Ich on my Dojos!

[ALX]

I have just discovered a few white spots (Ich) on my Dojo Loaches.
I saw one of my Corys flash too. I came here to get some advice on the best way to treat them.

In my tank I have juvenile Dojo Loaches, Corydora, Kuhli Loaches and Danios.

I also have plants and Green Algea.

All I know for now is that I am starting to raise the temp till I get some advice here. I have Formalin, Rid Ich, Quick Cure and salt on hand. But I have been told that loaches cannot handle Malachite Green which is in the Rid Ich and Quick Cure and I just read that Formalin is very toxic to them too, and that they cannot tolerate high salt levels! I don't know what to do.

The good news is it's a bare bottom tank. So that willl make it a little easier to rid the Ich.

Please help.

[Diana]

Rid Ich seems to be the safest. Dose it slowly throughout the day, do not dump in the full dose all in one shot. Other people have used salt successfully, again, adding it slowly over a period of several days, but others have seen some pretty miserable fish that might be from the parasite or from the salt. One of the things salt can do is to raise the TDS, and help the fish's osmoregulatory system. When the fish are stressed by disease or parasites this can help. You do not need to use sodium chloride for this, though. Any sort of mineral such as aquarium plant fertilizer, or Epsom salt can help. It does not take very much to be of some benefit.
Keep up plenty of gravel vacs; the bare bottom is great! No place for the fallen Ich to hide. You will have a great chance to remove them from the tank before they can breed.
The fish you list are not tolerant of too high a temperature. Dojos and Danios are both cooler water fish. Maybe you can get the temp up to the upper 70s. Increase the water movement so there is more oxygen in the water. If the fish start piping (Gasping at the surface) lower the temperature by about 1-2 degrees F, or one degree C and see if that helps. Warmer water holds less oxygen than cooler water.
High temperature can help by making the Ich fall off the fish faster, but it is entirely possible to treat Ich at lower temperatures, too. It just takes longer.

[ALX]

Thanks for the response Diana.
I am thinking of raising the tempt to 78 79-ish.
I have tons of water movement and airation going on so I think the oxygen will be ok at that temp.

Although, I am thinking of moving all of the fish out of the tank into a Hospital and treating them there. I know it is stressfull on them to be moved but if I moved the fish out I could treat the tank with salt and heat and not have to kill my bio filter/algea/plants off with chemicals.

I am just so nervous that I am going to kill my loaches no matter what treatment I do

I am holding off on the Rid Ich for now..

[ALX]

I ended up treating them with salt. 2 tsp per gallon, and now all is well.

[Diana]

Thanks for checking in with a follow-up! Glad your fish recovered