best ick medication for discus and tetras

[neupane00]

hey guys, i have ick on my discus tank. i have discus, cardinal tetras, rummynose tetras and panda cory in the tank. what is my best ick medication option. i keep my tank at 86 degrees. since i have tetras in tank, i was told i have to do half dose of any ick medication is that true. someone said i could do full dose of copper safe (even with cardinal tetras in there). is that true? what are my best options?? Thanks a LOT guys. (oh another consideration should be not staining the tank as much as possible)

[Eddie]

I'd say Quick Cure but it will stain the silicone. You would have to use half the dose and bring your temp down to 82F. Add extra air if you decide to treat the tank with anything that has formalin in it. It will fix the ich problem if it is definitely ich.

Eddie

[neupane00]

How does coppersafe work? I heard it doesn't stain as much? Anything else that doesn't stain or stains the least?

[Eddie]

How does coppersafe work? I heard it doesn't stain as much? Anything else that doesn't stain or stains the least?

I couldn't tell you, never used coppersafe before.

Eddie

[Don Trinko]

I usualy try coppersafe first, If it does not work I move to Formalin and/or malachite green fo ick.
Coppersafe does not stain . It can be used as a preventative. I do not use it unless needed. I have used it on various fish with no problems. One treatment is effective for 1 month but if I dont see improvment in a week I move to other treatments.
normaly discus do not get ick but they ocasionaly do get a few white spots that look like little pimples. I use copper safe on these but to be honest I think they go away by them selves in a few days, Don T.

[scottishbloke]

Hey Mate,

I don't know what kind of discus tank you have, but if it is a planted tank, formalin, copper, and other harsh chemicals are not a good option. If you have any shrimp or other inverts in there, especially a large snail population, copper-based medications will kill em' all; the resulting dead bodies will then rot, releasing large amounts of ammonia and depleting the available oxygen. I used to have a fully planted rainbowfish tank with all kinds of shrimp and snails and it was a nightmare trying to get rid of Ich without killing everything but the fish. I eventually used Ich Attack to get rid of the little buggers, but it stained the water such a dark brown color many of my plants started turning yellow and dying after prolonged treatments from lack of light...I couldn't win!! However, if you have a "standard" discus tank with just fish and no/few plants and no inverts, then formalin, malachite green etc are definitely the way to go...the Ich will be dead in no time. BTW, no chemical can harm Ich while it is in its "white spot" cyst stage, so you need to treat for a while until well after no more white spots appear, ensuring all the free-swimming tomites are dead.

Just my 2 cents,

Colin

Almost forgot to add: doing frequent large water changes (not a problem for discus keepers) greatly reduces the number of tomite parasites in the water column, as does doing thorough gravel or sand vaccuming. Just remember to add your meds to the replacement water when doing your water changes.

[Eddie]

Formalin and formalin combos work fine in planted tanks.

Eddie

[Apistomaster]

I can't say I have ever had any Discus "catch" Ich in the over 4 decades I have been keeping them.
I do have plenty of experience treating other fish like Tetras and live bearers for Ich and rarely, Corydoras.
By far my preferred medication is one solely based on malachite green. I do not like formalin or copper based medications. Malachite green's least desirable effect is that of permanently staining silicone sealant used to build all glass aquariums. The discoloration of the water doesn't last very long. It may not even be visible within an hour.
I look for the preparations that have 1 drop per gallon directions.
I use it at this strength, once a day until there are no more visible cysts.
This has worked well on Tetras, live bearers and Corydoras..
I use 2/3 dose on naked skinned, scaleless fish like loaches and some catfish.
Like all fish medications, do not use any activated carbon during treatment or any of the more recent media like Purigen.
Plants do not die at the recommended dose.