How to vacuum sand for ich?

[Kelseytingler]

I have black sand in my aquarium and I have ich in it, I raised the temp to 86 but everything I'm reading says vacuum the substrate. I am new to sand and ich and everytime I touch the and it stirs all around and clouds the water etc. creating a mess, is this just how it is? Any other tips on ich, best medicines? Is vacuuming sand necessary if I removed all of the fish and just need to get it out of the tank? Will salt and heat alone wipe it out without a vaccuming? Thanks

 

[GouramiLover]

Without a host the ich will die out with or without the gravel vacuuming or the high heat.

This being said, if you hover the gravel vac over your sand you will pick up particulates and a bit of sand (can't be helped). I really feel daily water changes in which the high temp is maintained even in the new water will help to wipe it out quickly. Exactly how long that will take I don't know. I have done this with fish in a sand tank and seen no symptoms within a week with daily water changes and a temp of 82-86F being maintained. It really depends on the severity of the ich outbreak.

Hope this helps.

 

[Mebbid]

Your best bet is to keep the fish in the tank with the heat treatment and ignore the vacuuming. Vaccing the substrate will literally do nothing for controlling ich.

You want to keep the fish in the tank because the gills are the most commonly infected area for ich and will just carry it back in the tank when you re add them.