Ich

[jdwhite807]

Hey guys I'm in panic mode. Came from Walmart to find cloudy water a dead fish and a fish that appears to be showing signs of ich. I immediately took out my test kit, tested the water parameters and I'm having a huge nitrite spike. I immediately did a 50% wc and I'm am currently on the way to wal mart to grab some aquarium salt as it is the only place open this time of night. I'm not sure what ich looks like I've never had to deal with it but I snapped a picture in my frantic craze. Please help I don't want to loose anymore friends.

 

[dcutl002]

This works for me: I Turn the heater up to 86 degrees and leave it there for at least 2 weeks. Some people may use chemicals but I do not.

 

[jdwhite807]

So you don't use salt?

 

[jdwhite807]

And does that look like ich to you?

 

[dcutl002]

You can use salt in combination with heat. Ich is little round white spots all over the fish. They will attach to the fish, release, and repeat the cycle. They will eventually kill the fish. They do not like high temperatures. The ich medicine kills all of your beneficial bacteria and is pretty much useless anyway. I haven't had much success with it anyway. The 86 degrees method works.

If you have a little money to spend...look into a Vortex Diatom Filter. It kills flukes, ich, all of them little critters and makes the water sparkling clear. It is not required, but you could look into it.

 

[dcutl002]

And does that look like ich to you?

hard for me to tell in that picture.

I blew the picture up some. Yeah, that looks like ich to me.

 

[jdwhite807]

You guys are awesome, I have nothing but good things to say about the people on aquarium advice. Being relatively new to keeping fish, and a first time ich healer you guys have helped me breath again. I went and got some aquarium salt from wal-mart added 8 tablespoons to some tank water that I put in a pitcher, dissolved it and poured it in. Slowly raising the temperature. I guess im going to about 85. I just want to say thanks for your help, I appreciate it and I know my fish do to. Im sure I will have some more questions as I continue the healing process for my fish. Pray that I don't loose another one through the night.