ICK lord the dreaded white spots

[Dewymoon]

Seems my tank is got a case of the ick... I have my heater set on high but I believe it is not working well as my temp has only gotten to 76 degrees ... I have a new heater ordered and will be delivered tomorrow. I have added aquarium salt at a ratio of a tablespoon per gallon. I really dont want to add the chemicals to my tank as I have a peacock eel and and crab and am scared that it will harm them. That being said on top of all this drama in my tank ... my flame gourmie decided it wanted to get totally STUCK in the roman ruin hideaway during the night and it took me a bit of work to free her .... I think she may have gotten scraped in the rescue She seem ok and is hiding but with the ICK and having to treat the tank I am worried I might lose her Any advice would be make helpful ....

 

[HUKIT]

I've never experienced a strain of ich that salt and heat method couldn't kill, so that's my recommedation. I don't use meds unless it's absolutely crucial.

 

[Shadowraven]

Salt should help with any injury that your gourami has suffered. Adding it to the tank now should help get things started, but add it slowly over 24-hours, not all at once. Be sure to dissolve it into some water BEFORE you add it to the tank. Salt shouldn't hurt your crab since nearly all of them are at least brackish water creatures. (except for the thai mini crabs).

When you get the heater slowly crank the heat up over a day to 90F and leave it there for at least 10 days. 2 weeks is better. Even if all of the ich spots have disappeared and you see no signs of it, don't stop the treatment!! Only stop the heat treatment if your fish shows signs of real distress. Be sure to add aeration to the water since warm water holds less oxygen than cooler water does. This can also help to reduce the stress on your fish.

Ich can hide in the gills of your fish and you will never see it, so be sure to finish the treatment completely before going back to normal. Reduce the heat and salt slowly when you are done the same way you increased it. Salt can only be removed by PWC.

Salt and heat are the best treatments to use against this pest anyway. You see more resistant strains of this protozoan parasite only rarely. The resistant strains will normally only succumb to medications. Again, it will be necessary to complete the WHOLE treatment before stopping. Partially completed treatments are one of the reasons we get resistant strains to begin with.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

A tablespoon per gallon? Might want to check, but my aqua salt instructs 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.

 

[Shadowraven]

A tablespoon per gallon? Might want to check, but my aqua salt instructs 1 tbsp per 5 gallons.

Is that what was suggested? I missed that, good catch Mr. Limpet. 1-tbsp/gallon would be way too much. The dosage should be closer to 2 tablespoons/5 gallons, but may go up to 3 if necessary.

 

[HUKIT]

4-5tbs per 5g is very tolerable to fish short term when treating for ich, I would only use that much for no longer than 9-10 days and only in the absence of high heat.

 

[Shadowraven]

4-5tbs per 5g is very tolerable to fish short term when treating for ich, I would only use that much for no longer than 9-10 days and only in the absence of high heat.

Like you said here, you can go that high, but don't use heat as well if you do. Only go to 4-5 tbsp/gallon if you are using salt by itself. My suggestion was only if you are also using heat.

I've found the combination of heat and salt to be the most effective treatment. The heat speeds up the life cycle of this protozoan and the salt helps to insure its demise. Either alone may be effective, but I like to hit Ich as hard as I can to kill it and prevent it from occurring again. The only time that I use heat alone is when quarantining new fish before placing them in the tank. I always treat new fish as if they had the disease and so far it has worked well for me.

 

[BBradbury]

A Case of "Ich"

Hello Dewy...

Might be a good idea to confirm your tank has "Ich". Here are the symptoms:

Tiny white spots scattered over the fish like grains of salt.

Fish's skin looks oily or slimy.

Fish rubs against substrate or ornaments.

Loss of appetite and no energy, abnormal swimming.

Frayed fins and cloudy eyes.

Difficulty breathing. Parasites will infect the gills.

B

 

[Dewymoon]

Thanks For all the advice guys ....... And yes I typed to fast and did not clarify that it was 1 tbs per 5 gallons Sometimes I think I need Brain check instead of spell check LOL ...... Shadowraven Thanks for the tips on the heater !!!

Bradbury ..... yep its ICK ..... its the very small white spots that look like salt I think I caught it early since I noticed it on my black skirt tetra .. Seems like not all of the fishies have the spots that can be seen ..... they seem to be eating normal .... but then again what fish can pass up brine shrimp Will keep you all posted on the treatment ... cross your fingers with alot great advice from my fishie friends and determination .... I will beat the ICK