Is a dose of COPPERSAFE ok even if possible ich victim has been removed?

Question

My mother recently purchased two angel fish from a pet store and added them to our tank. I noticed that one of the fish looked like it might have just started developing signs of ich. (i've had it happen before) I removed both of the foreign fish today. I should probably treat the tank as if one of the fish has ich right? just in case it's still possible?

Answer 1

I'm not a big time person on disease treatments, but if I remember right, you don't really have to use copper sulfate on Ick, but you can use quick cure.  Maybe that's got copper in it I don't know.  Basically, you don't really need to take the Angel's out, in fact if you are going to treat the tank, I think better leave them in.  If you are going to use copper, it should only be a threat to your plants, invertebrates, and scaleless fish.  Hopefully, Copperhead or Soopy will come along and answer too.

Answer 2

after you have removed the fish , raise the temp of the water and then the lifespan of the ich decreases rapidly. but remember to let the water cool down before you put the fish back in

Answer 3

Treat both, chances are that all the other fish have caught it by now, but are in the egg stage and you can not see it. Treat the angelfish to. It is good you found it early, so the fish will probably make it!

Edit:Make sure non-of your fish will be harmed by copper, b/c some fish are. So research each species and make sure they can handle copper and if they can't buy an ich med that does not have copper in it.

Answer 4

Really, I'd opt for something other than Coppersafe, like Quick Cure or Rid Ich (malachite green + formalin), but it'll work if it's all you have.  I would separate the Angels out and treat both tanks-- it may seem excessive, but if you treat them all in one tank, you then ensure the other fishes' exposure to the parasite.  Any parasites that made it into the main tank will still be free swimming and will be quickly killed by the medication, but making sure the water is around 80* and VERY well oxygenated is a good idea, just in case.  Warm water holds less oxygen than cooler water, and dissolving other substances (in this case, medications) into the water will further decrease its ability to retain oxygen.  Cranking up the temperature and adding a full dose of medication is an easy way to suffocate the fish.

In the quarantine tank, I would do the exact same thing for the new Angels.  Both tanks should receive a full treatment, continuing at least 2 weeks after all signs of the parasite are gone.  If you start with Coppersafe, stick with the Coppersafe-- don't change medications in the middle of the treatment, as this leads to resistant strains.  Treating both tanks definitely has its drawbacks, though-- copper will destroy your biofilter, so the tank will have to be re-cycled (though you can expedite this by using live media from another tank), any live plants will be killed, and sensitive fish (Tetras, other Characins, small-scaled Cyprinids, Puffers, Knives, Loaches, Catfish, etc.) will not tolerate full strength doses (use half strength), and there's always the risk of medicating, but it's far safer than allowing the parasite to get an early foothold.

Answer 5

Ich is a parasite that has 3 stages of life.  One of the stages is the parasite that lives in the fish, another is free swimming and the other is a cyst that rests in the gravel at the bottom of the tank, so yes, you should definitely treat the whole tank.  Even if you have removed the affected fish there is a chance that the parasite still exists in the tank in one of the other stages.  Only the free swimming stage of ich is vulnerable to medication.  Turn up the heat as high as you can without hurting the other fish, vacuum the gravel really well and dose up your tank with a full treatment of ich medication.  Higher temperatures will speed up the life cycle of the ich and ensure that any cysts left in the gravel will hatch and be vulnerable to the medication and that the ich will die as quickly as possible.