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monkeymomma46 asked in PetsFish · 1 decade ago

How to treat ich in gold fish tank? and can i put the two fish in a small tank ?

I have read online that when you treat your tank for ich that you should remove your fish from the tank because the ich can not live were there is no fish. So i am wondering if it would be ok to put my two Gold Fish in a small tank for a few days while trying to kill the ich in their 10 gallon tank. It saids use a spare tank for this but my only spare tank is really small . and i only have two Gold Fish and one is a Black Mor and one is a Calico Gold fish. I am just wondering if they will be ok for a couple days while in the small tank? It's all i have to put them in . or should I just buy Ich medication and leave them in the tank while treating the tank? I had a Gold Fish tank years ago that got Ich and I remember treating it with the drops you buy for ich but it didn't work and ALL my Fish died! So that's why I never bought Gold Fish after that for along time until now. Also every time I get a Black Mor something always goes wrong. like the last one just died and I took it to pet smart and they didn't even know why it was sick or died. it looked fine they said and said it might just be that fish it self. So i got another one and it died so i now have the third one and its got ich because it has white spots on its body now. I wonder if its something about these Black Mor's ? my other fish isn't sick yet but i am thinking he will be if i leave him in that tank that has ich now. Thanks for any advise if you have been through this and something worked. and if you know if i should go ahead and move the fish out to be safe!

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Ich treatment is a long term process, that is because the ich medication only kills the ich at one stage of it's life cycle. The life cycle take a round 1 week.

    If you can find filter safe ich medication then I suggest treating it in your main tank.

    If not then use the small tank. The risk of using the same tank is that you have to ensure water quality by doing frequent water change of 75% to 100% (since it small and probably without "cycled" filtration). Also frequent 100% water change also get rid of the parasites in their free swimming stages. Always remember how much water you replace so that you can calculate the amount of medication you need to add back in.

    If you're using the main tank the step are the same, just that you should change 25% to 50% every 2 or 3 days. That improves water quality (which improves the health of the fish so that it's bio-resistance can also help fight the parasite infestation) and also serve to remove the ich parasite from the water column.

    Search of "ich treatment" on the web and there is also of information on this.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Ich is in the tank, in the gravel, in the water and on the fish.

    Treat the whole tank and the fish.

    As another poster said, the life cycle of the ich organism allows it to live through any medicating that isn't done exactly properly.

    Remove any carbon or other granular filter material, cut open filter pads to remove carbon if needed.

    You should vacuum your tank with a siphon cleaner at least twice during and once after the medicating period. remember to use properly treated, dechlorinated water of the same temperature as the tank.

    Raising the temperature of the tank to 80 F can assist in speeding up the process by a day or so. Some people use even higher temperatures. Don't heat the tank up all in one day, No more than a few degrees per day.

    You should treat the tank for at least 4 days after the last time you see any ich on the fish. That's the most important thing in my whole list.

    Many people recommend adding freshwater aquarium salt to goldfish tanks. As long as you don't have snails or live plants you can usually use about 2 to 3 TABLEspoons per 10 gallons. When you do water changes only add the amount of salt based on how much new water you are putting in the tank, so a little less than 1 TEAspoon per gallon of water. Do not add salt to the water you add to the tank when water evaporates.

    I have always used RidIch, and it can be used at a lower dosage , 3/4 of the recommended dose, twice a day to make it more effective and less harmful if the fish are sensitive. Make sure to do those vacuuming water changes. But the standard dose is usually fine for goldfish, especially if you can't do the twice a day medicating schedule on time every day for the whole period of about a week and a half.

    There are other anti Ich medicines , but always redose after the ich leaves the fish.

    If you don't have a heater, get one. Fish seem to get ich less if they are kept atleast over 72-74 F. Cold water changes can make it flare up, or a real cold night without a heater.

  • 1 decade ago

    You probably didn't put enough drops inside. In my case I put less than the required amount inside because the stuff I use is methylene blue and it works every time

    Source(s): Lots of experience with most fish diseases
  • 1 decade ago

    go to fish store and buy de ich

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