[AU Chief]

I've been treating one of my quarintine tanks for ick for 2 days now. I started treating when I noticed one fish showing spots, now all the fish (about 15 fry of differnt CA speices and 2 small rubbnose plecs and an SA Bumblebee cat) are showing spots.

I'm using salt and higher temp to try and beat it, but I've already had one fish die and the others don't seem to be getting better. Are there any other treatments that are more effective or do I just need to have a little more patience.

Thanks!

 

[Malawidolphin]

I find that the salt and higher temp is the absolute best way to treat Ich. Fish don'y usually die from Ich unless untreated for a very long time. I find that the spots usually disappear from my clowns last (as they are the first to show signs and tthe last to show signs.) This is about 10 days or so. I put alot of salt in my tank, a full handful for each 5 gallons, and have never lost a fish to Ich. (my hands are not huge by the way :lol: ) After the last signs are gone I slowly lower the temp. but I leave the salt in the tank for about a week after. I then slowly lower the salinity with water changes. If you lost a fish after 2 days it was probably due to a secondary issue or stress.

 

[cichlidaholic]

Are you sure it's ich?

Are the white areas cottony or fuzzy in appearance?

Adding salt and raising the temp speed up the life cycle of the parasite, so it is feasible that you are seeing a worsening of symptoms.

But, if by chance it isn't ich and is a bacterial infection, raising the temp can cause the disease to spread quickly.

I've never lost a fish to ich, so I have to agree that it must have been really severe before treatment was started, or you might be dealing with something else altogether.

 

[Sick-Lid-4-Life]

I find adding salt for a day or so and raising the temp to about 86 degrees works best. After a day or so I remove the salt from the tank with a very large water change and keeping the tank at 86 for the remainder of the treatment.