hevalump Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 I am convinced that my tank has a infestation of ich as my geophagus is regulary diving down and side swiping himself on the substrate. I also can see tiny white salt like dots on his sides. My Ram has also started side swiping. What products would you recommend for this? Any info you could offer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 oh, take into consideration that i have a eel in my tank... so any medications that will harm a scaleless fish would be no use to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 melafix/tea tree oil/love and attention i have recommended this stuff so much in the past couple of days i should become a salesperson! does not harm scaleless fish (works well on armoured cats) if you are running a heavily planted tank you'll need to consider quarantine for the fish as plants reduce its effectiveness, but you'll also need to dose the tank if there are fish remaining as ich uses fish as a part of its lifecycle. MelaFix is expensive - use the pond stuff for better cost effectiveness (found at gardening centres in the Pond section if your LFS does not sell it) or you can make it yourself ich stresses fish out; it is good to ensure that they are as happy as possible, and feed them on live or really top quality food. This helps by ensuring higher nutrients when they eat less. almost a pity you can't cuddle them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 is that similar to melacon.... ( I think that is how you spell it....)... can you really put tea tree oil in the tank!? Ive always considered it toxic (well to people anyway) If so what ratios should I use...... I have got my tank on blood worms and the occasional live worm that the eel misses, spirilina discs for the pleco and some fine flakes for the small harlequins so they have a varied diet (the Geophagus really enjoys catching and devouring worms, even though they are too big and he takes half an hour to get one down :-? ) Im going the LFS this arvo to see what they have, as i really would like to just treat the whole tank together without removing plants if possible.... maybe next time ill quarantene my new fish. :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 my tank has 5 small (like 5cm) grasses and 4 clumps of medium sized plants..... so its not what i would think as heavy planted..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 teatree oil IS toxic so are most of the antibacterials we use every day, if over dosed. i get it in its 'pure' form from the chemist and mix it up myself, i think the idea has been around for a long time but not commercially available as such. don't bother removing your plants - the thing about planted tanks is that the plants eat melaleuca oil - the effectiveness is reduced somewhat - dosing still raises the concentration but the plants degrade that over a shorter time. the same is true for tanks running hardcore filtration - the only time you will notice is if you have lots of plants. in most cases it is easier to quarantine sick fish, and certainly easier to isolate them upon purchase (same goes for plants and any ornaments and hardware that comes from an uncertain source - i transferred whitespot with a stupid ornamental castle thing once...) i have noticed that MelaFix will reduce the population of smaller organisms like copepods and small worms - i should add that this is only an observation, it could be that my fish were feeling better and regained their appetite when i had them on a reduced diet (might be worth investigation) all in all, i reckon if your fish have white spot and they are still swimming and breathing, dose according to package directions and you'll be feeling better in no time. This Document will learn you about the ich organism - its always good to know your enemy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman98 Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 what is the pure form and what recipe do use,what doyou make it up with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 You can get Tea Tree oil from the Pharmacy - off the shelf. Just ask your friendly local chemist of herbalist. Heres a recipe i prepared earlier: Recipe: take one 2.75 litre container, add 25ml of Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca sp/alternifolia - available at your local pharmacy) + top up with purified water. Shake well. Consider that you are adding oil to water; it will not mix immediately. This can be solved by leaving it in the sun or adding a tiny drop of dishwashing liquid (the more natural/biodegradable the better). Shake well before use and dose as advised on the Melafix bottle (5ml per 40-50l per day until a week after symptoms are cleared) Works out at about $12-15 for nearly 3 litres as opposed to $30-40 for 500ml. Quick Comparison; Home Made: $15 for 3 litres Melafix: $180 for 3 litres (2.75 litres worth of 5ml doses should treat a total of 22000 litres of tank (2750mL/5mL=550doses*40L=22000L)) This recipe is a work in progress. No warranties are extended or implied. Batteries not included, parts not suitable for anyone of any age. Any comments welcomed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatBrat Posted March 17, 2004 Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 Have you tried raising the tempture? I have heard that this is one way to kill the bacteria that cause ich. I hope that your fish get better soon. Cheers, CatBrat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2004 i have raised the temp to 28 degrees, and got some blue stuff from the LFS, cant remember its name..... its in a little bottle...... trying that (although it initially turned my water blue it is now clear again.... has my filter absorbed the medication?.... the bottle said it didnt require the filter to be required.....) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 The blue stuff is probably methylene blue, be careful of how much you dose with the eel in there, you should halve the medication with scaleless fish. If your water is clear again you probably have carbon in your filter, make sure you remove this before dosing again. Exerpt taken from http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/disease/p/ich.htm Treatment: Raise water temperature Medicate for 12-14 days Reduce medication when treating scaleless fish Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment Perform water changes between treatments The entire cycle takes about two weeks from start to finish. Higher temps will shorten the cycle, while low temps lengthen it. Therefore, raising the water temp shortens the time it takes for the parasite to reach the stage in which it is susceptible to medication. Treatments must be given for a long enough period to assure that all parasites are gone. Watch carefully for other infections, as secondary infections often occur where the skin has been damaged by the parasite. Although nothing kills the parasite once it has checked into it's fish "hotel", several chemicals kill ich once it has left the fish. Malachite green, methylene blue, quinine hydrochloride, and mepracrine hydrochloride are all effective, and are available under several brand names. Dose based on the package instructions, however cut dosages in half when treating scaleless catfish and tetras. Regardless of the medication used, treatment should be given continuously for 12-14 days to ensure all parasites are killed. Between treatments a partial water change is recommended. Keep water temperatures higher than usual to speed up the life cycle of the parasite. Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment, as it will remove the chemicals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Yeah i asked the store when i went in yesterday about scaleless fish, and instead of the recommended 160 drops i put in 140. Although, mr eel was rather lethargic last nite and didnt want to come out of his home (rocks) for dinner.... (actually he looked kind of angry) i will do a water change and this time take out the carbon...... then try again..... would the carbon have removed the all the medication or would i need to take into account that i have put some in already?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 also, is 28 a ok temp or could i turn it up more? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 I would say that if your water is completely clear that the carbon has removed all the medication. To be safe I would err on the side of caution and only put in 100 drops on the second dose. Don't raise your temperature above 28 degrees as you will harm your fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hevalump Posted March 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 thanks. We have to be carefull what we listen to off sites on the net cause one site was telling me that 30 degrees is ok!! I thought it was a bit suspect. We usually have the tank at 26, and i increased to 28 last nite...... we will see how things go. I am sure the geophagus is already sidewiping less... or it just might be my imagination.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 30 degrees might be ok and you can probably maintain your temp at 30 degrees for a couple of weeks without losing any fish, but why stress your fish any more than you need to. I was more worried about your eel as I don't know anything about them or their habitat. Also the higher the temp the less oxygen content in the water. I hope your fish get better soon. Cheers, Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 Some fish will tolerate higher temperatures than others. Just make sure you have plenty of extra aeration going as the warmer the water, the less oxygen. Keep an eye for fish staying close to the surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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