Ich and my fish

[Priest]

Okay so I noticed yesterday that one of my fish has Ick, so today I went out to buy a new heater to replace the old one. I put 6 tablespoons of aquarium salt (1 spoon for every 5 gallons) and set the temperature of the heater to 76F. I just want to know what temperature would be ideal for my Guppies, Mollies, Platys and Corys because I don't want to raise it too high and possibly kill the catfish. Thank you.

 

[LyndaB]

Corys are sensitive to salt, you cannot use a full dose with them in most cases. You might want to do a 50% water change to reduce the salinity.

To heat treat, you'll need to slowly raise the temp to 86. Add an airstone to increase oxygenation, do gravel vacs every 2-3 days to remove ich spore from substrate.

Maintain this program for a minimum of 2 weeks. If you still see spots, continue treatment.

 

[Priest]

Isn't that excessive because that temperature is very high for my fish, especially for the catfish and I don't know if I want to do another water change since I did 2 50% water changes today.

 

[LyndaB]

I guess you could always choose another method if you don't want to do the heat. Few fish cannot handle the higher heat for that short period of time as long as they are introduced to the heat increase slowly, a few degrees per day.

If you added all that salt after your last water changes, then yes, I would advise you to do another. That's what I would do, anyway. Ultimately, it's your decision.

 

[Impulse09]

I am on day 11 with the same amount of salt u are using and my temp to 86. They are still kicking I have 6 corries.

 

[Priest]

I raised the temp to 78F since, since the temp was at 76F this morning I guess a slight raise isn't that bad. The highest I can see my self going up to is probably 80F but I am not sure if that temp would have any impact on the Ick. I think I can attribute this Ick to 3 guppies that are in my tank that have been bothering just about everyone else, except maybe the catfish. I'm thinking about getting a divider or just giving away those 3 guppies because I lost one of my platy yesterday and that was one that was getting harassed for many hours daily by those three.

 

[LyndaB]

You need the high heat to kill the ich. If you leave the temp low, you'll most likely be battling this ich for a long time.

Please do not rehome the guppies while they are sick. That's just not right.

 

[Priest]

Yeah I will not remove them until after they are cured and I don't have an airstone yet so I don't want to raise the temp to high (Times are a bit tough now...heck I took a hit buying that heater today).

EDIT: Wait now that I think about it, when I bought my 10 Gallon tank a while ago it came with this crappy green filter that throws bubbles upwards, the part that the filter is attached to is a round black device that vibrates and plugs into the wall. Can I use that to make the bubbles and if I can will I need something for it.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Yeah I will not remove them until after they are cured and I don't have an airstone yet so I don't want to raise the temp to high (Times are a bit tough now...heck I took a hit buying that heater today).

Hi, priest. If you lower the water level in you tank so the HOB output splashes a bit more that will help oxygenate your tank. Raising the temp will not harm your fish. Just do it slowly over the next day. The heat is what actually kills the ich and the salt helps them heal their wounds.
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php

 

[Priest]

That's a good idea, I'll do that. Okay after searching my cabinets for 5 minutes I found the device that was attached to that crappy green filter, it says Marina 50, can I use that with an airstone or bubble wand?

 

[Priest]

Okay I have an update on my Ich problem. I added an airstone to the tank and lowered the water level of the tank so that the filter water hit the water better. I also raised the temperature of the tank to 84F (I read that between 84-86F is ideal), I raised the temp very slow while constantly monitoring the fish. I did a 50% water change with gravel vac on Saturday and will be doing a 25% water change with gravel vac every other day. Also every time I add new water I put conditioner and the appropriate amount of salt that the box suggest (API Aquarium Salt).

A few days ago the Ich looked like it was almost completely gone but the next day it came back. Now I knew that it would come back because after researching Ich I know that it comes in stages but I want to know if the process is heading in the right direction. If anyone can give any tips on what I should do or not do please do so because the quicker I can beat this the quicker my fish and I can rest easy. Thank you.

 

[LyndaB]

You're headed in the right direction. You just need to have some patience. There are some things you can't rush, and ich treatment is one of them. It also took you a while to come up to the proper heat, so it might take longer to cure your tank.