[MiriamandMoonlight]

I am planning to go on vacation in 4 days,
and my fish is sick.

One of them (Yin) torn their fin twice on the filter (there is no sharp object, and both ripps happened while the filter was on) I put a pantyhose around the filter to try and help him the first time he ripped it, but it happened again! I have no idea what to do; the tank would get to dirty while I'm away if I leave the filter off, but I can't risk him getting ripped more! And I read to heal a fish's fins, you put them in a hospital tank and do a thing with AQ salt, changing the water every day etc. but that's too much to ask of our pet sitter (we'll be gone nine days) and I can't leave him in the tank with no treatment because he'll probobly get fin rot, right? I'm not sure what to do, both for the fish healing and for the filter, so he can't rip it again.
Also, my second fish (Dolphin) has white dots on her (Ich, right?) and I'm not sure how to treat that while we're away either. I've tried AQ salt for about a week and it didn't have any affect! However, she's had ich for about 3 weeks now, and it's hardly gotten any worse! I'm a little confused, is it even ich in the first place, and if it is, why is it being so resistant?


Tank size: Yin 10 gallons, Dolphin 5
Is your tank filtered: Yes, Dolphin's with a sponge filter & Yin's
with a regular filter.
Is your tank heated: Yes, Yin has a heater but Dolphin doesn't yet.
What things do you have in the tank: Yin: two live aquarium plants, 2 small plant pots for hiding, filter, heater (Hydor mini), natural gravel, thermometer. Dolphin: Large rock, 3 plastic plants, filter, natural gravel, 2 live aquarium plants.

How often do you preform water changes: once weekly
What percentage of water do you change: about 1 gallon, it's a five gallon tank.
What do you add to water when you preform water change: API tap water conditioner

I havn't tested anything.

How old are the fish: Got Dolphin from petsmart a year ago. Got Yin from petsmart about 2 months ago.
How has fish appearance changed: Yin: duller color, two rips in tail fin. Dolphin: white dots on head.

How has the fish behavior changed: Dolphin: slightly less active, but not too noticably less. Rests slight bit more. Yin: Stressed when filter is on. Normal when filter is off.

 

[Bikeridinguckgirl14]

For yin make a craft mesh box/cylinder and put it around the filter intake, this way he can't get close to it. Instead of daily water changes just add IAL.

For dolphin (boy oh boy) itch requires real medicine, or it could be a fungus. Get a "cure all" betta medicine THAT DOES NOT END IN -FIX and take the filter cartridge out of the filter. I'm sure the pet sitter wouldn't mind dumping a packet of blue powder in 1-2x a week. Just make sure the cure all says it treats itch.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

I will try to do that. How would you make Yin's filter box? Is there a tutorial on it?

Thanks a lot!

Miriam

 

[Bikeridinguckgirl14]

Depends on your type of filter but basically take some craft mesh and fishing line, cut the craft mesh into the box shape, and use the line to "sew" the edges together.

http://makezine.com/craft/make_your_own_crafty_storage_b/ just don't do the thing with the yarn.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

OK great! I will try that tomorrow.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

Hi, just about to run out to the store for a few mesh and the ich meds. Which ich medicine is best out of these ones I found at petsmart?
API general cure (this one is most expensive so would prefer not to get it.)
API liquid super ich cure
API super ich cure (this one is also expensive)
BiOrb first aid kit (quite expensive)
Marineland all-in-one remedy (quite expensive)
Marinland ich remedy fish treatment
Tetra ich guard

Which one is best and least dangerous?

Also, should I prioritize getting Dolphin's heater or the Ich cure?
Which one is more important for her wellbeing right now? The lowest my room temperature gets this time of year is 70 but is generally between 75 and 82F.

 

[hrutan]

Ich is fatal if not treated. That's top priority. However, you may not be able to cure the ich without a heater...see if someone can float you a loan or something. Heat speeds up the ich life cycle, so that it makes it to the one stage of life where it's actually vulnerable to treatment.

As a note, one of the most popular ways to cure ich is to raise the temperature in the tank slowly to 82, and treat with aquarium salt at 1 teaspoon/gallon of water.

I have treated ich in the past with medication. This is more likely to be successful if you're using a pet sitter, since the instructions are very clear, and there's not much "squish" area of misunderstanding there. People treat medications more seriously than salt and are more likely to follow instructions.

In the past, I've used nox-ich. API is a good company. I'd go with the API ich cure, personally.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

Would it be liquid or non-liquid? What would you reccomend? I'm going to petsmart soon so if you don't respond I'll just have to go with my intuition.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

And I can't get the money before our trip, so should I start treatment before we're gone? (the packages say they treat it without a temperature raise, should I beleave this? or are they lying?)

 

[hrutan]

I don't know whether liquid or powder is better, or even if there is a difference.

Have your pet sitter medicate if you trust them. The meds make it unnecessary to raise the temperature (I treated without a temperature raise, because I didn't know), however, raised temperature makes it faster and easier. Ich is only vulnerable during one point of its life cycle, and elevated temperatures make it go through the life cycle faster.

If the package says treat 3 or 4 days, do that, wait one day, and repeat the treatment, even if you see no ich. Ich life cycle is about a week long, and there could still be some living in the substrate after 4 days.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

OK. I just went out and got the treatment! It is the API liquid super ich cure, and it said to treat, wait 48 hours, treat again, wait 48 hours and change 25% of water. Is there any verifications I should make?

P.S. She is (going to be) in a 1.9 gallon tank. Should I add gravel from her 5 gallon? Or should I leave it with just a hiding place? Also, I'm wondering if I could just treat her in her 5 gallon (I'm sure that'd be less stressful for her) providing that I remove the filter and the live plants (and my snail, Sunny).
If so, how would I change the water after the treatments? Would I just do regular weekly 50% changes or would I change the whole thing?
Could I get away with not having my pet sitters change the water? (I'm gone for nine days, leaving in two days.)

 

[hrutan]

You'll need the pet sitter to change the water. Given that you'll be on vacation, use the 5 gallon tank so that your fish has more "breathing room," since changes aren't going to be as frequent with your sitter as they are with you.

Follow the package directions exactly, including the water change. You'll want to show your pet sitter how to do it. Include a note of instructions with a numbered list, and put the medication and water conditioner next to the note so there are zero misunderstandings. I used to pet sit. Trust me, even with verbal instructions, notes are appreciated. The more, and the more specific, the better.

When treatment is finished, just don't add any more medication. Your regular water changes will gradually remove it.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

OK. I was already going to wright notes on general care, so I'll just go ahead and include the medicine instructions. Oh, that's too bad that I can't get away with no water changes, but, I want the best for my little girl so I'm going to tell them how to do it. What about Yin's tank? It's 10 gallons. He is not sick, exept for recovering from a tear in his fin from the filter.
How many times would the pet sitter have to change the water?
What would I do after the treatment, to remove the medecine? And when would I return the filter/plants/snail to the tank?
Thanks for all the help, It's really appreciated!

 

[hrutan]

As long as you have decent tap water:

For the 10 gallon, if it's cycled it will not need a water change. Just change the water around 30-40% the night before you leave, and change it again when you get back.

For the 5 gallon, change the water as late as you can get away with before you leave, the pet sitter should do a change 4 days later (maybe right before a dose of medication so that it's not diluted), and then do another change when you get back.

When medication is finished, resume your normal water change schedule. The medication will be less and less until it's removed through normal water changes. I'd give it a water change extra, and then put the snail and filter back in.

If you keep your filter media wet, maybe soak it in old tank water with a sprinkle of fish food to provide ammonia, you might not even lose your cycle.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

The ten gallon is not cycled yet. I think the 5 gallon has already completed it's cycle.
My tap water is decent, exept for an AMAZINGLY HIGH chlorine amount. So for that reason I double the dechlorinater amount.

 

[hrutan]

I'd still just do a change before and after. One little fish isn't going to produce much ammonia - just make sure your pet sitter is absolutely clear about how much food is appropriate.

 

[MiriamandMoonlight]

Yep, I will put the bloodworms and brineshrimp into the bottoms of little icecube trays, so they know how much to feed. And pellets are simple, I'd just tell them to use 1!