Illness, Health & Nutrition • Yay. Ich. Best method?

[13razorbackfan]

I added two tablespoons of Aquarium salt to 5 gallons (razor... is that too much? I see you suggested 1... the article, I believe, said 2-3. I went with 2). If I should be removing some water, let me know.

I'll definitely treat for at least another week. The spots are gone from the catfish.

All others battling the ich.... Id raise, as razor suggested to me, the temp up to at least 86. I put in about half a cup of the dissolved salt water every 15-20 minutes over the course of a few hours. When you do water changes, replace the salt that you took out.

And, most of all, dont be discouraged if you dont see improvement. It took many days before I even noticed a decrease in the ich. I held strong because, even tho I didnt see any decrease, it wasnt spreading either. Ich multiplies fast, so if you dont see it spreading significantly, Id say you're on the right track.

Glad to hear the ICH has retreated!! Just keep treating for 7 more days and you should be good to go. After the 7 days continue to do 25% water changes and just not replace the salt in the water added. Eventually the salt will all be removed through water changes.

[Hoosier Tank]

I picked up some aquarium salt on the way home and when I arrived checked the tank temp, was up to the 84 degree setpoint. I raised it to 86 and and added 4 1/2 cups of salt (two tablespoons per gallon) to the sump, should be a slow gradual dilution to the tank. After some thought I figure the rock work displaced about the same water that my sump holds so it should still be about 180g
I lost the small Texas in the quarentine tank, as expected... he was not doing well when I put him in but wanted him out of the main tank. The other juvie Texas has the same larger spots than the other infected fish but he is acting pefectly normal.
Lets see how they look after a few days of salt and gravel vacs

[lilcountrygal]

Check the library section for the ich article... I read its 2-3 tablespoons per FIVE gallon, not per gallon.

And if you can get your temp up to around 90, it'll go faster. Just make sure you have alot of aeration. I took a little water out of the tank so the filter overflow created more of aeration/surface agitation.

[Hoosier Tank]

Thanks for watching out for me lilcountrygal! Yes I read the article first. My math was correct for 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons. My typing skills are to blame and now it's too late to go back and edit the post.

180g/5g =36, 36x2T =72T, 72T/16per cup =4.5 cups

[lilcountrygal]

Thanks for watching out for me lilcountrygal! Yes I read the article first. My math was correct for 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons. My typing skills are to blame and now it's too late to go back and edit the post.

180g/5g =36, 36x2T =72T, 72T/16per cup =4.5 cups

glad it was you're typing skills lol. Good luck. Lemme know how you made out.

[Hoosier Tank]

I do have news...
GOOD:
The larger spot on my remaining Texas seems smaller.
The female Salvini still has the 3 grain of salt size spots but they are not increasing.
None of the other fish seem infected so it doesn't seem to be spreading.

BAD:
I saw a free swimming little Bugger. I figure if I was able to see one in this huge tank, they must be all over
I am concerned about how thorough I can gravel vac without removing 200 lbs of rock.

I am impressed at the accuracy of these new Aqueon Pro heaters I have. Their dial setting is spot on tank temp maintained a solid 86. So I raised them to 88, their highest setting this morning.

[lilcountrygal]

I dont remove all of my rocks when I vaccuum. I try to get as much as I can, but cant get EVERY nook and cranny.

I'm not sure I've ever seen a free floating one? What's it look like?

Glad to hear everything is going good!

[Hoosier Tank]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a free floating one? What's it look like?

Well, what I saw was EXTREMELY small. If it wasn't right up to the glass directly in front of me as I was checking my fish I would have never seen it. A TINY white worm jerking from straight to "U" shaped, Less than a 1/16" long and about the diameter of a hair if not even smaller. For a moment it went straight and stayed that way. I thought it died in front of my eyes, but then began jerking into a "U" again before the current carried it out of my sight.

I won't even be able to get half of my subsrtate vaccuumed, my rock pile is rather large in my 6' tank...

[newbiecichlid99]

i just had ick in my tank the salt and high temp didn;t seem to help i had temp at 86 as well !!! had break down and get med !!!

[lilcountrygal]

At 86 they cant reproduce anyway, Hoosier. So, even if its hanging out in the tank, it wont live long. If you can turn your temp up more, that would be good. As long as it isnt spreading. Id just vacuum the substrate best you can.

Heat/salt worked wonders for me. I see no more on any fish (including the catfish).

I googled ich. I'm not sure you can actually see ich without a microscope (other than the white dots). I could be WAY wrong on that tho. Are you sure you didnt just see a piece of debris/dust floating by? Are you sure it was alive?

[newbiecichlid99]

i am not sure of much at this point i am relatively new to these fish since july !!! have done tons of reading and 1 my good friends owns his own pet store and he has been my best info so far and says salt don;t work on parasite so

[lilcountrygal]

i am not sure of much at this point i am relatively new to these fish since july !!! have done tons of reading and 1 my good friends owns his own pet store and he has been my best info so far and says salt don;t work on parasite so

well, I'm living proof it does I definitely had ich on my fish. I definitely didnt add medicine. I definitely DID add salt/heat. There is definitely no more visible ich on my fish

Seriously tho... I think I caught mine very early. I'm not quite sure I would have had such a positive outcome had the fish been showing some type of distress.

[13razorbackfan]

i am not sure of much at this point i am relatively new to these fish since july !!! have done tons of reading and 1 my good friends owns his own pet store and he has been my best info so far and says salt don;t work on parasite so

It is the heat that is the most effective. Temp at 89.7 kills in free swimming stage...some say salt helps more with breathing than anything else so not totally sure on that. Temps at 86 will keep them from reproducing.

Meds are for sure another way to go but be careful as some will kill off all nitrifying bacteria and some meds can kill certain species of fish. Meds are only effective after ICH has fallen off of fish and in free swimming stage. The good thing about high heat...it speeds up lifecycle and heat over 86 stops from reproducing while 90 kills them only after they have fallen off fish.

I have used heat and salt...worked
I have used coppersafe...worked as well

[13razorbackfan]

i am not sure of much at this point i am relatively new to these fish since july !!! have done tons of reading and 1 my good friends owns his own pet store and he has been my best info so far and says salt don;t work on parasite so

well, I'm living proof it does I definitely had ich on my fish. I definitely didnt add medicine. I definitely DID add salt/heat. There is definitely no more visible ich on my fish

Seriously tho... I think I caught mine very early. I'm not quite sure I would have had such a positive outcome had the fish been showing some type of distress.

Keep doing your treatments though...

I am glad your ICH has started to retreat...that is awesome!

[lilcountrygal]

i am not sure of much at this point i am relatively new to these fish since july !!! have done tons of reading and 1 my good friends owns his own pet store and he has been my best info so far and says salt don;t work on parasite so

well, I'm living proof it does I definitely had ich on my fish. I definitely didnt add medicine. I definitely DID add salt/heat. There is definitely no more visible ich on my fish

Seriously tho... I think I caught mine very early. I'm not quite sure I would have had such a positive outcome had the fish been showing some type of distress.

Keep doing your treatments though...

I am glad your ICH has started to retreat...that is awesome!

Its done more than retreat, razor. I think its completely gone. I know to keep the treatments going for another 7 days or so.

the only thing I see now is one spot on each of the cobues, and I cant be completely sure that its even ich. Both fish have it in the exact same spot on their anal fins. Just one "spot". The more I look, the more I think it isnt ich on them. Ill treat for 7 days... if its still there after 7 days, I'll go back to normal temp and change the saltwater for fresh. I'll keep an eye on those spots and if they start to spread, I'll start again.