?

Emma

[mikev]

I understand that i can not treat the spot on the fish and I just have to try and kee them alive until the parasite "hatches".

You can, with a salt bath, but this is a dangerous stuff: you will hurt the fish too, and the fish is already weak.

It is a difficult choice to make, but you may be in the situation where this is the right thing to do.