Big Ich Problem

Question
I have a 12 gallon tank. Recently I purchased a tiger loach and a sunburst platy. I added these to my existing fish which are 2 Zebra Dianos, 2 Serpea Tetras, and a Tiger Barb. After about 2 days, I noticed ich spots on the loach. I then proceeded to purchase QuickFix to get rid of the ich. After I used it for 3 days I removed 10% of water daily and continued to use it. Three days after doing that I noticed the spots on the loach were very numerous so I increased the temp to 82 progressively. Two days after that my loach sadly died. The very next day, one of my dianos died and noticed some ich spots on my barb. My tetras, platy, and remaining diano are fine as far as I know.

I really need to know whether or not my fish are doomed. I really don't want to give up on these guys. Can you help me?

Answer
Okay, hi Brendon,

First of all, let's start with the 82F.  That's too high.  Even for treatment of Ich, that's too high.  The fishes you keep are 72F fish.  You can go to 80F, but that is the very top of the heat ladder for your types of fishes.

Remove your fishes from that tank.  Leave your tank empty 1 month and the Ich will forever die.  It is the only 100% sure way to kill Ich.  Otherwise, it will hide and return again and again and again.

QuickFix can be given to them in an empty tank, which you've set up to be a hospital tank.  I do not recommend just treating the main tank.  

Here is why:

Ich treatment medication only penetrates soft shells on parasites.  That means that if they are bored into the fish, or if they are still in gestational stage, or if they are burrrowed into rock, there is NO way the formula will penetrate and kill the Ich.

The only way to kill Ich is when it's in the free-swimming stage.

So, you treat your tank with medication and all the live larvae die, and the ones on the fish hatch and die.

You wait about 2 months and suddenly, the next swing of Ich hits and you have to begin again and again to kill it.  It's a never-ending cycle.

Leaving the tank empty one month will ensure that no Ich survive.  They cannot live without hosts to munch on.

Happy fish-keeping.