best treatment for ich in a planted tank

[newlinta]

Over the past few months I've set up a moderately planted 72 gallon "show" tank. Cycled it with black neons for 6 weeks.Quaranteened 5 (various types) discus and 4 blue rams for 3 weeks...put them in the tank together with the black neons and all was great for 2+ months(Fish/plants healthy,growing fast and developing color well). A month ago I got 4 gold rams...quaranteened for 3 weeks and put them in the show tank last wednsday. I've been very careful to treat all fish/plants/driftwood,etc for fungus/parasites,etc. throught this whole process of putting together my 1st discus tank!!! A day or so ago I saw tiny white spots(I'm 99% sure it is ich) on one discus and a few of the neons. My question is about the best way to treat this planted tank...it has a ph of 6.6/0 ammonia/0 nitrites/88 degrees...has driftwood,rocks,gravel and is moderately planted. I do 20%-30% water changes every 2 or 3 days. Anyone with a similar set-up/experience with this issue please help me out!!??

THANKS!!

Tim

[brewmaster15]

Hi Tim,
At that temp, its not likely to be ich, but if it is... Theres a product called Ick Clear, by jungle....its a tablet and was safe when I used it before in a lightly planted tank of Amazon swords, java fern, and anubias. It worked very well.

-al

[pcsb23]

Tim,
Also not sure it will be ich, it may be velvet. Ich has spores that are about the size of a grain of salt. Velvet looks more like dust and can be whitish/grey or even goldish in colour. Velvet or oodinium as I should call it can be quite common in planted tanks, particularly if the nitrAte levels are high. Waterlife protozin or mardels maracide will work, they wont kill your plants but amy set them back a bit.

hth,

[newlinta]

They were definitely spots about the size of a grain of salt scattered randomly...mostly on fins but some on the body...not a "dusting"...and they were also very white(no gold or gray hues).

[pcsb23]

They were definitely spots about the size of a grain of salt scattered randomly...mostly on fins but some on the body...not a "dusting"...and they were also very white(no gold or gray hues).
OK does sound like ich then. I'd check that thermometer too! its very unusual to get ich at 88f! btw the two meds above also work on ich :)

Good luck.

[TrevorB]

Is Quick Cure safe to use in a planted tank? I believe that is also an ich med, correct?

Trevor

[brewmaster15]

quickcure works great on ich, but its a mix of malachite green and formalin... it stains and may be harsh on plants....it also kills a broad range of organisms...including beneficial biofilter ones..

hth,
al

[TrevorB]

Thanks Al, that helps to explain how I basically wiped out the plants in my tank a while back. A treatment regime of QuickCure & Jungle Fungus Eliminator, which appears to be almost completely salt, was recommended to help with a bacterial infection. That took out most everything - although the anubias did eventually recover in a different tank.

Sorry Tim, not trying to hijack your thread.

Trevor

[newlinta]

Thanks for the help, everyone!!! I'll start one of your suggested treatments after a water change tomorrow. I'm sure I'll be asking for more advice, as this is my first attempt at raising discus...lol.(Paul, I'm going to get a new thermometer tomorrow...)

Take care,

Tim

[BIGFOOT]

If I were you I would not try a med to start with. I am not saying that the others are right or wrong. I would try this first cause had worked for me in the past with my plant tank. Raise the temp to 90+ for 7 to 10 days . If it is ich it will leave. Yes plant will grow a little laggy at this temp butt they will recover.

[newlinta]

Thanks for the input, Brian...I'll give it a try. Anyone else have an opinion about this??

Tim

[dandestroy]

watch out for your plant if you raise the temp...i have almost lost a few of them doing do...my advice.. if you see plant turning bad, remove the plant to a QT. But bleach tehm before reintroducing them cause your tank should be free of ich and you dont want to start all over again

[newlinta]

Thanks again for all your help, everyone...I decided to try the Maracide/Maracyn-two treatment. I just administered the "day 3" treatment and,so far, things are going great!! My fish were only slightly stressed when I first put the meds in the tank ,but have been going about their business as usual since...just a little darker in color, but all eating,swimming and interacting well. I've only seen a spot on one or two of the black neons today,none on any other fish, so the meds seem to be working. No change in any plants, but probably too soon to tell if the meds will have any effect on them. I'll keep you posted on the progress and hopefully can get a pic of the tank on here.

Take care,

Tim

[newlinta]

Question about water conditions during treatment...with the Maracide and Maracyn-two meds I'm not really supposed to do water changes till after the treatment is done...can I use prime to fix any elevated amonia/nitrite levels
in the tank? Should I just do water changes anyway(or will that weaken the effects of the meds?)? Any help/suggestions would be appreciated.

Tim

[lhforbes12]

Tim,
Do your wc's and then redose. You are having to redose in any case every day. Most folks don't do wc's like we discus keepers, that's why the instructions are like that on the box usually.

Larry

[newlinta]

Will do...thanks Larry!!

Tim