ich report 2

Now that it's for sure all gone- no signs of ich in three weeks, I'm putting record here of how the disease and treatment went. This time I did not loose any fish- well, not immediately. The thin platy died just a few days ago, could have been weakened by the ich. It only affected the twenty gallon aquarium this time, as follows:

8/26- Platy flashing
8/27- Temp ↑ 84° , barb flashing
8/28- Temp ↑ 86°, pinkie and barbs have spots. Added 5 tsp aquarium salt.
8/29- Temp 86°, 1 male barb spots on tail, 1 female barb injury? some clamped fins. Pinkie, Buster and 2 female barbs flashing, Pinkie crashed. Added 5 tsp aquarium salt + 2 1/4 for replacement wc
8/30- Temp 86°, 4 gal water change w/salt replacement
8/31- Temp ↑ 87°, 1 female barb glancing, 1 tail fin split, injury less red? wc 2.5 gal + salt
9/1  - Temp 87-88° No spots, only injured barb flashing. wc 3 gal + 1/2 tsp per gallon replacement
9/2  - Temp 87-88° No spots, one female barb flashing. wc 4 gal wc w/gravel vac + 1/4 tsp salt per gallon Injured cherry barb moved into QT (see below)
9/3  - Temp 87-88° glance/spots? NO  wc 3 1/2 gal + 1/4 tsp salt per replacement gallon
9/4  - Temp 87-88° 1 female spot on tail, wc 3 gal + 1/4 tsp salt per replacement, few drops plant food
9/5  - Temp 87-88° glance/spots? NO wc 4 gal + 1/4 tsp salt + drop plant food
9/6  - Temp 88-89° glance/spots? NO wc 4 gal + 1/4 tsp salt
9/7  - Temp 87-88° glance/spots? NO wc 3 gal + 1/8 heap tsp salt
9/8  - Temp 87-88° glance/spots? NO wc 5 gal + 1/8 tsp salt
9/9  - Temp 86-87° glance/spots? NO wc 4 gal no salt replacement
9/10- Temp 86° symptoms? NO wc 5 gal no salt
9/11- Temp 85-86° 1 or 2 platies flashing, 3 gal wc no salt Garlic in food (bloodworms)
9/12- Temp 86° 1 female barb flashing? wc 5 gal + 1/4 tsp salt per gal Garlic in food (betta bites) (4 tsp total)
9/13- Temp 86° glance/spots? NO wc 3 1/2 gal + 1/4 tsp salt plus 5 tsp salt gradual thru day = 10 tsp
9/14- Temp 84-86° (temp drop at night) glance/spots? NO, 3 gal wc w/ 1/2 tsp salt per gallon (5 more into main) Garlic shrimp pellets
9/15- Temp 85-86° female barbs flashing, 3 gal wc + 1/2 tsp salt replacement, Garlic in peas
9/16- Temp 86° glance/spots? NO, wc 8 gallons w/ gravel vac- clean out! no salt
9/17- Temp 84-85° glance/spots? NO wc 5 gal no salt Garlic bloodworms
9/18- Temp 83-84° glance/spots? NO wc 4 gal
9/19- Temp 82° symptoms? NO wc 3 gal (no more salt)
9/20- Temp 81° symptoms? NO wc 2 1/2 gal Garlic betta pellets, 5 drops Flourish (plant food)
9/27- Temp 78° symptoms? NO Fins regrowing, plants new growth. 5 drops Flourish, 1 root tab pieces (2 drops in 10 gal, no root tab there)

QT tank:
9/2 - Injured barb moved in w/ 1/2 tsp salt per gal + primafix (1 tsp dissolved into 10 capfuls of tank water, 4 capfuls into tank)
9/3- 82°, looks better, no bulge on side- 1/2 gal wc w/primafix dose
9/4- fins clamped, tail less fungus? wc 1/2 gal + 1/8 tsp salt per
9/5- fins clamped, red streak tail, eating. wc 1/2 gal + 1/8 tsp salt
9/6- hiding still, tail better, fins not as clamped/streaked. wc 1 gal + 1/8 tsp salt, primafix
9/7- hiding, still red streak tail fin, no fungus, eats fine. wc 1 gal + 1/8 tsp salt, prima dose
9/8- no spots, no clamping, tail still red streaks, deteriorating. wc 1/2 gal + prima dose
9/9- tail rot. wc 1 gal + melafix + 1/8 tsp salt
9/10- tail rot halted? wc 3/4 gal + melafix + 1/4 tsp salt
9/11- symptoms same, wc 3/4 gal + melafix, repeat in evening
9/12- wc 3/4 gal + 1/2 tsp salt + melafix, repeat in eve
9/13- wc 3/4 gal + 3/4 tsp salt + melafix, repeat in eve (3 dose melafix)
9/14- wc 1 gal + 1 tsp salt + 3 dose melafix (no evening wc/dose - not here)
9/15- wc 3/4 wc + 3/4 tsp salt + melafix, repeat in eve, tank wrapt in dark scarf
9/16- wc 1 gal, no meds, repeat in eve, tank kept dark
9/17- wc 1 gal, no meds, repeat in eve, tank kept dark
9/18- wc 1 gal, no meds, repeat in eve, tank kept dark
9/19- fish moved into home tank

As you can see, I still struggle sometimes to keep the temperature steady. Probably noted this in my fish reports earlier. Changed treatment halfway through because I had thought the symptoms were gone, but they reappeared so I added back the salt and kept going. Most water changes on the twenty-gallon included thorough gravel vac of one side of the tank, vac on the other side the next day. In the QT I quit using meds on 9/16 influenced by reading online: many people say melafix does no good, the best thing for the fish is calm (darkness) and very clean water. I was doing water changes twice a day for her, and she recovered- the fin is completely regrown now.