aqualoaf

I'm trying to reduce the temperature a little. I have an airstone but perhaps it isn't enough. Might get a bar-shaped one tomorrow just to cover that possibility.

iloveengl

I'm sorry

Best wishes with your other fish.

RaeJeanne

Sorry about your loss, Aqualoaf. My husband is slowly raising the temp in our tank, although it is only 76 right now. Still no signs of ICH and the Rainbow is not flashing as much. I am wondering if it is just a plain old itch or if he was being a bit temperamental. I am keeping a watch though.
On water changes, my husband does things a bit very old school. He relies on natural stuff as much as possible. That 50% water change was the first time we had taken water OUT of the aquarium in years. We add water because it naturally dries out and (you may gasp) our cat drinks out of it. She can't get to the fish because the only part exposed is the part where the filter waterfalls it back into the tank and she drinks from the waterfall. He lets the algae grow a bit so things cycle around more naturally. When I mentioned the gravel maybe being too thick in the bottom he said it was part of the filtration system and the oxygen comes up through the gravel. Don't know what your thoughts are on it, just thought I would mention it.

aqualoaf

Thanks for your words of encouragement!

P.S. I often put slices of fresh cucumber in the tank, weighed down. All the fish seem to like that.

Shawnie

some members have hijacked this thread and I have moved your discussion to your own area http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/fr...important.html

please remember to stay on track with the op's questions....thank you

aqualoaf

Thanks Shawnie,

I’ve managed to settle the temperature at 84. No casualties since my last post. It’s difficult to spot any white spots on the fish now. With daily cleans and water changes most of my gravel doesn’t offer much dirt as I clean it, but I did find a particularly dirty patch of gravel underneath some driftwood, made the water smell in fact – perhaps this is where the clown plec has been hoarding uneaten wafers?!

I notice that the RBS has started flashing a little again, but it’s in between grazes and general snooping around the tank. The harlequins aren’t as keen to be fed at the moment, perhaps they’re having the worst time at the raised temperature?

Shawnie

your welcome aqualoaf.....im glad the spots are disapearring ..but leave it the 2 weeks....maybe adding another airstone on the other side of the tank will help the harlequins? and if the tank is cycled, you only have to do 2 gravel vacs a week not every day ...I cant remember if you are cycled or not ..im sorry

aqualoaf

Hi Shawnie - I'm a stickler for staying the course, no worries about that, and particularly as fish are still flashing I'm not going to stop anything for a while. As far as the daily gravel vacuuming is concerned, I'm just following the advice of aquarist48's link to 'Ich: an old cure for an old disease'

(If I shouldn’t' be doing that, and I shouldn't be using salt, then there's not much left of that article that I should be following, save for the increase in temperature and aeration!)

I'm doing a daily 35-40% change - three buckets out, three buckets in, basically. The tank had cycled before but with all this cleaning might reduce its abilities. I use a Safe Water treatment to keep bacteria levels up and the tap water free from nastiness, though, and the filter is a decent, multi stage one.

aqualoaf

Thought I'd add to this - Things are stable in week two - reduced my water changing and tank vacuuming a bit as it obviously causes upheaval for the fish. Temperature's a steady 84.

No visible signs of Ich although the treatment continues, of course. No casualties since the harlequin last week and the other harlequins have an appetite again at feeding time. I'm guessing the shark has his appetite back again too as the unintended snail population in the tank has reduced dramatically! Haven't seen any fish flashing at all these past couple of days.

I was originally advised the use of aquarium salt by our local store, but I don't know whether they realised I had a RBS or a clown pleco. With the tank being basically free of aquarium salt by now, they both seem better for it.

Again, to all the contributors to this thread I thank for your concern and advice - it looks like we're on the final straight for this...

Shawnie

Im so glad things are looking up!