Raising temp - some questions...

[NorCalAl]

I hope you all can help me on this. From my sig, you can see my residents. I think one of my rams has a bit of ich on him and I want to raise my temps up to around 84 to combat it. I'd rather not use too many additives with the loaches and discus in there, so temps seem the best way.
Given what I have living in here, should I encounter issues with the higher temps? I don't have a QT tank (yet! will later today) so I can't move anyone.
Really would like some help - quick!
Thanks!!!

 

[dskidmore]

If you don't already have an airstone, add one. Warmer water holds less oxygen than cool, so you need better areation at higher temps. Raise the temp slowly, so as not to shock the fish.

 

[DepotFish]

You'll have to raise the temp to 87. Ich thrives in 84 and will multiply. It dies in anything above 86.

 

[NorCalAl]

Thank you! I wasn't sure of the temp needed to kill it. I do have an airstone and will turn up the air a bit. On top of that, I'm going to run a diatom filter on the tank and hopefully that will help, too.
How long will I need to keep it at that temp to kill it all off?

 

[joannde]

keep the temp up until 2 weeks after the last sign of ick (ie: two weeks AFTER all the spots on the fish clear).
Good luck to you - the heat method works VERY well - I just did it myself

 

[dskidmore]

Freshwater Ick article:
http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32

 

[tdalessa01]

I agree that it is a good idea to raise your temp. but make sure to do it slowly. I just wanted to say that it is crucial you get a quarantine tank. I have had ich on one fish before and removing the fish may be the best way to prevent it from spreading to others when it falls off the present host.

 

[NorCalAl]

Thank you all so much! I am going to add a QT tank to my inventory - probably tomorrow. There's only one fish with it and he's brand new. I'm going to use temp on that tank to treat it. I have a biowheel I can steal a filter from for the cycle. Plus the plants should help.
What about the diatom filter? It says it can remove the particles of ich. Has anyone used it to do that? I know it won't remove it from the fish, but to treat the water, I think it would help. Opinions?

 

[dskidmore]

Thank you all so much! I am going to add a QT tank to my inventory - probably tomorrow. There's only one fish with it and he's brand new. I'm going to use temp on that tank to treat it. I have a biowheel I can steal a filter from for the cycle. Plus the plants should help.
What about the diatom filter? It says it can remove the particles of ich. Has anyone used it to do that? I know it won't remove it from the fish, but to treat the water, I think it would help. Opinions?

I think the diatom filter might slow the spread, but I don't think it will kill it. It will reduce the number of larval parasites in the water, but it won't completely eliminate them.

 

[NorCalAl]

Up to 86 today. Will go to 87 tomorrow and hold. Everyone is doing fine - even the plecos. I thought my otos might not be happy, but no problems so far. I'm going to turn my new 29g into a discus/ram tank and we are getting a 10g for QT. That WAS going to be the role of the 29g, but... Oh well. Everything was on track till I saw the discus at another store... And we still have a 120 in the garage waiting for a nice stand.
Will it ever end?

 

[NorCalAl]

I've brought the 29g up and it's heated - could I use it as a hospital tank for now and just move the affected fish? I'd like to QT them rather than continue to expose everyone else. I know there's no biofilter in there now, but I could do daily PWC's.
I really need some advice!

 

[rich311k]

If the main tank has ich. No sense in moving anything once it is in the tank it is there. Just keep the heat up and kill it. In the future QT will prevent outbreaks in your main tanks.

 

[Alshain]

I agree with rich, moving the infected would only cause stress and your main tank would still be infected. Ich is a tank wide disease, if one fish has it, they might as well all have it. Ich lies in the substrate after it burrows out of the fish and in the water free floating after that.

Check out this article for more information on freshwater ich.

 

[NorCalAl]

Thanks. Since it's at nearly 87 degrees now, I'll just stick with the heat program. The additional problem I saw in my discus is most likely related to overdosing Excel (the new bottle has a larger cap but the instructions don't seem to know it. Yesterday was the first time with the new bottle, so I think I overdosed) and I've seen on the discus forums that it seems to clear up by itself with a PWC. Doing that now...
Sigh.