# Help! I've lost a catfish and 2 Rusties



## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

I stocked my 60g tank last Sunday. Water parameters, following a fishless cycle, were: Amm 0; Nitrites 0; Nitrates <20 ppm. Water temp is 80 and pH is rock steady at 8.2. I have a Marineland 360 canister filter. My stock is Yellow Labs 1:3, Salousi 1:3 and Rusty 1:3 (1:1 now), and a Featherfin catfish (now deceased). I lost the catfish yesterday and both rustles today, about 6 hours apart. I don't see anything obvious on the fish, they have all been eating. I feed them whatever they can eat in 30 seconds. I did give them some blood worms today. Any advice is much appreciated. I only have PimaFix in the house right now but can get whatever is recommended tomorrow. I am hesitant to do a water change right now because I don't want to stress the remaining fish.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Don't feed blood worms to Mbuna, all of your current stock, with the exception of the labs being omnivorous, are herbivores and don't need meaty proteins, plus they have a long digestive tract that doesn't handle meaty foods very well and it gives more time for harmful bacteria and parasites to proliferate. Not sure what caused the deaths but I would assume that it has something to do with the tank water not a disease.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

How did you clean the tank? Any silicone on backgrounds or rocks?


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> How did you clean the tank? Any silicone on backgrounds or rocks?


No silicone anywhere in the tank. what do mean when ask how did I clean it? You mean originally? Only water, no cleaners at all. Pretty sure I have a case of "ich". Treated the tank yesterday and will again tomorrow. Will do a water change on Wednesday. It killed 7 of my 12 cichlids, very quickly.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Does it look like grains of salt all over the fish? Any gasping at the surface or flashing?


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> Does it look like grains of salt all over the fish? Any gasping at the surface or flashing?


Yes, that is exactly what it looked like and how they behaved. I don't see anything on the remaining fish and they are all acting normally. Fingers crossed that I treated in time to save these 5.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

What are you treating with? I'm glad you were able to figure it out and start treatment, sorry for your losses though.


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## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

sftbl3 said:


> caldwelldaniel26 said:
> 
> 
> > Does it look like grains of salt all over the fish? Any gasping at the surface or flashing?
> ...


I would continue treating the tank for at least 48 hours after all symptoms are gone just to be safe. When the cysts fall off of the fish they will mature in the substrate and burst open releasing the free swimming stage of the parasite to infect your fish again.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I would go even further and say to treat for at least two weeks maybe longer depending on the medication being used


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

Old Newbie said:


> sftbl3 said:
> 
> 
> > caldwelldaniel26 said:
> ...


I read about the cysts in the substrate. I will continue to treat in that case. Thanks for the tip.


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> I would go even further and say to treat for at least two weeks maybe longer depending on the medication being used


I m using API super Ich Cure. That's all that I could find at my local PetSmart. Is there a better treatment? I also read about increasing the temperature of the tank but then read another opinion that if treating with medication to not raise the temp. I split the difference and went from 80 degrees to 83 degrees. I appreciate any additional tips to save the remainder of my tank.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Super ick cure works well


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## Steve C (Oct 9, 2011)

Something else that works good for ick and I honestly can't believe I am saying this because I always heard this stuff was junk till I just tried it myself about 3 months ago, is Jungle Ick Guard "remedy" (the white bottle not the yellow one). I tried it myself at the suggestion of a buddy because three months ago I bought an albino Oscar on a whim(something I never do) and I put him right in with my bleekeri and my six 5"-6" spotted silver dollars without QT'ing him (also something I never do). A few days later the Oscar had white spots all over him, next day all six spotted silver dollars and the bleekeri were covered, later than day one of the spotted silver dollars died and I thought I would end up losing at least one more of the silver dollars & the Oscar if not the whole tank. I usually treat ick with heat & salt but that can be hard on fish so after calling a buddy in my cichlid club we belong too he told me he had not had ick for 15 yrs till just a few weeks prior and he used the Jungle Ick Guard and it worked great for him. So I bought some an tried it. Treated the tank that evening, next day they were still all alive and all had improved at least 25%. Treated it again and the following day they were almost spot free, treated a third time the third day and and the following day they all looked normal again.

The stuff is made by Jungle which I always heard they did not have a good quality reputation for fish meds, it's cheap as can be because it's about $2.50 at Walmart, but it actually worked better and faster than anything I have ever tried on ick before. Definitely surprised me.


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

My remaining occupants look pretty good this morning. I have treated the tank twice (Saturday and Monday), which is what is on the directions but after reading replies, I will continue to treat for two weeks.


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

Since I"m going to treat for two weeks, should I do any water changes during that time? I'm not quite sure if the Ich Cure dissipates over the two days in between treatment or if a level is built up. I did a 30-40% change right before I treated the first time.


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## Old Newbie (Feb 18, 2017)

I would do small water changes daily, just enough to vacuum the substrate to pick up as many cysts as possible from the bottom. Then do changes as needed to maintain the proper nitrate level.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

I'd do a 50% change every two days and pay special attention to the substrate. You want to try to vacuum out as many of the tomites as possible so the remaining population is easier to eradicate.


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## sftbl3 (Oct 23, 2011)

caldwelldaniel26 said:


> I'd do a 50% change every two days and pay special attention to the substrate. You want to try to vacuum out as many of the tomites as possible so the remaining population is easier to eradicate.


So I can treat every other day and do a 50% water change on those same days before adding the Ice Cure? For two weeks.


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## caldwelldaniel26 (Jun 11, 2017)

Yes that would be correct


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