ICH Issues

[Likenoothergerl]

Hello, I could use a little advice. I have a 30 gal. freshwater tank, and I have ich,I'm using the saline and higher temps method. I have mollies, platys, tetra, chinese algea eater, Pictus cat and a gold snail. I started the treatment two days ago and yesterday the orginal ones with ich showed none now this am all the ones who didn't orginally except for the Chinese and Pictus have spots. Is this normal for the treatment? My heater will only get the water temp up to 82-83 at best and I used 1 tsp. of salt to a gallon of water. Yesterday I changed out 7 gals. and added the salt to each of these when I changed. I wasn't expecting to see new Ich on those without so what should I do? thanks in advance.

 

[shellieca]

Hello, I could use a little advice. I have a 30 gal. freshwater tank, and I have ich,I'm using the saline and higher temps method. I have mollies, platys, tetra, chinese algea eater, Pictus cat and a gold snail. I started the treatment two days ago and yesterday the orginal ones with ich showed none now this am all the ones who didn't orginally except for the Chinese and Pictus have spots. Is this normal for the treatment? My heater will only get the water temp up to 82-83 at best and I used 1 tsp. of salt to a gallon of water. Yesterday I changed out 7 gals. and added the salt to each of these when I changed. I wasn't expecting to see new Ich on those without so what should I do? thanks in advance.

You may want to get another heater or find some way to get the temp up to 86, I don't think the temp you have it at will do the job but I could be wrong. Are you sure you should be using salt with the Pictus? I don't have them so I'm asking. My understanding is that salt is not needed when using the heat treatment. Yes, the ich will get worse before it gets better & it can take 2-3 wks before its gone. It is suggested to leave the heat up for at least week after the last sign of ich is seen.

 

[JerseyGirl1385]

Here's a really good article on ICH-

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php

If you have the means, a new heater would be great bc the higher the temp the faster the life cycle of ICH is. If its lower, it takes longer.
It took my tank 16 days at 86 ( no salt bc I had a Pictus and they don't handle high salinity well)

If you can't get a new heater, that's ok raise the temp as high as you can and wait it out. Water changes and gravel vacs
Good luck and let us know how you make out!

 

[Mumma.of.two]

83F won't cut it. You need to get the tank up to 86F or a little over. Any lower than that and it will only speed up the ich life cycle not stopping it. It is normal in the beginning stages of treatment to see an increase of the amount of spots. They should start to decrease in numbers in a few days. Remember to keep the water extra clean. This helps the fish ward off any infection that can happen in the wounds left by the ich as it leaves the fishes body.

 

[Likenoothergerl]

Thanks all. I bougth a new heater and have the temp to 86 maybe a tad higher, and yes the Ich looks worse this am but I'm sure thats what it needs to do at this point.. Soo I'll play the be patient part and keep the water clean and let it take care of it's self. None of my fish seem to have an issue with the heat or the salt, not even the Pictus.. Thanks again..

 

[Likenoothergerl]

Sooo I had the temp up for 6 days and saw no Ich for umm like a day and now I see 2 fish with a few small spots on them. Should I just keep doing the same? I've done 3 water changes since I've had the temp up. Is it just being stubborn? Help

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Keep it up. The ich is going through its life cycle and it's up to the part where it's in the fish. It usually takes 2-3 weeks of treatment (including one week at the end without spots) to eradicate it.