Ick medicine i purchased from the pet store killed my madtom. Does anyone know why, or of a different way to treat for it? he was just starting to get ick, so I applied the proper amount of medicine to the tank, and he died in 15 minuets.

When I worked at an LFS, we'd always recommend a half-dose for scaleless fish. If I remember correctly, it usually says that on the packaging. I prefer to treat ich with heat, salt, and water changes. Crank the tank up to 82* or so, do a 30-50% water change and really siphon the gravel well, add some salt, and repeat for five days.

When I worked at an LFS, we'd always recommend a half-dose for scaleless fish. If I remember correctly, it usually says that on the packaging. I prefer to treat ich with heat, salt, and water changes. Crank the tank up to 82* or so, do a 30-50% water change and really siphon the gravel well, add some salt, and repeat for five days.

Agreed. Joemueller, read the back of that ick cure - it probably says to not use it on tetras, catfish, or other scaleless fishes. As rjtmx stated, a good way to cure ick is add salt (google around for exact amounts) and raise the water temperature to 82 degrees since it messes up ick's life cycle. Make sure that you are using a gravel vacuum to change your water and that you are getting the bottom good. That's where the dormant phase of ick cells rests.

If that doesn't work, try this: if you have no plants/inverts in that tank, add about ten pennies per gallon (make sure that they are newer than 1978, since they had a different composition before then) and wait about three days. This will poison the ick by adding copper to the water. Make sure to get rid of the copper water with water changes when you are finished. I have used the penny method to great success with ick, fungus, and fish lice (also managed to wipe out all my snails this way a long time ago). Of course, only do this if the first method fails. Best of luck!

82 and earlier pennies were 95% copper. After 82 they are 97% zinc. Maybe zinc is more effective than copper, but I would have thought differently.

yeh it didn't say anything about scaleless fish - just about baby whales and crustaceans and live rocks and tetras. But I bought a different brand tonight, and it mentioned scaleless fish. Thanks for all the support and info!

Yeah, most fish medications are toxic to scaleless fish.

Yeah, most fish medications are toxic to scaleless fish.

Heck, most fish meds are toxic to fish. Period.