Ick...I think...

Question
QUESTION: I have a twenty gallon freshwater tank with three platys, three black phantom tetras and a pictus catfish (originally two catfish).  The tank is fairly new (about a month old), so it is definitely still cycling, etc.  I noticed yesterday that my smallest platy, Sushi, was covered in white, protruding spots.  I guessed this was probably Ick, as it seems to fit the profile.  So, I bought IckAway and followed the directions (one teaspoon, aka 5mL, per 10 gal water.)  It says to do the treatment once every three days for three cycles and then to do a 50% water change.  This is the second day of the first cycle, so I haven't really seen improvement yet, but I have noticed that while my platy seems fine, my pictus catfish is swimming only at the top, gasping at the surface.  He does not have any visible discolorations or anything, but he does look very thin...his stomach is a little sunken in and he seems to be gasping for air.  The IckAway treatment doesn't say that it can't be used for scaleless fish, but some websites suggest that it might be too hard for them.  I am worried about my catfish , but I also want to get rid of the Ick and save my tank before it spreads.  Any advice would be helpful.
ANSWER: Hi Brii
This is a tough one.  The problems with scaleless fish & tetras. I like to use the heat and salt method for ich treatment when I need to.  But salt is bad for scaleless fish and tetras, and so are a lot of the meds out there.  Some of the meds(not sure which) can even kill off your beneficial bacteria-the stuff that helps cycle your tank.  And that wouldn't be good, especially since you're so close to finishing the cycle.  

Pictus cats are pretty sensitive to water quality.  If your tank is cycling, that's probably what brought out the ich.  The pictus cat is probably showing those symptoms either because of nitrite poisoning, poisoning from the meds, or the ich could be in it's gills.  Either way, I'd say he's probably not going to do to well through this.

Here's 2 options, you can pick up a med that specifically says it's safe for scaleless fish, here's a link for one product pet store should carry it(need to copy/paste to browser):

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4709&N=2004+113016

Or go with the salt and heat method.  I'd say this one may be better, because if there is high nitrites in the water, the salt will help them with their respiration and blood gas exchange.  Mix 1 teaspoon per 2 US gallons, now do this slowly and over a two day period.  Get a bucket of water, let the salt dissolve thoroughly.  Do half(or even less) the first day, then the other half the next day or even go 3 days.  Now the hard part, since your tank is cycling, you're going to need to do partial water changes.  When you do water changes, that removes some of the salt.   You want to be careful about adding too much salt back in.  Also, raise the temperature in the tank to about 82 F.  Either add an air stone, or drop the water level a little bit to increase surface agitation to allow gas exchanges.  Higher temps deplete the oxygen.  

If you go with the medicine for treatment, be sure to remove any carbon from your filter too.  Do the treatment for at least 14 days, or continue for at least 3 days after no signs of ich on the fish.  Sorry, that's a rough decision to make, but like I said, I'd be surprised if he makes it through at this point.  They're just so sensitive to water quality and such, definitely not a good fish to cycle a tank with.  And when they get sick, it seems like they go pretty quick.

Hope that helps and good luck!!  If you have anymore questions, please ask.

Christy

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

QUESTION: Thanks so much!  

The catfish actually died last night about an hour after I posted the question, but the strange thing is that when I got up this morning one of my platys had died, too.  He was the largest and healthiest of all of them.  I think this could be due to over feeding as he had a tendency to chase the others off of the food.  We were also having a problem with getting food down to the catfish, and I think my husband overfed yesterday in an effort to get some food to sink.  Is that possible or likely to have killed my platy?  The other two platys, including the one with the ich, and the three tetras all seem fine.  The platy with the ich does still have his spots but we're only half way through the first of three cycles that the IckAway med requires.  When should I put the carbon insert back into my filter?

I really don't want to lose any more fish, so any advice would be helpful.
Thanks,
Brii

Answer
Hi again
I'm sorry about the catfish, I had a feeling I would hear exactly what you said, that he didn't make it through the night.  They are a neat looking fish just sensitive.  With bottom feeders like that, it can be harder to feed them.  Probably would've been best to feed him worms, frozen blood worms, cut up pieces of shrimp, more meatier food then to rely on fish food reaching the bottom.  Sometimes with some bottom dwellers, you may have to actually put the food down there for them.  I've had to do this with an elephant nose, an eel, and a dwarf frog.  

As for the platy dying, your tank is still cycling.  It could be the stress from that, or it very well could've been an ammonia spike if your hubby overfed that bad.  

I think I mentioned, treat the ich for at least 14 days, and stop the meds 3 days after the spots fall off.  Ich is getting very resistant to alot of the meds used for treating it.  It's taking longer now to "cure" them of it.  

Carbon's main use is to filter meds out of the water.  So, when you're all done with the ich treatment, put the carbon back in.  Don't add anymore fish to your tank until it's done cycling.  Then when you do, be sure you do it slowly only a few at a time.  Losing fish during the cycle process is normal, it's very stressful for them.  Be sure to get one of those test kits too.  They'll tell you when the tank is done cycling, and if you ever have problems in your tank, that's the first thing someone is going to ask you.  Most problems can be related back to water quality, and usually doing a water change will correct the problem.  It's just good to know what the exact water parameters are.

Good luck with the ich and the rest of your cycle!!

Christy