Black moor fish is ill!

Question
QUESTION: Hi, hope you can give me some advice! I have a 60 litre tank that up until a week ago had just 1 black moor fish in it. I always intended to get more fish so last week I bought another 2 fish (fairly small fantails)and put them in the tank (the tank has been completely cycled). Over the last two days my black moor has now got ich (which I am treating him for). However he is constantly at the bottom of the tank and can barely move/swim, hasn't eaten for two days and I'm wondering if it is just because he is stressed from the illness and/or other tank mates or if he is actually dying? I have had the water tested at a reputable aquarium shop and they say the levels are absolutely spot on. The fish has had ich before and seems to get stressed quite easily so maybe he is just susceptible to everything (the lady in the shop said he might have been bullied by the new fish although he is much bigger than them). I have kept the lights off and have limited the feed. I'm just not sure if I should move him to another tank or if it is just a case of wait and see? How do you know when a fish is just too ill to survive? Is he likely to get better once the ich has gone?
Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks Jo

ANSWER: Joanne,
60 liters is not big enough for one goldfish let alone three. If you want to keep three goldfish they have to be in a tank no smaller than 40 gallons. Since he is already ill and you have been treating him in the main tank, I would just leave him there. When you buy new fish, it is always a good idea to quarantine the fish in the hospital tank for no less than 2 weeks. This way, if they are sick, they will not contaminate the main tank. If Ich is the only problem then he should get better once the Ich is gone. Black Moors are one of the most sensitive goldfish so they need their water to be perfect all the time. What were the levels of ammonia and nitrite in your tank water? He could have been bullied, and if so, it could be stressing him out. When the Ich treatment is finished, let me know how he is doing, or get back to me if he gets worse.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Jaymie thanks for the quick reply.
the levels of ammonia/nitrite were at 0 (took the water to an aquarium shop to be tested). I was told to do a 20% water change and have continued with the ich treatment. The other fish were really starting to have a go at him and his tail fins were starting to rot so I have moved him to another tank,  plus he just seemed to be getting worse and worse. Not sure if I have done the right thing as I know that moving could stress him more. I think he is probably going to die anyway as he looked worse this morning. He barely moves. I just don't know why he got so bad so quickly when the water was ok. Can stress from other fish do that or has he just got a weak immune system? Is there anything else I can do? Don't want him to suffer so should I be euthanising him? How do I know when he is beyond hope? Cheers Jo

Answer
Joanne,

Chances are, the fish store uses test strips instead of the liquid testing kits. The strips are not reliable and give false readings. Its good that you moved him, but you didn't mention what medication you are using. The fastest way to get rid of Ich is with heat and salt. The colder the water the longer it will take to get rid of the disease. You can try this method to see if it works better. I would stop treating with the medication and try the salt and heat method.

In the tank that he is in, do a 25% water change. In the new water add the conditioner. The salt ratio is 1 teaspoon per gallon of water. Add a heater and slowly turn it up to between 80 and 85 degrees. In cold water, say 50 degrees, the Ich life cycle is about 6 weeks. In 85 degree water it is about 2 to 4 days. This is how I tell people to treat Ich in goldfish before they use any type of medication. If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.