unknown illness

Question
I have a 55 gallon tank with various gouramis, tetras and discus. No new fish or plants have been added to the tank and it is well aerated. I have had trouble with ick many times and am aware of the symptoms.  I treat with rid-ich and do 30% water changes.  My fish have no spots.  The eyes are cloudy and they are very lethargic.  The temperature is kept between 82-85 degrees.  I have been advised that the higher temp would help keep the ick at bay. I fear that I am going to have to do a full cleaning of the tank (boiling gravel and plastic plants,removing all water) and have no means to house the fish.  I am at a loss as to what to do.  Any suggestion will be much appreciated.

Answer
Hi,

Whoever advised keeping the temp up forgot to tell you why and also that it's harmful to tetra to have that temp so high.  Tetra cannot survive in temps that high.  They will die.  Tetra are 72 degree fish.  That is way too high for them.  Please lower it to 78 and the Discus will be better as well.  

We raise the temp so the Ich can burst into the free-swimming stage faster.  When in that stage, our meds can kill them.  It is the only stage our medication can kill them in.

So, in short, turn down the temps.  You are slowly killing gouramis and tetra.

As far as the cloudy eyes go, that is usually from bacteria or high ammonia in the water.  How often are you treating with the ich medication?

Stop.  The ich medication is poisonous if continually used and the fish are building it up into their system, unable to get rid of it, because of continuous dosing.

If you want to get rid of the ich, then please just leave the tank empty for a month. The ich will hatch, starve and die off.  There will never be ich in the tank again, provided you never add a sick fish or petstore fish without first testing and treating it for ich.  Also, never add petstore water.

So, my advice - Put all the fish in another tank for a month.  Stop treating for ich!  Please. :)  Turn down the heat.  You can add a teaspoon of salt per gallon to keep ich at bay and it works 100% effectively after you return the fish, and it will not harm your fish.  Use marine salt.

Happy fish-keeping.
Renee