# Ick medication overdose



## Wellsville (Oct 13, 2010)

A few days ago I had an ich outbreak in my ten gallon which houses neon tetras, a betta and two dwarf frogs. Yesterday when I was doing the treatment the cap on the bottle broke off and quite a bit of medication spilled into the tank. I very quickly drained and diluted the tank over and over until the water was clear but the entire process took about 20 minutes. I did not have time to add de-chlorinator as I was more concerned about the ich medication harming the fish first. After the water was clear I added the appropriate amount of de-chlorinator to the tank. All inhabitants were very stressed after the situation as was I. Is there anything else I can do to help my fish. I checked on them about 4 hours after the incident and they were still all upset but alive. I have not been home since to check on them since I have been house sitting. I will see them this after noon. Should I continue to treat them for ich? Do you think this overdose will do any long term damage?
Housing 
What size is your tank? ten gallons
What temperature is your tank? 76*
Does your tank have a filter? no
Does your tank have an air stone or other type of aeration? no
Is your tank heated? yes
What tank mates does your betta fish live with? 8 neons, 2 dwarf frogs

Food
What type of food do you feed your betta fish? 2 pellets
How often do you feed your betta fish? 2x per day

Maintenance 
How often do you perform a water change? 1x per week
What percentage of the water do you change when you perform a water change? 70%
What type of additives do you add to the water when you perform a water change? Stress Zyme Dechlorinator

Water Parameters:
Have you tested your water? If so, what are the following parameters?

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate:0
pH: 7.6
Hardness: ?
Alkalinity: ?

Symptoms and Treatment
How has your betta fish's appearance changed?
How has your betta fish's behavior changed?
When did you start noticing the symptoms?
Have you started treating your fish? If so, how?
Does your fish have any history of being ill?
How old is your fish (approximately)?


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

There isn't much you can do, they just need to settle down. You can add Stress Coat, which does help to some extent. Since they have been stressed though, it would be best to treat the ich with a salt treatment than medication. 
Aquarium Salt: 1 tablespoon/5 gallons, bring the temperature up to 82*F if possible, do 50% daily water changes (make sure you vacuum the gravel with every change). 

Your tank is also overstocked which is probably the cause of ich in the first place. You should find new housing for some of the fish/frogs.


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## Wellsville (Oct 13, 2010)

Thank you DarkMoon17. I will add salt and Stress Coat. Before I bought the Neons I checked with Aqadvisor.com which many of the members on here use to stock their tanks. According to that site I am not overstocked. Is there another site I should check with? All of my fish get along great as my betta is super non-aggressive and my tetras are not nippy at all.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

Make sure you use Epsom Salt (from walmart or other general stores) not aquarium salt. They are used for different things.

Aqadvisor.com is good for choosing compatible fish but it is not a good guide for stocking your aquarium. Even if you use the generic 1" per gallon rule you are overstocked. Bettas require 2.5 gallons, neon tetras are between .75 and 1" and should be given about .75-1 gallon each. I remember my dwarf aquatic frogs got around 2"-3"... It is always better to under stock than it is to overstock. Overstocking is one of the biggest causes of ich. 

The most neon tetras I'd keep in a 10 gallon with a betta is 6, and that is without the frogs. If you plan on reorganizing your tank, remember that neons need to be in schools of 4+. I don't know much about the bioload of frogs but I assume it is more than fish? Someone else can correct me on that though


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## Wellsville (Oct 13, 2010)

Thank you for your info. I think the real cause of the ich was a sick goldfish in a hospital tank. I got my nets confused and used the wrong one during a water change on the ten gallon. btw, I checked out your Deviantart page and you are amazing. I may be contacting you in a few months for a commission on one of my horses.


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## DarkMoon17 (Apr 16, 2011)

The sick goldfish might have brought in the ich but many fish keepers actually believe that ich is always present in fish tanks but is only able to attack fish when the fish become weak due to stress. I think I am among that belief since it is almost impossible to technically kill ich. It can remain dormant for many years, while dormant medications don't have much affect on it-then it springs up when you least expect it  

haha thank you! I'd be honored


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