Methylene blue dosage for ich

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Kinbote

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2011
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New Zealand
Brand new quarantine tank, brand new equipment, brand new ich outbreak.

I've got 9 rosy tetras and 2 (formerly 3, one was dead this morning) hoplo catfish in a 60 litre (approx 15 gallon) holding tank. After I found a dead hoplo this morning, I took a closer look at what I'd assumed were just air bubbles from surface breathing on the other hoplos and realised that it's actually ich.

I picked up some methylene blue 1%, and the extent of the instructions are 'Add 1ml per 20 litres. Perform partial water changes between dosage.' But I've also read that for tetras, methylene blue should be given at a half dose.

What should I be doing with it?
 
The Hoplo cats may be more sensitive than the tetras. If you want to go the methylene blue route, I'd do the following:
Day 1: 1/2 dose methylene blue, monitor for the first 30 minutes for signs of stress.
Day 2: 25% water change, 3/4 dose methylene blue, monitor for the first 30 minutes for signs of stress.
Day 3: 25% water change, full dose methylene blue, monitor for the first 30 minutes for signs of stress.
Repeat day 3 protocol for at least 3 days past the last signs of ich.
Insure there is vigorous aeration and pristine water parameters. If at any time there are signs of stress while monitoring for the 30 minute period after adding a dose, immediately do a 50%+ water change and do not redose for 24 hours (and when you redose after 24 hours, use the largest dose that did not induce stress). You need to find the dose that does not induce apparent stress.

Alternatively there's the salt/heat method.
 
When you say repeat day 3 protocol, are you saying change 25% water and add the full (or whatever turns out to be best) dose every 24 hours? Because obviously that'll end up with higher and higher concentrations of medication.
 
Treating with salt and jacking the temp up to 86 and holding for 1 week will fix the ick, not sure how the cat will take it though.
 
Kinbote;4959478; said:
When you say repeat day 3 protocol, are you saying change 25% water and add the full (or whatever turns out to be best) dose every 24 hours? Because obviously that'll end up with higher and higher concentrations of medication.
Click to expand...

Yes, do a 25% water change and then add the full/best dose every 24 hours.

Each dose only lasts 24 hours. The water changes performed before each dose are done to reduce the organic load in the tank, which can interfere with the efficacy of treatment. When doing a water change, it is best to vacuum the bottom of the tank because not only will this get rid of all the waste that has accumulated, but this will also suck up any trophont cysts that have sunk and attached to the bottom of the aquarium.
 
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