Friday, August 12, 2011

Fish scratching but no ich nor velvet PLEASE HELP!!!!! ITS NOT THE MEDICATION I NEED HELP?

I have never heard of esha exit and I have been working in the industry for a decade, but I looked it up and I can say that the active ingredients are not commonly used in the parasite medications available in most fish stores (at least in the US). I am not saying that it couldn't be effective but I am unfamiliar with its use so I will recommend products I trust, that work for me. Before I go further, you need to figure out if you have activated carbon in your filter. If you have a hang on power filter, then it is typically contained inside the filter cartridge. Otherwise it would be a media bag that is full of little black rocks or small charcoal. If it is a canister filter, it is in a media bag. Again it looks like pellets of charcoal or black rocks. Some canister filters use a chemi pure or chemical removing media that needs removed also. You must remove the carbon/chemical filter media for the medication to be effective. Make sure the filter remains running though, just take out the carbon during the treatment as the medication instructs. I would actually do a water change to remove any esha exit and switch to quick cure, super ich cure, or coppersafe. Quick cure works for ich and velvet but is also effective against other microscoping external parasites. Its active ingredients are malachite green and formalin. It turns the water blue but that will go away once the carbon is replaced after the full treatment and a partial water change is done. Read the instructions carefully as some species are sensitive to this medication. Typical dose is one drop per gallon per day for three to four days. Super ich cure is a powder medicine that I have used effectivly to treat discus and loaches infected with external parasites and it is safer for delicate species. Read the directions. Coppersafe is a stronger treatment that uses copper sulfate to kill parasites and it is active for one month in the tank. A copper test is advised to monitor levels and it can easily be overdosed so again follow the directions exactly. It will kill inverts too. Metronidazole or clout are other options for medicating your fish if you can't get quick cure or super ich cure. Many people have a prefered medication that works for them, I am only suggesting the ones I personally use, other opinions are valid. I won't ask for more information but I will check back to see if you added any additional details. Please make sure you locate the activated carbon in your filter as almost all filters use it (or should). Also, whatever medication you use, you must read the direction fully and follow them exactly or you could do more harm to the fish. I hope this helps. Good luck.

No comments:

Post a Comment