# ICH When SHOULD new spots stop appearing?



## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

I had started a post in planted tanks yesterday about my issue with ich. 
My question now is that I am 48 hours into treatment and when I woke up this morning there are NEW spots. At what point should the new spots stop appearing? Is the medicine not working? I have lost 3 neon tetras so far just from the medication. I started treatment when two fish had spots. Actually one fish had a spot and another had two. in the past 48 hours since treatment started, fish with no spots have died and fish that didn't have spots now have spots. 
using Kordon ick plus.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

First,it is likely the neons did have ich but it was not visable to the eye.It usaully starts in the gills of many fish where it can not be seen and by the time we see it on the fish(as a white spot) it has grown to 50x it's original size(50X!)
The trophont(white spot) is under the fishes skin(where meds can NOT kill it) for usaully 3-4 days,but this is subject to tempature and lower temps can make this last upto 5 weeks!At an average temp72-78 the trophont should fall from the fish by day 4.This is when the meds can have their effect.This is alao when vacumming and redosing meds will help the most.The meds are known to have a "lesser" effect in tanks with high organic waste which is another reason to clean the gravel well before and during treatment.
If you have enough meds 30-50% water changes and redosing of meds for that volume daily will help the fish and meds do their best.
Be patient,persistent and kill the ich when you can.This time should be soon,as when you see the spots(any of them) disappear.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Spots really don't stop until you start making an impact on it. You should start seeing a reduction in 3 to 4 days.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

I pulled most of my plants (leaving 3 or 4 in the tank for security to help my fish not feel stressed) and put them in a bucket and medicated the water. I am going to let them soak in there until after the treatment in the tank is successful. I am going to assume that the medication I put in the bucket will kill any hatchlings and the fact that there are no fish in the bucket if some to live they will die off without a host. 
The fish I am most concerned about (yes, I admit to having favorites in my tank) are my 3 baby angels and my 2 golden dojo loaches. I will be so sad if they don't make it  
I am so mad at myself. I did everything right (as far as I know) when it came to setting up the tank, cycling, water changes, testing, slowly stocking when ready, continuous testing and partial water changes after each new addition. The ONE thing that I KNEW to do but chose not to, was to quarantine. A step that you can skip so often and everything is fine. Everything is fine, until its not...with devastating consequences.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

You can put the plants back. There is really no need to remove them. In fact, if there was an issue with ich lodging itself on the plants you will want them to be in with the treatment with the rest of the tank.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

The problem I was having was that I couldn't vac the gravel with the amount of plants I had. But once I loosened them from the gravel and they were floating around, they produced so much plant parts in the water and without a filter in because of the treatment... ugh. I was hoping removing the plants would help keep the waste down and make my daily gravel vacuuming easier. 
I feel like Im damned if I do and damned if I don't lol


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

newbsi said:


> without a filter in because of the treatment... ugh.


You should be running your filter regardless of treating tank!The meds and not running a filter will leave you with very low disolved oxygen levels and will not be good for the fish.
Crank up your filter!


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

my filter is on but there isn't a cartridge in it to catch the waste.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

and I lowered the water level a couple inches to get the maximum splash effect. Its just moving the trash around, nothing is catching it to take it out of the water


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Yes, you definitely need to filter going. If you've removed the carbon there should be no issue with running them.

FWIW, I have pretty heavily planted tanks. In the couple of times I have had ich in my tanks I have not vacuumed the tanks and have never had any issue with how long it took to get rid of. Quick Cure has always nearly annihilated the problem in 3-4 days. I very seldom vacuum at all having plants. It is a personal choice and what you did was not wrong, but next time I would just vacuum the best I could around the plants. Less disturbance in your tank and less stress on your fish.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

I think you are right. I am sure I did more harm than good by uprooting my plants. Not only did I mess up my water balance and probably contributed to putting my tank back into a cycle but it also stressed out the fish even more which makes them even more vulnerable. If I could go back, I would have left the plants just the way they were. Shoulda, coulda woulda


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Don't worry about it. Everything you do today and tomorrow is based off of what you learned yesterday. The aquarium keeper experience is something that slowly evolves and nearly every single thing you do is based in some type of experience you will/have had. It is a very humbling thing.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

Another dead Neon Tetra and my Black Kuhli Loach.

The neons that are left do not have white spots but they do look slimy with tattered fins. They stopped schooling yesterday. 

Now the Ottos have white spots.

The Golden Dojo Loaches do not have spots yet.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

Two more dead Neon Tetras. 

What is left is my Albino Cory (who is very inactive), my 3 baby angelfish, 2 Golden Dojos and 2 neon tetras. I don't think that last two neon tetras are going to make it. Not sure about the Cory. The loaches and angels are still acting pretty normal considering.
I am so bummed.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Sorry this is going so bad.It would seem safe to say the ich was pretty established by the time you noticed.It does seem to be in advanced stage and really taking its toll.
I hope your other fish make it,BUT if all fish die then stay fishless for at least two weeks and that should kill it off before you get any more.If your remaining fish hang in for another day or two I'm sure the meds will start to work as the ich falls from the fish.
Sorry .


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

The fish that have died are the last batch of fish that I bought. So they must have been sick, I suppose. Except the Kuhli, which probably couldn't withstand the meds. They looked healthy when I put them in my tank. They were eating well. Honestly, other than the three freaking spots no one was acting sick... until I medicated.


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

Could I have overdosed?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Fish are often stressed after arriving at LFS.The under pretty tough transitions from shipping and stuff.
How did you acclimate the fish to your tank?Have you read the drip acclimating sticky in the forums?
If you followed the directions or even used less then an OD doesn't sound right.Often when fish are sick meds can be too much for them to tolerate.I have to think there were other symptoms before the spots you just didn't recognise or have time to notice if the fish were new.Things like ;flashing(glancing off oblects or bottom of tank),breathing heavy,red around the gills or swollen gills,there really is an endless list of things that could have been symptoms.
The loaches are considered "scaleless fish" so they possibly really didn't take to the meds well.
Have you tested your ammonia ,nitrites again?I would be watching them daily .


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## newbsi (Jan 25, 2014)

Since taking out my filter media and plants and vacuuming my tank to death... my tank has crazy nitrites. I woke up this morning and tested and it was beyond 10ppm nitrites. 0 ammonia and barely any nitrates maybe 5-10ppm. I immediately put prime in the tank which is suppose to detoxify nitrites. Then did a 60% water change (yesterday I only did 10%, just enough to vac the gravel really well). The nitrite reading is now 3ppm which is still high. 
None of the tetras made it. Now I have the 3 angels, 2 ottos, 1 cory and 2 dojo loaches. everyone that is left (other than the few with spots, looks okay).


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