Another bristlenose is dead

[Litespeed]

We have been trying to clear up the ick on our pictus catfish for the last 4 days. We had purchased two new bristlenose catfish from our local fish store just before the outbreak occurred. It seems likely that introducing the new bristlenose set off the ick. We lost one bristlenose before 24 hrs. was up and now today the other one has died. We have the temp up to 85 degrees and it says they can handle up to 90. All the reading for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate are normal. Can't figure out why we keep losing bristlenose. Could the ick medication be the cause of losing the bristlenose? I'm just hoping that the pictus catfish don't starve to death before the ick can be cleared up, one of them hasn't eaten in 4 days.

[Tolley]

I read somewhere not to turn the temp up when treating with meds, only with salt. The high temp kills of as much of the ich as the med.

Anymore opinions?

[Fishalicious]

I have not heard of not raising the temp with meds but if you do raise the temp with meds (with ick you speed up the cylce process of the ick getting the fish over it quicker and the meds take quicker effect) you really need to have an airstone on 24/7 though as the oxygen is low for the fishies.

You were the person with the missing bristlenose right? did you ever find it? Could it be decomposing somewhere rotting the water?

[Litespeed]

Yes I am the one with the missing bristlenose. Never did find it but I suspect that the pictus catfish must have eaten during the night, never did find a dead body. The ick medication said to raise the temp up to 85 until cured, which we did. The medication is called Aquari-Sol which treats mild cases of ick, this is what the fish store recommended since we were treating pictus catfish. We have two air stones along the back of the aquarium which run 24/7 and have our intake tilted so we have lots of water movement to increase oxygen. If any of the fish were going to die I would have thought for sure it would have been one of the pictus catfish. Unfortunately this fish store is the only one we can find that sells bristlenose catfish. Petco, Petsmart don't. Do you think we would have better luck with some other kind of algae eater?

[gm72]

Plecos in general are very sensitive to meds.

[Litespeed]

I would love to get another bristlenose after this bout of ick is over and done with, but I'm afraid to try and buy another fish from this fish store. All the other fish we bought were from Petco or Petsmart and none of them have died. Should I try one more time???

[gm72]

Trying again is really up to you. Even a sick fish can be treated, but if you are worried I would quarantine the fish first before adding it to your existing tank.

[mitcore]

sorry for your loss
i also lost 2 bristle noses in the last week,

mine are due to the heat here we are in summer and hot

try again, it will work out in the end

[CAX474]

Same here my daughter lost two of them in one day due to the heat 42 deg and a small tank dosn`t work well, she is heart broken and now and the rest of her fish have been put into my tanks as she couldnt take the same thing happening to them. So I have decided to get her 30g tank and build her a hood with fans ect, I mean what else are dads for?

[rjh_1981]

Plecos are really sensitive to some meds, Especially if they have copper in it. I personally have only used meds for ick once many years ago when and i still lost half my stock to it. The next time I had an out break I did the high temp/ no light method and did not lose a single fish. That was also the last time I had an out break of ick in any of my tanks. If I were you I would turn the heat up to 88f and kill the lights, make it as dark as possible. And I was never comfortable with not feeding at all. I would feed a little bit once a day. Have you ever gone hungry for a long time? Believe me you would stress out, and ick loves stressed fishies. So for your loss, and hope you have better luck.

[CAX474]

Thats the same method I use and I feed a little pinch once daily wich I think is better for the stress on the fish. I then cover the tank on the outside to make it dark, I use this method with all new fish in the quarentine tank for one week and I havent ever had Ich ect in any of my main tanks.