bolivianbaby

Not a good weekend for my black phantom tetras.

I had six before the ICH outbreak, which I believe started last Thursday, 07-02-09. I am now down to one. The other 5 have passed on.

I researched here and it says that ich is not deadly.

All of my other fish are fine. I mean happy, active, colorful, eating, etc fine.

My water parameters in this particular tank are:

temp-84 F-to cure the ich
7.6 pH
0 ammonia
0 Nitrites
5 Nitrates

That was as of 6:00 this morning EST USA

I'm trying to not use meds so I don't stress out anyone who isn't having problems, nor do I want to lose my cycle.

The current inhabitants of the tank are:
4 false julii corys
1 bolivian ram
2 MM platys
1 ich covered black phantom tetra

Is there anything else I can be doing to protect my last black phantom and the other inhabitants of the tank?

Also, if the worst happens and I lose that last black phantom, should I keep the temperature up for the next week and 1/2 or should I gradually bring it back down to its normal 79 F temp?

Please advise on what is best for the fish.

Thank you in advance.

Lucy

As far as I know, ich can be deadly if it's a severe case. It con attach it's self on the inside of the gills.
If it's that bad, I would consider medication.

bolivianbaby

Oh, boy. I know that all ich meds are not the same.

What is the best brand to use?

The tank has a bubble wand, so that should help with aeration and there are two filters.

Anything else I need to know and is it okay to continue the daily water testing during threatment to warn me of any mini-cycle?

harpua2002

Ich can absolutely be deadly, that just isn't always the case. Ich can't be killed while it is attached to the fish, even with meds. It must be killed in the free swimming stages. If it is on your fish then it is in the tank in other stages of its life cycle. I always treat ich with heat and salt (it's the only time I use salt, ever) because the salt seems to be more deadly for ich than just high temp. I've treated it many times this way with great success, back in my LFS employee days. If you use heat and salt, I'd suggest leaving the temp up and salt in the water for 2 weeks after you see the last spot, just to be safe. If you use medication, follow the directions exactly. Some will say to cut dosage in half for tetras and sensitive fish. Meds may harm your cycle, and they can be stressful to fish, but they do work. Testing your water would be a good idea if you go that route.

Here's an article I found that might help explain the life cycle of ich.
http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

Lucy

I've never had to treat a tank for ich so I can't recommend one product over Ther are several on the market to choose from to choose from.
Maybe someone else will have a suggestion.

It would be a good idea to monitor the tank parameters closely when medicating.

bolivianbaby

I lost my black phantom tetra today while I was at work. He was dead when I came home. I'm not going to do black phantoms again. That was too many dying too quickly for me to feel comfortable. They may have been weakened around here by breeding. Everyone else in the tank is still spunky, colorful, eating, and happy.

Should I still treat the aquarium with medication even though the other fish aren't showing signs or would it be okay to just keep the temperature up for another 2 weeks?

harpua2002

I'd say keep the temp up and just watch for any signs of ich. Medications are stressful and IMO it would be easier on you and the fish to medicate only when you're sure it's necessary.

bolivianbaby

That's what I was hoping you'd say I'd really rather not medicate if I don't have to.

I do wish that I had known how bad it was going to affect the tetras, though. I hate that loss of life. I wasn't bonded to them, but it seems like a waste of a life, ya know?