# Ick problem



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

2 of my fish have developed ick issues suddenly and have been isolated into separate tanks. I think they were from some of the feeders...anyhow, the rest of the fish seem fine but I want to play it safe. Should I add a small dosage of ick meds to my non-quarantine tank?


----------



## Victor (Apr 21, 2010)

For ick, I usually treat the entire tank. Just salt and raising the temperature always works for me


----------



## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Once you've discovered ich, it's too late for quarantine as it would have spread to the whole tank. You'll have to treat the whole tank.


----------



## Slopster (Mar 14, 2011)

Salt, and slowly raise the temp...


----------



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Damn! Alright! I will do that. Sigh


----------



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

How high should I bump up the temperature? 85?


----------



## zhasan (Oct 28, 2010)

I had an Ich breakout in my old tank. Raising the temperature and adding salt did not help me maybe because It was too late for that. However, when I added an ich medicine from PJ's Pets, it worked like a charm and saved the remaining fish. I hope you caught it in the early stages!


----------



## Vman (Jan 20, 2011)

*Ich*

I cured ich in my African tank in about 3 days. I turned up the temp to about F84,starting upping the salt(Epsom salt), and treated the tank with Seachem's (Paraguard). Also covered the tank with towels,as melachite green (main ich killing ingriedient) is light sensitive.After the 3rd day I took of the towels and all ich was gone. I've had to do this twice in almost 2 years.Paraguard is also filter friendly and doesn't kill your beneficial bacteria,available at J&L Aquatics.


----------



## Athomedad (Oct 8, 2011)

Raising the temp, salt, & paraguard worked for me. I tried copper safe and super ich cure & neither worked well for me.


----------



## ajbwrg (Nov 11, 2011)

I just had it in my oscar tank. With salt and raise the temp to 82 it was gone in three days, I add the salt over a period of 36 hrs in order not to shock the fish.


----------



## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

When I have had ich in my tank, I used Kordon's Ich Attack. I found it very good. Its an organic one, that was safe for my plants and my shrimp.

Good luck! Ich sucks for sure.


----------



## JohnnyAppleSnail (May 30, 2010)

I cranked up the heat to 89-90 deg. and left it there 12 days,I used Coppersafe and it worked Fantastic,just make sure you dose properly,I always keep in consideration water displacement (Decor,gravel,driftwood,etc.) so in a 125 gal. Tank I may dose say around 118 gal.

So many People have their own remedys and Ideas,so you will hear many diff. success stories. For Me~~Coppersafe-High Heat-No Salt. I did just 1 W/C before dosing and let the Heat & Meds. do it's thing. I also had huge evaporation rate but did not add Water to top up,extra Splash from HOB's and Bubblewands are important for extra oxygen so before dosing you could always leave a couple inches of space near top water line.

I noticed ich spots disappearing after 3-4 days,of course you must continue treating even after the visible spots are gone,I treated for 14 days,after 14th Day a 50% W/C and I didn't add anymore meds to compensate (Treats 1 month) I figure the meds/heat did the job in 14 days so no need to treat full month & some Copper will still remain,lowered the heat to 86 deg. and then a day later to 83 deg.

Catching Ich in early stages important and quite easy to cure. I have Fish that are sensitive to Meds but had no problems,Clown Loaches (An Ich Magnet if there ever was one),Silver Dollars,Pictus Cats,Diamond Tetras,Syno Angelicus,etc. etc.~~~NO LOSSES~

I've also used Quick Cure (it Works) but it stains and is a pain to get drops out,I've also used Salt but some Fish are sensitive to it but in proper doses will be fine with it,High heat to Me is Important it speeds the life cycle faster so the Meds can work quicker.

Well thats My Sucess Story and I'm sure you'll hear many more!


----------



## -DC- (Apr 21, 2010)

Ich (or Ichthyophthirius multifiliis <google this get better info then google ICH!) is/is causes by a ciliated protozoan , can be treated easily but is WILDLY misunderstood , which amazes me considering how common of a parasite it is. Like most aquarium topic's people tend too ask what too do, without understanding what is happening which causes all the confusion about temps/salt/meds and what the proper treatment is or how each treatment works.

My preferred method (and the only one i'd recommend) is temperature treatment. It's easy and straight forward, fact is Ich simply cannot reproduce once temps hit 85-86 degrees (i say 86 too be safe). Any less all your doing is speeding metabolism/breeding cycle up this might in some cases ich might even appear too clear up because the ich attached too the fish pass too the next stage and fall off fish and will return free swimming form and cycle starts over again as they fine thier way back too the fish. 

Any more then 86 to me is pointless, 90+ degrees might actually kill some of the existing along with halting reproduction, but it's just but it's stressful on fish for no reason since they are not going to do an harm with the 2-3 days left in there life lol

Salt does not treat ich any more then it treats a cut, sudden increase in salt may knock back a population of ich, I'm sure with a bit of luck it might cure it between the die back from change in salinity and fish's own immune system the ich cannot recover. but not a treatment too count on !

IMO Meds should only be used on a tank when no other option is available it's just my opinion. Med's require you too keep ich breeding and moving rapidly though it's life cycle since it only target's them in free swimming form. So ich still lasts as long as treating with temps, but keep's breeding then get's killed in the free swimming forum. This is the stage AFTER ich multiplies and is on it's way BACk too settle and cause new white spots on fish. Some ove time depending on the med's ich populations will decline, less and less make it too the fish and our cured. Med's will normally recommend higher temps (80-84) because at these temps as mentioned earlier ichs still flying through the life cycle, your encouraging rapid re-production so that they hit the stage where med's can kill them. At lower temp med's still work, it's just MUCH longer due too the ich having a slower metabolism be longer stretch between chances for the med's too work on the existing population.

I'll never understand why anyone would choose too use med's that require you keep ich breeding in a tank too work , when you can simple go a couple degrees higher and stop them in one generation lol. I'm not looking to argue it , i'm sure med's can work but i think most people use them more because they dont realize how the temp's effect the life cycle due too ample internet sources with misinformation on them! 

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

So with that said for temp treatment the trick too use an accurate internal thermometer. If a spot in the tank falls below 85 degrees then some ich can and likely will reproduce,and the life cycle starts over thus the next generation soon re-attaches too fish.

It's really that simple, at those temps any ich will pass through its life cycle and white spots disappear from all fish within 3-5 day's , i normally recommend keeping those temps for 2 weeks too be safe, it's better too do one extra long stretch then too lower it early and raise it again for another treatment.


Hope that helps !

Edit: Just wanted too add when raising temps increase aeration, as temps rise O2 lvl's will decline doesn't effect treatment at all but fish will appreciate being able too breath !


----------



## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

Justin , I wish you the best of luck buddy. I surely don't want to see you lose any more fish than you already have this year. I don't know what is the best route to take, last time I had it... I raised the temps , added salt and half doses of the meds every other day wc's, no lights and something worked. Looks like everything possible has been recommended already so all I can say is good luck, hope you can get rid of it quickly


----------



## -DC- (Apr 21, 2010)

Adding a visual effect


----------



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks everyone! I have raised the temperature and added some salt! Hope none of the other fish get contaminated. They look fine but just for extra precautions. I lost a pictus catfish last night and the flower horn seems to be recovering


----------



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

seems like my fire eel is the only with ich right now. Temperature is at 86F. I will leave it for the next week or so. cross my fingers that the ich will DIE DIE DIE!! grr!


----------



## Slopster (Mar 14, 2011)

I hope everyone knows that ICH is in everyones tank, the thing is that Ich will take over and bloom when your temp gets to low,Ich loves lower temps and thats where it thrives the most, Honestly if you don't beleive this then why do most people say slowly raise your temp to over 80 and add Salt (Aquarium salt mind you) probs 1/4 tsp-1/2 tsp per gallon Ich will be gone,give or take a week or so.

Problem is is that we as a whole have become to used to chemicals to rid ourselves of problems, Back in the day we used Aquaruim Salt to rid most to all pests,infections, parasites, we used Epsom salts to help cure problems such as Bloat and others..

But now we are to dependant on todays chemicals???? why????
because most stores make their money selling that product to get rid of Ich,
Yet Ich still stays in our tanks.., So really does a chemical like Malichete green work??? light sensitive yes it is, kill your Good Bacteria (i've read yes it does and no it does not) you wanna take that chance???? So whats wrong with good ole' mother nature products Salt and raise the temp is what Ich hates..

I have a good friend that's been in the business for close to 40yrs, If you think I'm BS'ing you I'll pass you off to him and he'll let you know the real deal..
ET is his initails not the ALIEN!!!!!

Cheers all..


----------



## shady280 (Oct 17, 2011)

I was reading all the ick talk here recently and thought it was a large out break. Then just this morning my largest silver dollar has developed it. So out came the salt and started the slow increase in temp increases. I also added a small dose of meds to help while waiting for the temps to come up. Can I go to 86 with a Oscar and sd's???


----------



## Slopster (Mar 14, 2011)

What I'd do is run a Temp of 82-84 consistantly and do a salt bath 1/4 tsp per gallon, and clean the substrate (vaccuum) every 3 days,for atleast 2 weeks or more ,
Remeber ich will fall off the host(being your fish) and fall to the the gravel once there it will multiply if not cleaned up..

So raise temp slowly, add salt, and vac the gravel...

But when adding salt, pls use AQUARIUM SALT........

cheers.


----------



## Victor (Apr 21, 2010)

jlam86 said:


> seems like my fire eel is the only with ich right now. Temperature is at 86F. I will leave it for the next week or so. cross my fingers that the ich will DIE DIE DIE!! grr!


Just remember to do everything gradually. Introducing salt and temperature raising/lowering


----------

