Switching from Paraguard to Rid-Ich for Ich treatment

HI All,

I have a 73g freshwater, planted tank that I have been treating to for Ich. Ph ranges from 6.8-7.2, Ammonia 0, KH 4, GH 8, Nitrite O, Nitrate 5. API Test kits. Temperature currently at 82F. Stable aquarium.

I have clown loaches, kulI loaches, sumatra 2 spot catfish, red serervides, plecos, blue acaras, and a royal spotted trout. Java ferns and Anubias.

A month ago I purchased the Anubias and 2 Severides from a bad reputation LFS (I found this out later) and did not quarantine. About a week later I got an Ich breakout in the tank, my first in 10 years. I raised the temperature to 86F and treated with Nox-Ich (Malachite green and salt) for 6 days and signs of Ich dissapeared - then did a 50% water change.

All was good for 2-3 weeks and then fish started showing signs of Ich again. This time I treated with Seachecm Paragaurd (as the Nox Ich and high temp was tough on my fish and my filter). I am on day 7 of treatment, and the Ich seems to be spreading quickly on one particular clown loach. Other fish remain the same, but have some spots.

I want to switch over to Rid-Ich (Formulin and Malachite Green) as I feel the Paraguard is not strong enough.

Questions:

-Should do a partial water change and switch meds right away? Of should I insert carbon and other chemical filtration (Purigen, my normal phosgaurd, etc.) back into the tank and let that run for a day or two before I start the new treatment.
-Am I jumping the gun? Should I stick with Paragaurd? I hesitate because after 7 days things should be getting better, not worse, and I want to be pro-active.

Any thoughts much appreciated~!

 

Keep the temperature at 86 for at least 2 weeks. Since you have loaches I would toss the chemicals. The temperature will kill the ich... It takes time and patience . Also aerate .

 

^^^^^what he said + water changes to get the dead "ickies" out.

 

Hmm... how often to recommend I do water changes? The Seachem reps when I asked them about Paragaurd said to keep my regular schedule, which is 25% once per week. Would you recommend the same?

Also, last time I had an outbreak about a month ago I kept the temp at 86 degrees with increased aeration for 2 weeks, and then I lowered it down to 82 because with the heat increase and the meds my fish seemed stressed even with the 5 extra airstones I put in. Do you think it's possible that this strain is heat resistant, or do you think that 2 weeks wasn't enough time? It was after 9 days with no symptoms. Thanks~

 

Hmm... how often to recommend I do water changes? The Seachem reps when I asked them about Paragaurd said to keep my regular schedule, which is once per week. Would you recommend the same?

Also, last time I had an outbreak about a month ago I kept the temp at 86 degrees with increased aeration for 2 weeks, and then I lowered it down to 82 because my fish seemed stressed even with the 5 extra airstones I put in. Do you think it's possible that this strain is heat resistant, or do you think that 2 weeks wasn't enough time? It was after 9 days with no symptoms. Thanks~

 

High temperature is an effective treatment.
Ich appears not to be able to survive temperatures above 86F. By raising temps to above 86F one can kill all the parasites; generally, 4-5 days after the temps have been raised above 86F you will see a reduction in white spots on your fish. It is best to continue temps above 86F for at least 2 weeks to ensure all the parasites have been killed. Do not raise temperatures too quickly. 1 to 1 ½ degrees F every 12 hours is best, although if you keep your temps very low you may need to shorten that to 1 degree F every 6 hours. Raising temps too quickly can stress fish. Keep in mind, Ich multiplies more quickly at higher temps below 86F; it is necessary to find a balance between raising temps slowly enough not to stress the fish and quickly enough to keep the fish from becoming too infested with the parasite. Also, be sure all the fish/invertebrates in the tank can handle temps that high; if you’re not sure, do some research and ask.
**High temps reduces the amount of oxygen in the water. Increasing surface agitation, either by lowering water levels if one has a hang on back filters so the water falls further, or adding addition aeration is recommended.
Salt is another effective treatment.
By raising salt levels to 2-3 ppm or 1.002-1.003 specific gravity above what one normally keeps the tank at can destroy the Ich parasites. It has a strong effect on osmosis, and dehydrates the parasite to the point the parasite can no longer function and dies. Again, raising levels slowly but not too slowly is key here; raising salt 1 ppm per day is recommended. Generally 7.6 grams of salt per gallon is equal to 2 ppm or 1.002-1.003 specific gravity . However, it’s the chloride ions which are necessary for the treatment, and different salts have different levels of chloride. It’s best to purchase a hydrometer which measures low levels of salt to ensure proper dosage.
2 weeks at those levels sure eradicate all the parasites. Again, be sure all the fish in your tank can deal with those levels of salt. On that note, most scaleless fish CAN handle these levels of salt. Plecos and loaches especially do fine despite internet rumors to the contrary. It has been noted some tetras and corys do not do well with salt, however.
Once treatment is finished, regular water changes will remove the salt and return the tank to its usual levels.
** It is recommended to use pure salts such as aquarium, kosher or rock salt, NOT regular table salt. There are some concerns the chemicals added to table salt (such as iodine, and iron cyanides which are sometimes added as an anti-caking chemical) can be injurious to fish. Salt is also not a recommended treatment for planted tanks.
Water changes during treatment.
A mentioned in the medication section, water changes can reduce levels of meds and they may need to be adjusted accordingly. The same goes for the salt treatment as one wants to keep levels the same. Obviously, it is not an issue for the high temperature treatment. However, water changes are NOT necessarily a bad thing; in fact, by doing water changes and gravel vacs, you are removing some of the theronts swimming in the water and the tomonts encysted in the substrate and reducing the overall levels of parasites in your system.
Some final thoughts
Ich will not go away by itself. It must be treated or can be deadly to your fish. It may start on the body, but at some point will infest the gills; you will remember from the earlier paragraphs how dangerous this is. It also stresses the fish greatly which depresses the fish’s immune system; that combined with the open wounds caused by the burrowing parasites can result in opportunistic diseases such as fungal or bacterial infections. Occasionally the stress of the infestation alone will cause the fish to perish, despite proper treatment, which why prevention is so important.
All in all, proper prevention and treatment of Ich can prolong the life of your fish and help keep them all happy and healthy.