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Ich-y clown loaches



Good thing I put my new clown loaches into quarantine when I brought them
home.  I had heard so much about their susceptibility to ich.  Just in case,
I even picked up some aquarium salt and Quick Cure at the same time as I
bought the clowns.  Until today, I was just observing, to see what would
happen.  This morning I notice they all have just a few small white "grains"
on their tail fins, not many, but enough.  They aren't scratching (yet), and
they are eating.  Yesterday there were no signs, so hopefully I caught it
early, if that matters.  The other fish in the tank show no symptoms.

I know there was a long thread recently about ich, and I'm not trying to
resurrect it, but I did want to ask for an opinion about the treatment I
have started and planned.  The fish are in a 10 gal PLANTED tank.  I have NO
charcoal in my filter.  I have added the Quick Cure at half the normal
dosage, i.e. 1 drop per 2 gallons of water.  I have also added 1 level
tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons (I dissolved this first in a cup of tank
water).  The current water temperature is 80F.  I am afraid to raise it
beyond that because I also have a pair of killifish and 3 otos in there, and
I don't know if they could survive in that temperature (could anyone advise
me on this?).  I plan to do daily water changes, and add the Quick Cure
daily for 14 days, while also replenishing the salt in equal amounts to what
I remove in the water changes.

I feel I need to leave the clowns where they are; I do not have another
CYCLED hospital tank for them, and since they are an inch long and there are
6 of them...I don't want to subject them to even more stress.

So, in summary, here's the advice I'm hoping to get:
1) Can the plants take the salt at the rate I am adding it (1 tablespoon per
5 gal.)?  Or should I remove them to a separate fishless tank and treat them
just with Quick Cure, for 72 hours?  If I am not mistaken, ich won't live
beyond that length of time without fish.  Or would treatment even be
necessary, for plants in a fishless tank?
2) Can the killies and otos take a temperature increase to 85F, or should I
also remove them to their own tank?  Again, I don't have a cycled one, but I
could put the killies in one and the otos in another.  I have read and heard
that many people keep a pair of killies in a "gallon jar".
3) How do I disinfect nets, my hands, etc. when handling these fish, plants,
etc., to avoid infecting my other tank(s)?

Thanks!
Gitte