I need help FAST!~

[Lady Hobbs]

I bought 4 silver dollars a couple weeks ago and one died the next day. It wasn't until he died I noticed he had ick but the others were fine. I now have 2 more with ick!

My problem: I have loaches and a featherfin in the tank so am a bit afraid of using tank salt. However, Silver Dollars do not do well in medication and I feel with having two with ick in this tank, I should treat the whole tank.

What do you think I should do?

[*Sarah*]

I would probably treat the whole tank with mela/pimafix

[Lady Hobbs]

Primafix is for fungal infections and Melafix for wounds. I don't know as either would treat parasites.

[*Sarah*]

It cured the Ick I had in my tank...at least I'm pretty sure it was ick.

[Lady Hobbs]

These silver dollars must have had this ick for at least a week. Poor things have a lot of it. With them being soooo small, sooooo fast and silver with sparklies to start with, it's darned hard to see it on them to start with. I could only tell by staring at their fins for 5 minutes.

Well, I have added some salt and turned temps for 80 to 84. Now I will have to sit on my little steppie stool infront of the tank and stress out for hours worrying about my featherfin. I KNEW I should have quarantined!!

[Spyder]

A few years back I had my only case of Ick and my Clown Loaches had it. I treated with Coppersafe at full strenth and all did great with no signs of distress. I don't know how the Silver Dollars would do with it but the Loaches will be okay. If you decide to use Coppersafe you would need to remove all the plants (if any).

[Lady Hobbs]

Thanks. So far I see none on the loaches but I know they are very suspectible to ick. Will feel OK using the cooper meds now with them if needed but the silver dollars are intolerable of it so that will mean moving some fish around some.

[Rue]

Hope the salt/warm water does the trick for you...ich is everywhere...usually only the stressed fish pick it up...hopefully your others won't get it if you treat now...

[RobbieG]

Good luck with the ick - poor fishies :(

[cocoa_pleco]

good luck with it! just raise the temps and hope for the best. to be honest i kinda rarely quarantine my fish, just the odd saltwater ones

[thatonefish]

i have a 55 gallon that i got from a guy that basically just wanted to get rid of it....so he wouldn't have to clean it again. he had two 5 inch silver dollars, two 5-6 inch plecos and a WHOLE bunch of scum in it. i over hauled it and the silver dollars ended up with ich spots. i treated with half the salt normally called for [normal meaning 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons] and raised the temp to 80+. the silver dollars dropped the ich and the plecos didn't fry [since they don't have scales]. would imagine the plecos and loaches would be similar skin cases. no ich since....knock on wood. best of luck. i love the silver dollars. they now have 2 baby brothers/sisters following them around.

[Lady Hobbs]

Makes it rather difficult to treat for ick when you have a mixture of fish with some not tolerate of salt and others not tolerate of meds. This is the second time I have introduced ick to my tank and both times with new fish that were introduced.

One of the fish sites states they acclimate their new fish by adding one drop of Ick Cure right in the bag before releasing them into the main tank. I'm beginning to think this may not be such a bad idea.