Loaches Online Forum

Sorry to hear it Amber. It is a major problem that these myths still exist. The best thing you can do is learn more about water chemistry and osmoregulation. Get yourself a TDS meter too. Then you'll be able to weed out all the false information that you see and be able to give good sound advice in the future.

For what it's worth, read the info at the following link:

http://www.aquascienceresearch.com/APInfo/Salt.htm

Amber wrote:If any of you are reading this because you're in my situation. Trust your instincts and what your fish are telling you. When you decide on a treatment, stick with it and BE PATIENT! Otherwise your fish won't make it.

Sorry about your recent lost but I must desagree with your statement. Most people here have already dealled with ich a couple times. The sticky post from Mark in Vancouver about dealing with ich was set to sticky just because it works!
I´m afraid you´re doing a wrong choice not to have Clown loaches again because of contraditorious information you got elsewhere.

Amber wrote:Just about every piece of advise I recieved on this forum and other loach sites contradicted the other to where I was so confused and panicked that I made too many changes in a short period of time.

I really got curious on what "other loach sites" did you get contraditorious information. Would you mind name some?

Good luck!

Sorry to say, but that link also has some very misleading information about salt usage. Probably because they have a business affiliation with Kordon, the manufacturer of Rid Ich+.

Higher dosages of salt are justified and practical because they will indeed interrupt the ich life cycle and eradicate even the toughest strains. It takes measuring skills, water chemistry knowledge, and patience on behalf of the fish keeper not to raise or lower the salinity level too quickly so that osmotic shock is avoided. Rid Ich+ should be used instead of salt because it is more convenient. Using Rid Ich+ is sometimes not practical to use for some of the tougher strains of ich where treatment time needs to last more than a few weeks. With some strains, the white ich spots can last for up to 5 weeks, and the treatment time may need to last for over 2 months.

Bacteria or parasites will become the more resilient if they are not completely eradicated. A light dosage is perhaps the worst mistake to make when doing a treatment for a full-blown break-out or as a preventative.

I think there are many flaws in the ich sticky. I listed several of them before in a post about dealing with ich.

Here they are-
Things I'd add-
*The life cycle needs to be corrected. (trophonts don't multiply)
*Need a warning that large water changes can cause osmotic shock. (I recommend a TDS meter)
*Stress the importance of daily gravel vacs.
*Get any loach caves or hidey holes off of the gravel.
*Adding micron filtration or UV sterilizers can help
* Prophylactic treatments for new fish should be discussed. (important in large aquaria)
*A safe procedure for a salt treatment.
*discuss the tougher ich strains.
*updated treatments
*the white spots that aren't ich
*list of things not to do (like mixing antibiotics with coppersafe)
*how to avoid cross contamination
*quarantine methods
*links to ich studies or articles

Those are some really good points, chefkeith.
I also feel there are too many 'old wives tales' about Ich, and fish keeping in general that are not validated by recent research. And some research not so recent!

Amber, you are right that switching treatments halfway through is not good. Also, mixing meds (including salt) is a bad idea unless BOTH meds are labeled safe to use with each other on the fish you are treating.
Sorry you lost your Loaches

The ich sticky is good, but I also think that chefkeith's suggestions would make it better yet.