Signs of Ich on my tetras!

[cornflakes]

I just noticed a few minutes ago that some of my tetras had white spots that look like grains of salt sprinkled on them. It wasn't there a couple hours ago. I did some quick research on this and found it it's called Ich.

I don't have access to ich medication, so it seems my best bet is to raise the temp up to 82 F or 85ish. I also have 3 red clawed crabs, 2 corydoras, 1 pleco, and 2 ghost shrimp in the tank....will 82F be ok for them also?

I read that I should also do a 40-50% water change daily trying to suck up and clean the spores on the gravel.

Does all this sound about right?

I think I may have left the light on too long to encourage the growth? I noticed that where the light is lit, small bits of green algae grows there (but not elsewhere in the tank).

If i feed them too little or too much, does that increase the risk of ich?
They all seem to be asking me for food all the time and none of them are behaving unusually or sick.

I put a tiny bit of these good bacteria liquid (no2, no3, nh4 neutralizing) and another for neutralizing chlorine. Not sure if any of these additives can have an affect on ich (maybe too much? or too little? either way could weaken the fish immune system?). Just probing for answers.

 

[mrvincent]

The best way I found to treat ick is with aquarium salt at maximum 0.3%.

Some fishs like your corys are not compatible with this treatement.

I can give you a link where I found thoses informations, It worked for me for neons and cardinalis. You may want to quarantine scaleless fish in a QT tank when you treat you compatible fishs for the treatement.

How to treat ich without harming shrimp/snails?

 

[BBradbury]

Hello corn...

If you've caught the parasite infection early enough, a little heat, salt and pure water conditions should help. Raise the temperature in the tank to 80 degrees. Change half the tank water every 2 to 3 days and add a teaspoon of standard aquarium salt to every 5 gallons of the new, treated tap water. Do a good job of vacuuming the substrate. Most of the parasites will live there. If you don't have plants in the tank, then turn the tank lights off and those in the room too. The "Ich" parasite locates a host by sight. Reduce the amount you feed to a little every couple of days. Infected fish won't feel much like eating and you don't want uneaten food to further foul the tank water.

Follow these steps until the fish recover. This is the procedure I would follow.

B

 

[mrvincent]

Hello corn...

If you've caught the parasite infection early enough, a little heat, salt and pure water conditions should help. Raise the temperature in the tank to 80 degrees. Change half the tank water every 2 to 3 days and add a teaspoon of standard aquarium salt to every 5 gallons of the new, treated tap water. Do a good job of vacuuming the substrate. Most of the parasites will live there. If you don't have plants in the tank, then turn the tank lights off and those in the room too. The "Ich" parasite locates a host by sight. Reduce the amount you feed to a little every couple of days. Infected fish won't feel much like eating and you don't want uneaten food to further foul the tank water.

Follow these steps until the fish recover. This is the procedure I would follow.

B

Salt will kill his corys. Pleco hate salt too.

+1 for 80F° temp.

 

[cornflakes]

do u think i should remove the 2 corys and put them in a separate tank for a week or two while i put more salt in the water?

I'll try and cover the tank more so there's less light. I don't use any real plants. Maybe I should remove some of the gravel?

Are my RCCs, and Shrimp safe from ich?

 

[cornflakes]

is the increased temp of 80+ F safe for the corys, pleco, ghost shrimp and RCCs?

 

[mrvincent]

Snails and inverts are ick safe. I would rehome corys and pleco into a new empty home, as they are probably not infected, but can carry the disease.

I've this problem after introducing a new moss ball.

Note that corys are group fish, they must be kept in group of 6+

 

[cornflakes]

thanks everyone for the tips.

one last question. do u think removing all the gravel or at least MOST of it and leaving the bottom smooth and clear is better everyone? Maybe that will lessen the chance of ich spores growing?

 

[PerfectDepth]

No, I don't think removing any gravel is necessary. Heat alone will stop the reproduction cycle.

Salt may help, but it isn't necessary. I've always successfully eradicated ich with a heat-only treatment. I've never bothered adding any salt because of my live plants, and because scaleless fish won't tolerate salt.

This is how I treat ich:

Turn up the heat for 10-14 days, and make sure you have plenty of surface agitation to oxygenate the water - warmer water holds less oxygen so this is important for the health of your fish. I usually just raise the filter outlet up higher so that it's like a waterfall. Or you can lower the water level for the same effect, or add an airstone. Every other day, change half of your water and vacuum the gravel. The ich parasite will not survive if you do this.

 

[BBradbury]

Hello mr...

Aquarium fish easily tolerate low doses of standard aquarium salt, Kosher or Canning salt. Keep the dose to no more than a teaspoon for every 5 gallons of water change water and the Corys will be fine. I've kept several species of this fish in large, brackish water tanks with my Livebearers for years and they're fine.

B

 

[mrvincent]

It's possible for the first week it look worse, but it should be going better after the first week.

 

[Mebbid]

Hello mr...

Aquarium fish easily tolerate low doses of standard aquarium salt, Kosher or Canning salt. Keep the dose to no more than a teaspoon for every 5 gallons of water change water and the Corys will be fine. I've kept several species of this fish in large, brackish water tanks with my Livebearers for years and they're fine.

B

1 teaspoon for every 5 gallons is such an insignificant amount of salt it should have no impact on anything.

One thing to note though: the temperature to kill ich is at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower than that won't be effective.

 

[mrvincent]

1 teaspoon for every 5 gallons is such an insignificant amount of salt it should have no impact on anything..

1 teaspoon salt is approximative 6g salt.
1 gallon water is approx 3785g.

6g salt for 3785g waters = approx 0.14% salt. It's safe for most fishs.

 

[Mebbid]

1 teaspoon salt is approximative 6g salt.
1 gallon water is approx 3785g.

6g salt for 3785g waters = approx 0.14% salt. It's safe for most fishs.

I specifically mentioned 1 tsp of salt for 5 gallons of water in response to bbradbury.

That would be 6g of salt for 19375g of water. That's 0.03% which is an absolutely miniscule amount having absolutely no effect on anything.

 

[mrvincent]

I specifically mentioned 1 tsp of salt for 5 gallons of water in response to bbradbury.

That would be 6g of salt for 19375g of water. That's 0.03% which is an absolutely miniscule amount having absolutely no effect on anything.

Ah, I read too fast, it will be safer

Trace amount of salts will more boost fish immune system than kill free ick.

 

[Rivercats]

1 teaspoon for every 5 gallons is such an insignificant amount of salt it should have no impact on anything.

One thing to note though: the temperature to kill ich is at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Any lower than that won't be effective.

I agree with Mebbid here but I also would not remove the cory's and pleco.

 

[mrvincent]

I agree with Mebbid here but I also would not remove the cory's and pleco.

Not removing them if you don't plan oversalt it at 0.3%. Corys and pleco are not sensitive to this low salt amount (0.05%)