Ick help!

[azn dreamer]

One of my platties have ick. I have 3 platties, 1 guppy, and 1 tiger barb.

The other seems fine but i want to ask

i have heard that salt is really good for treatment for ick but should i place my infected platty in another tank to give it a salt bath or should i just put salt in the original tank? I also heard that raising heat was good treatment for ick so should i raise the temp of the original tank with the sick platty inside or get it to another tank?

Thnx in Advance :?

 

[hisc1ay]

I'm no pro, so I'm hoping others chime in.

I'd say get the sick one into his own tank and treat him in there, but also treat the other tank as well. The only reason I'd separate him is because if the others don't have it, you don't want them to get it. Now, if it's inevitable that they'll get it (which is the part I don't know), then just leave him where he is and treat the whole tank.

I think the temperature that the ich bacteria can't live at is 82(?), and I'm not sure the amount of salt that will be good. You can also get some medication for the tank as well. There are many varieties. Check with your LFS.

Good luck!
-j

 

[i3k]

Heat and Salt should get rid of ick within a week+ but make sure other fish can tolerate salt.

 

[fishstixs05]

Barbs and livebearers all do well with salt.

 

[azn dreamer]

Oh...so i should just treat the whole tank...Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[wabyrd]

Malachite green based medicines are also good for ich. Make sure you remove your carbon first though...

 

[HOLLIEO]

Just another thought...
You should take the cartridge (if you have one in your filter) and cut the carbon out. Just make a little slice in it. That way you can still have the filter running to get rid of fishy waste and excess food.
Good luck with the ICK, my fish that had it didn't make it. The fish actually had it already when I bought them (but wasn't showing signs, so I didn't know), because I had a new tank set up and the ICK parasite couldn't have developed in that tank in less than a few weeks. Well, Good luck to you.

 

[azn dreamer]

My platty with the ick died this morning...should i still treat the tank just incase any of the parasites are still in there?

thnx in advance

 

[HOLLIEO]

I would say to *slowly* (like a degree and hour??) turn up the temp to 82°, if the other fish will tolerate this? Leave the temp that high for like a week to make sure to kill off the adult and other stages of the parasite. I think it will be fine then and then you can add the carbon back and continue on..
Sorry about your loss.

 

[Allivymar]

Couple of things to remember when doing the high temp/salt tx for ich:

You need pretty high temps to affect it; like 86f and up. Make sure everyone can take those temps.

Add more aeration as higher temps = less O2 in the water.

Ich will actually reproduce faster in warm temps then lower (the ich cycle can last up to ~3 weeks in outdoor ponds; ~4 days in a warm tank).

You'll need to gravel vac daily to get rid of the cysts in the gravel (one third of the ich cycle). Thats the main reason its suggested to treat ich infested fish in QT tanks; bare bottoms make it easier to get all/most of the cysts.

High salinity also has an adverse effect on ich. Make sure you use aquarium or rock salt; not table. Also make sure the fish you are using this on can handle a higher salinity level (like, not cories).

Not everyone believes this works; I do.

 

[azn dreamer]

Thanks everyone for helping me out

 

[coolkidthatlike]

Malachite green based medicines are also good for ich. Make sure you remove your carbon first though...

Yeah, i recommend quick-cure for ick. I have had a couple ich infections, and it has came through for me a number of times. It is malachite green. I dont really think ich is serious enough for isolation or anything. Good luck!