Water Change for Ich

[Budda619]

Hi guys, just found some ich this morning on one of my fishes. I want to keep it all natural on removing this infestation. Ive read to do 50% water changes daily and to vacuum the gravel. Aldo to turn the temp up to 88 degrees. I dont have a QT tank

Here is my question. Will turning up the temp kill or harm my fish? What i have now is two clown fish and two firefish. Yellow and blue tang. Im holding the two tangs temporarily. My current temp is 81 degrees.

 

[Bectan01]

I believe the high temp is a treatment for freshwater ich and doesn't actually do anything for marine ich. Perhaps someone can clarify that?

 

[Alyxx]

Yeah, the heat method is for freshwater ich. As far as I know the only ways to treat saltwater ich are hyposalinity or copper, both of which should be done in a qt tank if you have any corals or inverts. Then keep all the fish in qt for 6-8 weeks so all of the ich can die off in the display tank since they can't live without fish hosts.

 

[Ingy]

Unfortunately you should have never put the 2 tangs in a 30 gal tank. Not worth the risk.
Move them out and then QT your remaining fish and treat. Or you can just leave them alone and hope. Food and immunity boosting to try to help fish survive. But if you don't get rid of the tangs you will constantly have problems.

Another poster recently lost 3 tangs from a 55 or 90 gal tank along with many other fish. Tangs will do great in a small tank. Right up until they don't. Then everybody dies.

 

[Budda619]

Agreed. i have already decided to give them a new home. Havent had time to take them to the lfs. At the moment i dont have a qt tank. Planning on hitting the lfs tomorrow.

 

[TheTodd]

I've read about the water change thing somewhere, but I recall it having something to do with two tanks and water changes every day for several weeks. It sounded very involved and I'm still not sure if it is close to 100% effective.

 

[melosu58]

Read these

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part I by Steven Pro

Marine Ich/Cryptocaryon irritans - A Discussion of this Parasite and the Treatment Options Available, Part II by Steven Pro

 

[Budda619]

Thanks melosu but i have read those. My original question is will the fish survive the temp change. ATM im doing 50% water changes daily while vacuuming the gravel. I have yet to raise the temperature.

 

[TheTodd]

The raised temp is a freshwater Ich thing. Saltwater is totally different, so raising heat will not help. I doubt that the fish would appreciate the big temp increase either.

 

[Budda619]

Awesome. You guys are the best. Just did a 50% water change. And vacuum the gravel. Yesterday night it seems the ich was no longer on my fish. I wonder if i made a mistake and it wasnt ich or the cyst already matured and fell off. Either way i plan on doing 50% water changes for the next dew days.

 

[TheTodd]

The Ich will come off as part of the life cycle. That is what makes people think their fish are somehow cured, when really its just in the sand and rock now.