ICH - Help Please

[locked word]

Hi,

I noticed ich in my tank a couple of days ago. I promptly scooped the spotted fish into the hospital tank. I feel awful about this because I knew the nitrites were high in that tank due to a previous occupant, but I didn't want the ich to clear out my whole bigger tank (29 gal). I've been using ich-x on both tanks because as I understand it ich lives in the substrate. I have also used salt and heat. All of the spots on the hospital occupants have disappeared except one, and all of the fish are alive despite nitrite levels (I'm doing daily changes, and have a nitrite remover resin in the top of the filter). Can you please tell me:

1) When should I do a water change for the big tank? I have been treating with ich-x for three days, and since no spots have appeared (except maybe one or two on the pleco who is hard to see because of coral) today will be the last.

2) Even though the fish in the hospital tank are losing their ich will they ever be able to be safely integrated back into the big tank?

3) What do people think of ich-x? I know a lot of folk hate it, but do salt and heat alone treat for ich? Can someone tell me exactly what I should do when I hit a patch of ich?

Thanks so much for your help!

- J

 

[rich311k]

Heat is all you need. A temperature of 86+ will do the trick all by itself. If you see no signs of ich I would wait 3 more weeks before returning the fish to the main.

 

[locorosa]

Rich is right! No need to use salt ( I killed one of my goldfish this way after he had an allergic reaction to the salt). Just keep the temps at 86* for at least 2 weeks AFTER the cysts are last seen on the fish's body(ies).
I also did daily substrate vaccuuming for the first week and a half. The neomites do fall off and stay in the substrate until they break out of their cysts and go free swimming for a new host. The vaccuuming will help reduce their numbers and clear up the Ick faster...well for the fish at least.
I've heard more than one sentiment that fish carry for Ick and will "come down" with it in times of stress (ie: bad water or new tankmates). I personally agree with this up to a certain point. Keeping your tank stable and not overloading or adding aggressive buttheads will help.
I've kept goldfish for 8 years and have honestly never had Ick until the last two months. I introduced a new fish that had it. She was nice enough to share with everyone else in the tank. I do not have a quarantine tank so everybody got treated. That is when I tried salt and killed my favorite bubble eye. The salt will also harm plants as well so the heat method is the best way to go.
Good luck!

 

[GouramiFanatic]

As a third 'echo' I personally prefer the heat method for treating Ich. I try to keep a steady temp of 88° to be safe when I treat my tanks for Ich. This is the only treatment that I use - no meds or salt (unless I can see other issues are present). Depending on how bad it is, it should clear up within a few days, but you still want to keep the temps up for a couple of weeks after you see the last Ich spot on the fish. This just gives you extra assurance that it has been killed. Along with raising the temps I do frequent PWC (every day to every other day) and gravel vaccuum to keep things as clean as possible.

If you decide to use the heat method just note that warmer water holds much less oxygen so you'll want to make sure you lower the water level a couple of inches and you'll also want to add some aeration. I normally just turn my filter up to have the highest return flow as possible as well as turning the bubble wall up as high as it can go. I've had a great success rate treating with this method.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Moved to the Unhealthy Forum.