yet another Q about ich...

[patagonia]

once you get the temperature up to 86F...how long does it take for the spots to go away? my temp has been around 86F for about 5 days now and the 2 neons still have the one spot each...also...ich dies at 85 but we keep it at 86 to be on the safe side ??? Thanks!

 

[Menagerie]

Allivymar[/url]]High temperature is an effective treatment.

Ich appears not to be able to survive temperatures above 86F. By raising temps to above 86F one can kill all the parasites; generally, 4-5 days after the temps have been raised above 86F you will see a reduction in white spots on your fish. It is best to continue temps above 86F for at least 2 weeks to ensure all the parasites have been killed. Do not raise temperatures too quickly. 1 to 1 � degrees F every 12 hours is best, although if you keep your temps very low you may need to shorten that to 1 degree F every 6 hours. Raising temps too quickly can stress fish. Keep in mind, Ich multiplies more quickly at higher temps below 86F; it is necessary to find a balance between raising temps slowly enough not to stress the fish and quickly enough to keep the fish from becoming too infested with the parasite. Also, be sure all the fish/invertebrates in the tank can handle temps that high; if you�re not sure, do some research and ask.
**High temps reduces the amount of oxygen in the water. Increasing surface agitation, either by lowering water levels if one has a hang on back filters so the water falls further, or adding addition aeration is recommended.

I have never treated ich with only heat. IMO, heat and salt has never let me down.

 

[Jchillin]

Other than that, keep the heat going for at least two weeks after the last spot is observed.

I've seen a lot of recommendations for the heat only method recently.

 

[greenmaji]

Ich is a cold water protozon.. it can not survive 84 degrees F. 85 degrees is on the safe side.. and 86 is just fine.. Yes the heat alone will kill it. HTH
Ive never used salt in FW tanks.. heat has always worked for me..

 

[Zagz]

I use the heat only method as I usually have tank mates that can't tolerate the salt. It has worked for me in the past and currently am treating for ich with heat only.

 

[patagonia]

thank you so much guys...i wasnt thinking of adding salt because i have lots of plants in the tank...ive treated ich before with the heat only method and has worked for me...i just couldnt remember how long it took before the spots started to go away...all the fish seem fine except for one oto...he completely lost his color and even the black stripe which runs along his body has faded...hes kinda yellowish instead of his normal brownish color...i have no idea what that could be....except for those two neons no other fish has ich...ill let you guys know how things go...

 

[greenmaji]

ottos being ill isn't uncommon..depending on how long youve had it. but
If you have had ich in your tank it will be there untill treated so its not a bad idea to treat the tank.
it normaly takes about 4 days for the spots to go away.. the life cycle of ich is 2 weeks.. so 2 weeks after the spots go away is a safe way to go.. HTH

 

[patagonia]

thank you greenmaji...ive had this oto for about 8 months now...hes pale but his tummy is round and full so i assume hes eating...ive also noticed he keeps his fins very close to his body...does that mean something?

 

[greenmaji]

clamped fins are not a good sign.. Its a sign of stress.. maybe the round tummy is constipation?
8 months is a good thing.. it has made it past the digestion problems they can have..

 

[patagonia]

heres an update
ammonia 0ppm
nitrite 0ppm
nitrate 5ppm
pH 7.6
temp 86.5F

the oto is still pale ....the 2 neons still have the spot and yesterday these same 2 fish were swimming head down....so i thought it could be SBD...so i fed them peas last night and the are fine today...swimming normal... i seem to have a problem with the heater though...its set at 85 and most of the time the thermometer (coralife or something) reads 86.5F but right now i read 85.4F and last night it was 87 something...its a 100watts jager heater...i also have a spare 50watts jager heater that i could place in the tank but im not sure if that would help ...any suggestions?

 

[greenmaji]

wow.. I cant belive this got missed..
hows the fish? its been quite a while.. is the treatment done?
the problem with your heater was its undersized for a 29 gallon to bring it up to the higher temperature.. 5wpg should do the trick.. the extra 50 would have helped alot..
my bad

 

[patagonia]

thanks for the reply greenmaji...unfortunately things are still the same...the neons still have the one spot each...IT IS JUST NOT GOING AWAY ...ive tried different pages to see if there was something that could resemble ich so much...but i couldnt find anything...ive had fish with ich before so i think i know what it looks like...its been almost a month with no change...they look, behave and eat normal if it wasnt for the spots....the only good thing...NO CASUALTIES... ....so i just dont know what to do

 

[greenmaji]

is your temperature still fluctuating?
did you put the 50 watter in with the 100 watter?
If not.. I would suggest you get another heater in the tank, such as the 50 watt, and try to shoot for 86 degrees without fluctuation..
If your still seeing fluctuation you might not have a good stable heater.. it might be time to look into getting a really good one.. like a won bro's titanium.. HTH