Ich

[Ralphie126]

So yesterday i noticed my fish had a little ich so i raised the temp to 83ish which is about the maximum temp it goes. I came home today to find that my dwarf parrot was covered in it. So, since it is pretty bad, i added Kordons Ich Attack, it says to dose daily but isnt that gonna be too strong?... Is there anything else I can do, can i still add kosher salt and how much/how many times. Also, i cant do a wc because the town is flushing out the pipes so the water is drinkable but not suitable for fish. When its suitable and normal, i will do a big wc but until then, what can i do?

 

[Convict2161]

So yesterday i noticed my fish had a little ich so i raised the temp to 83ish which is about the maximum temp it goes. I came home today to find that my dwarf parrot was covered in it. So, since it is pretty bad, i added Kordons Ich Attack, it says to dose daily but isnt that gonna be too strong?... Is there anything else I can do, can i still add kosher salt and how much/how many times. Also, i cant do a wc because the town is flushing out the pipes so the water is drinkable but not suitable for fish. When its suitable and normal, i will do a big wc but until then, what can i do?

I just battled ich with no meds and NO losses.

Salt and heat is all I did.

Heat 86 degrees. Salt 1 tablespoon of kosher salt per 5 gallons everyday. Every 2nd day a 50% water change then add salt ONLY for water added NOT total tank volume.

I did this for 15 days. I had no signs of any more white spots for days prior. Today I did a 75% water change and added NO salt. And I'm slowly lowering the temp back down to 77-78 degrees.

 

[Ralphie126]

So I have right now one dose of meds in there so can i still use salt or wait for it to weaken?

 

[Convict2161]

So I have right now one dose of meds in there so can i still use salt or wait for it to weaken?

Do you want to continue meds or switch to heat and salt only?

I'm new to the ich thing but from what vie read and understand its like the common cold. If your fish are healthy they should pull through with high heat and salt. Heat speeds the life cycles up as there are 3 life cycles to battle.

Understanding and Treating Ich or White Spot

 

[Ralphie126]

I am gonna stick with meds and heat because I have lots of live plants, am I supposed to dose the tank every day with Kordans ick attack

 

[Convict2161]

I am gonna stick with meds and heat because I have lots of live plants, am I supposed to dose the tank every day with Kordans ick attack

I can't help ya there sorry... I had rid ich ready to go and I had gotten some great advice and decided against it. Also I was concerned about staining. Also I've read that if sick are unhealthy that the vet grade med like rid ich can harm fish.

Don't quote me though... Just something I heard.

 

[Albino Sick Led]

No need to do both

I am gonna stick with meds and heat because I have lots of live plants, am I supposed to dose the tank every day with Kordans ick attack

Hi there,
Something to keep in mind is that although you are doing the temperature changes/salt plus medicating as well, that itself is going to stress your fish out severely. Most of the time, from my personal experience, fish have what it takes to fight off ich or other parasites as long as you maintain your water parameters in top shape. The fish may get sicker before you notice improvements but they do have what it takes to fight it off. Fish have protective slime coatings on their bodies that help them fight off bacteria, hence why you notice "spots" or mucus-like fungi on their body when this protective coat is hindered/damaged, leading to things like ich, protozoan bacteria, etc.
Temperature changes that go higher than normal will stress your fish to a degree even more
Adding salt to the tank will assist in hindering the bacteria expansion but keep in mind as well that salt has a "purging" effect on invertebrates, fish included, meaning you will also affect the fish's metabolism during this time. My best advice is that you make sure your water parameters are in tip-top shape, so to speak, and only medicate if "absolutely necessary" meaning that you think your fish is dead with no other option if you don't do this. As fish hobbyist we always try to keep our fish super healthy, and we tend to panic at the first sight of sickness, rightfully so because fish are so fragile. Just remember that they adapt and if they can fight off the sickness they will become stronger fish because of it, their bodies will build immunity to some of these bacterias.

These are my two cents from my personal experience,
i'm sure there are plenty of different ways to approach this situation.

Good luck!