Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just finished treating my 55 gallon for ich with Paraguard. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 10 nitrate. How long should I wait before adding new fish? Don't wanna stress the current residents, 5 Tetras and a BN Pleco.

I'd give it at least a week after the last dose. Paraguard's pretty gentle but better safe than sorry. Maybe do a big water change too, just to cut any med residue. Your Tetras chill with the treatment?

Paraguard leaves no residual meds if dosed right. You're good to add fish after 48 hours post-treatment. Your biofilter's intact, yeah? No carbon in the filter during treatment?

whisker9 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 9:59 pm Paraguard leaves no residual meds if dosed right. You're good to add fish after 48 hours post-treatment. Your biofilter's intact, yeah? No carbon in the filter during treatment?

Yep, took the carbon out. Biofilter seems solid, ammonia's been steady at zero. Thanks for the heads up on the 48 hours.

I'd still wait a week, man. My Gourami got sketchy after adding fish too soon post-ich. Better to let the tank vibe settle, ya know?

Agree with the week wait. Even if the meds are gone, the fish might still be stressed. What's your temp at? Higher temps speed up the ich lifecycle but can also stress fish if it's too high.

My LFS said 3 days is fine, but I've heard mixed things. How's your Pleco handling it? Those guys can be sensitive to meds sometimes.

rivolt wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 9:41 pm I'd give it at least a week after the last dose. Paraguard's pretty gentle but better safe than sorry. Maybe do a big water change too, just to cut any med residue. Your Tetras chill with the treatment?

Second the water change. Even if the meds are technically gone, debris from dead ich can mess with water quality. What's your usual water change schedule?

jaffe wrote: ↑Sun Jul 27, 2025 1:21 am

rivolt wrote: ↑Sat Jul 26, 2025 9:41 pm I'd give it at least a week after the last dose. Paraguard's pretty gentle but better safe than sorry. Maybe do a big water change too, just to cut any med residue. Your Tetras chill with the treatment?

Second the water change. Even if the meds are technically gone, debris from dead ich can mess with water quality. What's your usual water change schedule?

Yeah, debris is a sneaky killer. I'd siphon the substrate real good too. OP, you running a sand or gravel bottom?

Gravel traps more gunk. Sand's easier to clean if you're thorough. Either way, vacuum it like your fish's lives depend on it, because they kinda do.