Ok this is kind of a long story but I will try to make it as brief as possible. I stet up a ten gallon tank and had it established for a while and put a large black and orange oranda, a large orange and white ryukin, two small black moors and a small pleco in it. The tank was running well and I had no problems. I decided to get a larger tank and transferred the fish as well as the gravel and water to the new tank when I set it up. At that time the tank was fine except for the fact that the water was cloudy and remained that way for quite some time. I did numerous partial water changes and the problem wouldn't correct itself. Therefore I did a more extensive water change and took the gravel out and the tank came down with ick. After treating the tank for ick with malachite green, the fish kept getting worse and worse. Their fins started to burn up and some even got a white fungus on them. So I was told to put aquarium salt in the tank and that would help. Didnt help! Then I read that I could help get rid of ick by turning the tempeture up by 4 degrees, that didnt help. Then I tried another solution called Ick Quard by Jungle. When I used this product to control my ick my fish started duying to the extent of losing 4 bubble eyes, one large ryukin, two orandas, 6 small ryukins, 3 black moores and my large oranda is sitting on the bottom of the tank not moving. He's the only fish I have left in the tank and he occasionally moves, but he hasnt eaten in days. I've used salt in the tank, water conditioner, ammo lock and stress guard. The tank is 29 gal with a side filter. I have a strip air stone as well as a round air stone so there's plenty of air in the tank. The ph is at 7.5. I've tried to put feeder goldfish in the tank just to see if I maybe poisioned the fish and the feeders both got large white spots on their tail fins and died. The oranda is sitting on the bottom the tank very unanimated and lifeless. Is there ANYTHING I can do to save my last goldfish? Am I poisioning the tank or what? It's very frustrating and disheartening that I've killed so many fish and dont want to put anymore in the tank till I know what I"m doing wrong. After all this, the pleco doesnt seem to have suffered at all. But I would like to know if theres anything I can do to save my last fish hes a beauty and I really would hate to lose him. Thank you in adavnce for your help. Kevin Reilly

Kevin Reilly

First, you have to backtrack and check nitrogen numbers. You had an established system and you transferred the water and gravel to the new system, so it seems unlikely that Ammonia or Nitrite could be contributing to this but it could.

So first, test the water for Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate as well as pH Again.
Then salt the tank.
Salt is the best and fastest remedy for Ick and it works every time.
Your pet shop should have known that.
There's a salt article in this web site.
Thanks,
Doc Johnson