Ick... am I doing everything correctly?

[Chriznat20]

Ive used the search feature and found tons of useful tips and threads on AA

Noticed yday that my neon tetra and 1 of my corys had a questionable white spot. Get home from work today, the corys both have 2-3 icks spots each, and my neon tetra has 3.

I took the tank temp from 77 to 79 just now. Im going to step it up 2f degrees every 12 hours.

I just did a 25% water change too. With each bucket of water going BACK into the tank, I added 3 teaspoons of aquarium salt, plus extra stress-zyme.

I added 3 buckets of water with salt and stress zyme, for a total of around 10 gallons changed (3 gallon bucket and I filled it to the brim) and 10 teaspoons of salt TOTAL throughout the bucketfulls. I plan on doing another 25% water change tomorrow and adding another 10 teaspoons of salt (10g water change).

Am I doing this right? Its been a few years since Ive had an ICH outbreak. How high should I bring the temperature, and how much salt should I put in total (29g tank)??

 

[Chriznat20]

UGH...apparently the ICK outbreak couldnt have come at a worse time!

I was just looking at the substrate, and I found a fry between the glass and the thermometer I have in the tank! 8-O

Im not good at identifying fry but here goes: It has a tail. Its very very very small. I see 2 eyes and a little itty bitty body. Its so small...maybe 1/8" of an inch. And very skinny. Im thinking cory fry?

Either way, im sure the temperature I plan on having the tank at (86f) and the salt will probably kill any fry

 

[mfdrookie516]

Im not good at identifying fry but here goes: It has a tail. Its very very very small. I see 2 eyes and a little itty bitty body. Its so small...maybe 1/8" of an inch. And very skinny. Im thinking cory fry?

you just described about any kind of fry possible lol (im only kidding)... it sounds like you're doing everything right... just dont add too much salt as the corys might not appreciate it... heat alone will get rid of the ich, the salt just helps relieve the osmotic pressure in the tank (i think i said that right).. anyways, just keep an eye on them, and dont forget that they'll probably get worse before they get better

 

[thetonyage]

in my experience just rasing the temp for about 2 weeks cured it for me. i bought some salt but never even used it.

 

[Chriznat20]

you just described about any kind of fry possible lol (im only kidding)... it sounds like you're doing everything right... just dont add too much salt as the corys might not appreciate it... heat alone will get rid of the ich, the salt just helps relieve the osmotic pressure in the tank (i think i said that right).. anyways, just keep an eye on them, and dont forget that they'll probably get worse before they get better

haha!! I dont know what other kind of fry it might be, I thought I saw the cory's "messing around" the other day, thought I saw them in the "t-position" or whatever its called when they are doing the hokey pokey. The fry hasnt moved from between the thermometer and glass... its like hes sucking the glass and is stuck to it. There is about 1/4" between, so hes got tons of room to get out

Anyways, Im at 80F right now... how warm should I bring the tank up to?

 

[Chriznat20]

in my experience just rasing the temp for about 2 weeks cured it for me. i bought some salt but never even used it.

What temperature did you gradually bring the tank up to?

I keep reading that 86f is the temperature I want to get up to. Thats totally going to tick off my community... 99% of them are cold water fish..aye aye.

Does 86f sound good?

 

[thetonyage]

I brought it up to 89 F over the 2 week period at about one degree a day

EDIT: P.S. my water temp was only at 89 for 24 hours before bringing it back down at a degree a day.

 

[Chriznat20]

Well, the temperature was 80f this morning, I knocked it up to 82f.

When I get home from work tonight (9pm), I will kick it up to 84f.

Tomorrow, I will approach 86-87f and keep it there.

The fish seem to be liking the temp increase. Nobody looks stressed yet. I know the worse it yet to come, because the ich spots on the few fish have gotten a little better, looks like the ICH fell off (and we all know what that means - its in the substrate multiplying!!!).

I was going to take 3 more gallons out of the tank tonight (I only have a 3g bucket) and add 5 teaspoons more salt. For a tank total of 15 teaspoons (29g tank). After about how many teaspoons of salt should I call it quits?

 

[thetonyage]

Well, the temperature was 80f this morning, I knocked it up to 82f.

When I get home from work tonight (9pm), I will kick it up to 84f.

Tomorrow, I will approach 86-87f and keep it there.

The fish seem to be liking the temp increase. Nobody looks stressed yet. I know the worse it yet to come, because the ich spots on the few fish have gotten a little better, looks like the ICH fell off (and we all know what that means - its in the substrate multiplying!!!).

I was going to take 3 more gallons out of the tank tonight (I only have a 3g bucket) and add 5 teaspoons more salt. For a tank total of 15 teaspoons (29g tank). After about how many teaspoons of salt should I call it quits?

id leave the salt where it is and only add more if the fish seem to be taking the temp increase poorly.

 

[mfdrookie516]

also, something i forgot to mention... make sure to add some extra surface agitation... the higher the temp, the less oxygen the fish have to use, so increasing the surface agitation will increase the gas exchange

 

[Chriznat20]

I got home from work tonight... a few of the ich's are missing off of the cory's, but a new one is on the tail of my neon tetra.

Temperature is now at a balmy 86f. Is that hot enough to kill the ich by the heat method alone?

I did a water change (30%) because my nitrites were elevated (im still cycling!), so when I refilled I used extra stress coat, and this time I only put in 3 teaspoons of aquarium salt..for a total of 15 teaspoons for my 29g tank added over 2 days.

Everybody seems to be doing fine, honestly.... most of my fish seem very lively and more colorful (it seems). The pleco seems a little peeved. But I dont know... he seems to be breathing faster than usual, but isnt acting unusual otherwise.

Since I started the tank, there is a 3" aerator in the tank, and 2 weeks ago I bought a bio-wheel filter. When I did my last water change today, I left the tank low about 1.5" so the filter is creating quite a splash (its in my bedroom too!) and oxygenating the water I also changed the light timer, so it only comes out 4 hours a day vs. 9. Figured it would be less stressful for the fish, and I read somewhere that the less light, the better for ich treatment.

Anything else I should/could be doing? Is 86f hot enough?

 

[Bbush]

Everything I read says 86 is ok. I am currently increasing my temp.