Ick Question

[redfisher1139]

I had a few fish come up with ick and was wondering if 82 degrees is a warm enough temp to rid me of the problem. I have a cheap heater that will not get any warmer, and do not really have the financial resources to get a new one right now. I can not use any of the medicines on the market due to having catfish and invertebrates.

 

[reefdiver]

that and W/C every other day . clean waer halps alot.

 

[redfisher1139]

Thanks, I forgot to mention I was doing about a 30% WC every day.

 

[i3k]

IMO 82 degrees might not be warm enough to speed up the life cycle of ich. Is your heater turned up to the max?

Also, why were you doing 30% PWC every day?

 

[redfisher1139]

Water changes were due to a very minor (but still serious) rise in ammonia. It got to maybe .25ppm. Too hard to tell for sure but my strip did ever so slightly change color, and I did not want it to become a major problem.

 

[dkpate]

I would pick up some Ick Attack, it's safe for inverts and scaleless fish.

Ich-Attack

 

[XimeD]

+1 on the ick attack, i recently used it myself with catfish and inverts with no issues.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

It really need to be up to at least 86F to have a positive effect. Lower than that, it will speed up the life cycle but at 86F it will actually stop them from reproducing completely.

You can't get a cheapo heater with adjustable temp?

 

[redfisher1139]

Thanks for the info on the ick attack. I have bought it and am giving it a go. No fish are currently showing signs of having ick, but I will treat just in case it is still lingering (the ones that had it all passed).
@Mark: It has an adjustable temp, but even turned all the way up my water temp only reached 82 (which my cats loved, but the guppies and platies hated!). Based on that though, I might get a new tank up and running at a cooler temp for the platies and guppies so I can turn the heat back up for my cats.

 

[Mark Hewitt]

Thanks for the info on the ick attack. I have bought it and am giving it a go. No fish are currently showing signs of having ick, but I will treat just in case it is still lingering (the ones that had it all passed).
@Mark: It has an adjustable temp, but even turned all the way up my water temp only reached 82 (which my cats loved, but the guppies and platies hated!). Based on that though, I might get a new tank up and running at a cooler temp for the platies and guppies so I can turn the heat back up for my cats.

Good idea. From what I've read you need to continue treatment for at least 2 weeks after the last fish show symptoms to make sure that it's gone from the tank.

From what I understand the parasite cannot survive unless it's infecting fish. Although how it then spreads I'm not certain!