# Tank Emergency



## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I have a 60 gallon tank that has been set up since Jan. 1. I set it up with gravel and rocks from another one of my tanks. It cycled perfectly and I had a clown loach, pictus catfish, parrot, 2 angels and 4 rainbows. I noticed my parrot acting very lethargic and the angels were hanging at the top. I thought maybe I didn't have enough air so I put in an large airstone. I also have a 36 inch bubble wand in the back. Two days ago I lost the loach and the catfish. The angels seem to be doing much better but then last night one of the rainbows died! I have tested the water so much my husband is ready to commit me! The fish do not have any outward signs of disease just lethargic and then they die! Please help!!


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Ummm test the water wtih a liquid test kit, you could have high levels of all that is toxic to your fish.


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I did that and all the water is perfect!


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## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

how often do you do water changes?


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I change 25% every week. I am religious about it. That is why I am so confused about what is going on! I use Prime when I change the water. I feed every 2 days.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Your reading for ammonia and nitrite were zero? What was your reading for nitrates?


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I can't remember what number it was. Ammonia 0 Nitrates 0 for sure. The Nitrites were nominal.


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

Nitrates nominal. Sorry!


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## rtbob (Jul 18, 2010)

First off I'm sorry for your losses.

What is the temp of your water?

What filter(s) are you using.

You set the tank up on Jan 01. You used some gravel and rocks from an established tank.

When did you add fish? Did you add them all at once? The gravel and rocks would help speed up the cycle some. 

When doing your water changes do you use a siphon type with a attached gravel cleaner? 

Do you siphon the water into a bucket and replace the water by filling the bucket with clean water adding prime as it is filling then pouring the water back into the tank?

Or do you use a python type system and drain/fill directly from a sink treating the entire volume of the tank with prime as it is filling?

How do you clean the outside glass?

Sorry for all the questions. Since your fish are showing know outward signs of disease I'm trying to rule out anyway outside contaminates could be entering into your tank water.


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

The water temp is set at 78. When I set the tank up I let it set for 3 days and then I added 3 mollys to start the cycle. I also added 4 filter media bags full of gravel from my established tank. All of the rock I put in was also from my established tank. After I was sure the tank was cycled I added a fish a week and tested, tested and tested the water. When I do water changes I use the bucket method. I put the prime in the tank. I clean the outside of the glass with water only and a soft cloth. I have tested my tap water and it is fine. No ammonia or other terrible things. Plus I have 2 other tanks I take care of the same way. Thank you so much for your help!


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

Oh sorry! I am using 2 Aqueon Power Filters. They both filter 325 gph. So that is 650gph.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

How did you acclimate the fish to the new tank? Were they from another tank or did you purchase them new?


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## CdtWeasel (Jan 29, 2011)

I'm a novice so this may be a silly suggestion, but could the pH or water hardness be off for the types of fish in the tank?


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Just sounds like a cycling tank to me. How were you "sure the tank was cycled"?

The only way to know that you have established bacteria in place is to watch ammonia rise and drop to 0, possibly see a corresponding nitrite increase and then also see the drop to 0, and some value for nitrates.

I'm not sure what "nominal" means. What was the value? Also, you're using a *liquid* test kit?


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I got up this morning and I am fairly certain that the issue is ich! There are white spots on my rainbow fish. No signs of it on the parrot or the angels though. My tank was cycled as I am aware of this process. I do use a liquid test kit.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Makes sense, you can usually tell something is wrong before you see the ich. Heat and salt treatment can be very effective and if you start right away you have a good chance of saving at least most of your fish. I also like to do large water changes in the stage when the spots fall off the fish the parasites sink to the bottom so a good vac of the bottom of the tank reduces numbers. There are also good meds available if you prefer but they can be hard on the fish.


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

Thank you so much for your help. I think I am going with the meds as I have lost 5 fish so far. How long does it take for the meds to work and how long should I keep it up?


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

If you have loaches or catfish in the tank still you may need to reduce the dose.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

You need to read the bottle of medication and keep the dosing up for the entire period on the bottle. Ich parasites do drop off and form a cyst, so you need to keep dosing past when all your fish are free of parasites, until all the cysts will have hatched, so that the free swimming hatchlings can be destroyed before they latch on to your fish again. 

Get a good major brand ich treatment and just follow the directions, if they say raise the temp, raise it, if they say do a partial water change after so many days, do it, keep notes so you know where in the treatment instructions you are, how many days you've been dosing, make a note each time you put the meds in so you know if you've done the dose for the day (this is the kind of thing I do, 'cause I will forget if I've done a particular day's dose or not, and I will forget what day I started, things like that) just follow it like a doctor's instructions and you will have an excellent excellent chance of coming out the other side fine. 

There are some resistant strains out there, so it is very important not to skimp if you can avoid it. There have been reports of temperature and even salt resistant strains. We have no idea if this is a resistant one, though. This might go right down with just one treatment, but you want to come at it swinging as hard as you can so that not even one cyst is left alive, because chances are that one cyst will be more likely to be resistant if it survives all this. Ich is turning into a real problem because it has such a long treatment cycle and people are tempted not to treat it as long as it needs to be treated.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Most meds will say continue treatment until 3-4 days past the last visible sign. The wrench in the plan may be your fish. Scaleless fish like your clown loach and possibly your catfish don't do well with ich meds. Most med directions will tell you this. What you have to do is knock the dose in half and treat for twice as long. Otherwise it may kill those fish....applies to fish like Tetras as well. If you get a med like Quick Cure, in my experience treating Tetras it didn't matter. The problem was gone by the 4th day anyway. It's awesome against ich.


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## chris oe (Feb 27, 2009)

This site has good information on the life cycle of the ich organism

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa006


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

I lost the loach and the catfish! I am using Rid Ich now since Friday. I am not seeing improvement as yet though. Is it possible to switch medications? I would like to try the Quick Cure.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I think the ingredients in quick cure are almost the same, I don't know if it will make much difference, you might be better to stick with what you are using, others might have more experience though. The spots on the fish are quite resistant to meds but naturally fall off after a couple of days and the parasites are much easier to kill in the free swimming stage.


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## syddriver (Sep 27, 2010)

Thanks for that info. I will stick with what I am using and prey for the best!


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

Really hope it works, keep us posted.


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