Clown Loachs

Question
My set-up constist of a 90 gal tank that has been running for 3 months. In it I have 3 danios, 11 neons, 3 Head and Tail-light tetras, 3 Lemon tetras, 2 Plecos, 5 Yo-Yo loachs, and 5 Clown loachs. pH=7.0, ammonia=.01, nitrite=.02 filter is Fluval 401. My question is that two of my clowns have developed white spots(1 spot on each) on their sides which caused loss of the black stipe in this area.Their insides are slightly red,but not their gills. Treated whole tank for ick because of many of the fish seen glanceing of bottom ( no white spots seen on any other fish). I understand that clowns are very sensative to many medications and don't want to kill any of these cool fish with the wrong anti-parasite or anti-bacterial medicines. Not even sure which one is required. By the way, these fish are quite active. Any advice is much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Mike;

When using ich medicines, generally you just use a half dose with sensitive fish. Looking at the fish you have, they are all sensitive.

The heat/salt treatment is safer than meds though. Raise the tank temperature slowly up to 82 degrees for 2 weeks. Add uniodized aquarium salt at the dose of 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of water. When you make your regular water changes (should be 25% every week to 2 weeks) just add back enough salt for the water replaced. For instance, you will be replacing about 20 gallons of water in your 25% water changes. This means you will need 10 teaspoons of salt to go back in the tank. Also make sure there is plenty of oxygen in the tank. You might want to add an airstone hooked to an air pump just to be sure. Higher temperatures cause less oxygen to be present in the water.

Ich hates heat and salt so it works pretty well. You may still see new spots appear on the fish in a couple of days, but this is only because the parasites were already embedded in the skin of the fish and hadn't shown up as white spots yet. Once the white pustules develop and break open into hundreds of tiny parasites, they will die in the heated salted water. They can't attach to the fish again because of the boosted slime coating on the fish. The salt is reponsible for that too.

After 2 weeks, slowly lower the temperature back down to 75 to 78, whatever your fish had before. No more than one or two degrees lower a day, or they can get sick again.

If it makes you feel better, you can continue to use the ich medicine during the heat/salt treatment, but only half doses at the most. Many people do so with pretty good results.

Followups welcome

At Your Service;
Chris Robbins

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