Help for Mixed Tank

[materbona]

I just realized my 3 little clown loaches have ick----someone told me tetra dissolving tablets for ick were safe with all fix..I have plecos, a raphael, algae eater, and dojo loach in there---can I treat the whole tank? I know the drops that I have color the water and are not for scaleless fish...Thanks for your help! Also, my oscar has had about 3 white spots on his left front (transparent) fin for a week or so----never changes---could that be ick? I thought it usually spread pretty quickly. He did scrape his side on an ornament a while back and at first I thought it was from the scrape? Thanks again if you can help Shirley

[madagascariensis]

ich will likely have infested your entire tank by the time you notice spots on your fish. treating the entire tank is the most practical way
if you don't have plants or invertebrates, which can be sensitive against medications. since you have loaches which are pretty much scaleless
I would recommend starting half dose and in case no fish shows stress, slowly going up to full dose.
just a question, what is your tank size? you have a species of fish(clown loach) that will eventually need a tank in the range of a couple of hundred gallons
and likely several others(oscar, plecos depending on species) that will eventually need tanks at least 75 gallons in size.

[orion158]

Ich can easily be treated by upping the temperature to around 30C. This be be stressful towards fish, however, is a more natural way to treat white-spot. Medication can sometimes be harmful to scale-less fish like dojo loaches. If you are to use the heat method slowly increase the temp over several days to reduce stress to fish
Hope your fish recover soon

[fishmommie]

another tried and true method to treat ich is heat + salt. As said above increase your heat to 86F over a couple of days. Slowly add 1 tsp aquarium salt (I'd go light on the salt because of your loaches) per 5 gallons of water over a couple of days. (dissolve the salt in tank water then pour it in small increments over a day or so. Leave the tank for several days at that temp. once you see the last spot on your fish, then leave the temp at 86F for 5 - 7 more days. You can do W/C during this time just take care to maintain your 86F water temp. ONce your 5 - 7 day spot free period is passed, slowly lower the temp over 2 - 3 days. Do several small water changes to remove the salt and you should be good to go. I know this works because I just completed this treatment on my 90 gallon tank.
Good luck!
Oh and the reason most suggest the heat method is because it's less invasive than medications but the choice is ultimately yours

[steeler1]

Quick Cure is a safe and fast way to get rid of the Ick. Just follow the directions and your back on your way.

[mizzoutank]

did you recently add new fish into the mix?

also, what size tank and filtration are you running?

ich doesn't come out of nowhere, it comes from newly added fish, or a stressed tank.