Starting to notice an Ich outbreak?

[Impulse09]

My tank has ich and I am doing the heat and salt treatment. Its been 7 days so for I do not see any dots anymore, but it did get worse before it got better. My neons are losing a little of their color one in particular. My bn pleco is doing good he had some whit dots on him.

 

[Ziggs180]

Everything seems to be going alright expect one thing. I noticed that my Guppy had a large tear in his fin! I'm not sure if its fin rot, because i dont see the edges of his tail getting clear. Its probably sheer coincidence and one of the other fish likely bit its tail or something. i have salt in the tank from treating the Ick, so i hope it wont get infected. But otherwise i've kept the Temperature at about 87 Degrees.

 

[Chriznat20]

My bn pleco is doing good he had some whit dots on him.

This really speaks for one of the pleco's strong points - their hardiness!

I had an ICH outbreak about 6 years ago. It wasnt severe but pretty bad. My pleco was all ICH'd up. He took the heat/salt treatment like a champ. Actually I think he grew a little after it was all said and done...lol.

 

[Impulse09]

What day of heat and salt treatment will the dots be totally gone? It is day 9 for me and I still see a few. Its not a lot but if I stop at day 14 I hope not to see it again.

 

[LyndaB]

Each case of ich is different. You may finally see the ich disappear on day 21. We just can't say for sure.

Keep the method going until the spots are finally gone, but AFTER day 14.

 

[Impulse09]

So you are saying to do it longer than 14 days? I am on day 10 now. How long should I keep doing it after I see my last spot?

 

[LyndaB]

Maybe I didn't phrase myself well. No surprise, there.

No matter what, follow the method for 14 days.

If you still see spots after day 14, continue with method until the day you no longer see spots.

 

[Impulse09]

What if I don't see spots on day 14 then a few days later they are showing up again. Start 14 days over?

 

[LyndaB]

I'd be really surprised if that happened. How about we cross that bridge when (and if) we come to it.

 

[Impulse09]

Ok sounds good

 

[Impulse09]

Is it normal to still see some dots after day 10. Its only a couple that I see.

 

[LyndaB]

Are you doing gravel vacs every 2-3 days?

What is the temp in the tank?

 

[Impulse09]

30% water change every other day. Gravel vacuuming, my temp is at 86 degrees

 

[LyndaB]

try bopping your temp up to 88

are you just trusting the setting on your heater or do you have a thermometer?

 

[Impulse09]

Thermometer of course

 

[Impulse09]

88? I don't want to fry my fish

 

[LyndaB]

Then don't raise it.

 

[Ziggs180]

My Temperature was at 89 for two days, and my fish were fine. I lowered it to 87 when most of the white spots were gone, but i'm keeping it there until the infestation goes away. My Guppy has developed torn fins, but hes still eating and moving around just fine.

As for the guy who still has spots, I was doing research the other day on ick when it appeared in my tank, and I read that theres some rare strains of Ick that can survive in Temperatures of up to 91 Degrees.

 

[adeebm]

My Temperature was at 89 for two days, and my fish were fine. I lowered it to 87 when most of the white spots were gone, but i'm keeping it there until the infestation goes away. My Guppy has developed torn fins, but hes still eating and moving around just fine.

As for the guy who still has spots, I was doing research the other day on ick when it appeared in my tank, and I read that theres some rare strains of Ick that can survive in Temperatures of up to 91 Degrees.

The temperature is more to speed up the lifecycle of the parasite. High temps can halt the lifecycle, but not always. It's the salt that really kills the infectious form before it can get to a fish.

--Adeeb

 

[Mumma.of.two]

The temperature is more to speed up the lifecycle of the parasite. High temps can halt the lifecycle, but not always. It's the salt that really kills the infectious form before it can get to a fish.

--Adeeb

The Ich life cycle is temperature dependent. Higher temperatures within its livable range speed up every stage of the life cycle, while the lower temperatures will slow it down. At 18°C/64°F the cycle takes 10-12 days to complete.

It has been found that Ich does not infect new fish at 29.4°C/85°F (Johnson, 1976), stops reproducing at 30°C/86°F (Dr. Nick St. Erne, DVM, pers. comm.), and dies at 32°C/89.5°F (Meyer, 1984), [1]

http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_ich2.php