Treating Ich in Blackwater

[Clyderiver77]

We excitedly obtained nine cardinal tetras a couple of days ago and added to our 10 gallon black water tank that houses a Betta and 2 Nerites. 48 hours later, most of them have come down with Ich. I just treated the tank with Ich-X but I am wondering if the black water conditions will reduce the efficacy of the treatment. I know moving to a separate tank is ideal, but I did not have one free to use. There are two sponge filters in the tank and is stable with good water parameters. Fish are active and eating well. Should I stop feeding them, and is there anything I need to know about the black water condition neutralizing the treatment?

[Guppysnail]

I don’t think it affects ich-x but @Colu would know more. Monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels. I would feed but lightly to keep their resources up to fight the ich. 

[Colu]

I don't think it would effect the medication but  i have never really looked into this I would keep feeding them during treatment as good nutrition will help bolster their immune system  @Clyderiver77

[Clyderiver77]

Thanks guys. Lost one cardinal this am but most look better with the exception of one. How long should I continue the treatment daily with the water changes? There are some shrimp in there I am afraid to kill with water parameter swings. 

[Colu]

When treating with ick x you want to treat  for a couple of days after seeing the last spots 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/3/2022 at 5:55 PM, Clyderiver77 said:

Thanks guys. Lost one cardinal this am but most look better with the exception of one. How long should I continue the treatment daily with the water changes?

Temp has to be above a certain level and then it's about time.  The lifecycle is very specific and you're treating the tank as well, not just the fish.  When I went through it, I lost about 1/2 the tank and was treating it for 3-4 weeks.  It was an issue for me because I was going from 70 to a higher temp and trying to hold the temp while the ich hatched out.