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Re:How do you treat ich in a planted aquarium?

> Aquatic Plants Digest       Monday, May 3 1999       Volume 03 : Number 1007
> Date: Mon, 03 May 1999 08:22:35 -0400
> From: Cyberpet <cyberpet at videotron_ca>
> Subject: How do you treat ich in a planted aquarium  ?

First off you have to be certain of your diagnosis.
My planted tank, particularly the nearly irreplaceable Tatia catfish are in the
midst of a columnaris infection (GEE this is fun!).  With this I dropped the
temperature a couple notches and increase the amount of air to the two sponge
filters.  So far the fish are holding on and thankfully still feeding, but I just
noticed today that I have lost one of the T. perugea and I hope to god it's not
the one female in the tank.  Murphy's law would dictate that it is, I'll have to
check tonight after the lights are out and so are the catfish.
But with this, my hands are tied unless I want to remove all the plants or remove
the fish, either one, not a very appealing prospect.  Besides the stress of
moving the fish might actually push them over the edge. Unless someone has a
plant safe treatment for columnaris?  Anyone out there?
If I would have misdiagnosed it as an Ich infection and acted as such, I can be
assured that all my fish would be dead right now because the best treatment you
can use in a heavily planted aquarium is to increase your oxygen levels in the
tank as much as you can and crank the heaters up to  85-90 degrees for a week or
two.  Columnaris infections are actually worse at higher temperatures.
This will speed up the life cycle of the Ich and decrease the amount of time the
fishes live with the irritation of the encysted stage of the infection.
Hopefully the infection will run it's course with no significant losses.  Ich
usually does.
Good Luck and wish me luck, email if you need to know how to be certain of your
diagnosis.
BTW; If it is my female, does anyone want to buy three male Tatia perugea?
Later,
Paul E. Turley
ICQ# 32030620

"Never before in the history of man have so many known so little about so
much."   Carl Sagan