Best cure for ick!?
- Thread starter michael
- Start date
I just had that problem a couple of days ago. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11894&page=1&pp=10
Salt and raise temp up to 82-85
Salt and raise temp up to 82-85
The old standby is IMO the best. heat and salt. 2 tsp. per gallon at mid 80s F. for 10 days, I have never had it fail. The spots start to clear after a couple days and the fish usually look clear after 6-7 but keep the salt in there for at least 10 to get all the trophonts or it can come back.
guppy said:
This is a proven method. I also recommend doing it in a hospital tank depending on the severity of the ich. At the worst stage it is not advised to stress your fish out by moving it.
I disagree about the hospital tank with ich, here is my reasoning. By the time ich is noticed some trophonts have been already released into the tank and every fish in it has been put at risk of exposure, I think you need to treat the whole tank to prevent further outbreaks.
Guppy hit the problem right in the head. When a fish with ich dies. The trophonts go to the bottom of the tank. They will encyst themselves. No known cemicals can destroy them while encysted. At least none that are safe for fish. I suppose battery acid would talk to it really well.
Guppy. you said mid 80's for heat temp. My book says 93F is min. Obviously they are wrong. May I ask the lowest temp you use to murderlize ich? 93F is hard on my babbies.
Guppy. you said mid 80's for heat temp. My book says 93F is min. Obviously they are wrong. May I ask the lowest temp you use to murderlize ich? 93F is hard on my babbies.
Tony, the temp. does not kill ich at all, what it does is speed up the life cycle of the organism. If I remember right the cycle takes 2-3 weeks at 72 F. but only 5-8 days at 82 degrees. There are some individuals that develope a bit slower at any temp so you want to go a couple days past the normal cycle. I just set it at 84-85 degrees, this is high enough that ten days of salt catches them all but low enough that it does not unduly stress the fish. You could salt treat a tank of sterlets at 62 degrees but you would need to do so for at least a month, possibly more. There is a chart for this on a research site somewhere but it has been a long time since I have seen it.
salt and high temp is the safest IMO. Just make sure you add extra water movement with the higher temps.