I have a planted 40 gallon breeder community tank which is going on 4 months old and currently includes:
12 Neon Tetra
6 Bronze Corys
5 Amano Shrimp
*6 Dwarf Chain Loaches (just added two days ago after quarantine)
Crypts - green and lucens
Vallisneria
Amazon Sword
Anubias
Java Fern
Temp 76; pH has dropped a little below 7, it's around 6.8 and is probably due to the driftwood and I need to add a bit more crushed coral; Ammonia 0; Nitrites 0; Nitrates around 40ppm (can add GH/KH numbers if it will be helpful).
I may be paranoid, but one of my Dwarf Chain Loaches has been kicking up the sand, and I noticed one of the corys rubbing on the sword leaves. I don't SEE any white ich spots or anything else at the moment, and no one else in the tank seems to be bothered. I've never had dwarf chain loaches before and have heard that they are prone to ich because they are scaleless, so maybe I'm just over-reacting and they're ok, just settling in as they've only been in the big tank for a few days...
I have the med trio which I've used for quarantining (I also have three other tanks: 20 gal guppy tank, 10 gallon betta tank, 10 gallon pea puffer tank)
However, if it does wind up being ich or something similar and I do need to treat the tank, will adding salt completely nuke my plants? I understand it dehydrates them, and if I really need to I could probably just pull them all and replant after treatment.
Aside from using salt... is there anything for ich that works as well as Ich-X that won't stain the tank?
Comments/suggestions/insights are greatly appreciated ❤️