how to get rid of ich

[duanes]

To get rid of ick, you need to keep treating even after the spots are gone.
When it disappears each spot erupts into @ 100 larval ick which fall into the substrate.
These are programed to hatch at different intervals, some take a day, some could take two weeks.
The warmer the tank water, the faster they "can" hatch out (in theory). When they hatch is when they are vulnerable to salt, and/or other meds.
So it is often necessary to treat for a few weeks after all the spots have erupted off the fish, and do lots of water changes, with vacuuming of the substrate to eliminate the dormant larval protozoa in the substrate, before they hatch out to again infect a fish.
Just like when a Dr tells you to take an antibiotic until it is used up, or face a relapse.

 

[duanes]

To get rid of ick, you need to keep treating even after the spots are gone.
When it disappears each spot erupts into @ 100 larval ick which fall into the substrate.
These are programed to hatch at different intervals, some take a day, some could take two weeks.
The warmer the tank water, the faster they "can" hatch out (in theory). When they hatch is when they are vulnerable to salt, and/or other meds.
So it is often necessary to treat for a few weeks after all the spots have erupted off the fish, and do lots of water changes, with vacuuming of the substrate to eliminate the dormant larval protozoa in the substrate, before they hatch out to again reinfect a fish.
Just like when a Dr tells you to take an antibiotic until it is used up, or risk a relapse.

 

[Lilyann]

With my South American species who come from very soft waters: discus, geophagus, biotoma cupido, wavarini, characins, corydoras, etc... I do not use salt for treating illnesses- it can cause more stress to a fish already experiencing a great deal of stress.
I use Paraguard for Ich when I see it ( 2 times in the past 10 years).
The combination of malachite green (anti-parasitic) and acriflavine (anti-bacterial) in Paraguard is extremely safe for fish and harmless to plants.
You treat for four full days after the tomites have burst from the fish and settled into the gravel. It is after this stage ( the free-swimming stage) that the parasite is vulnerable to medication and heat.
In an aquarium above 78 degrees, it takes the parasite 7-10* ( 10 @ the very most) days to complete its life cycle-- its life-cycle is heat-dependent.
I, myself, do not like to use heat for treating Ich ( and definitely not heat in combination with salt on my soft-water species) and would definitely never advocate using all three:salt,heat, and medication. A sure way to stress and kill an already compromised fish.
I do not use heat because the sites where the Ich parasite attaches to the tissues ( predominantly heaviest at the underside of gill cover and among of the delicate gill-tissues) is often proliferated with secondary bacteria. Bacteria, similar to the growth of the parasite itself, is heat-dependent. The higher the heat the quicker the spread of both bacteria and the parasite before it leaves the the fish.
In other words, you both speed up the life-cycle of the parasite at the location of the gills (at risk of suffocating the afflicted fish) and the spread of bacteria at site of attachment.

 

[Keagan Mast]

I just beat ich in my fish tank 1 month ago then out of nowhere it apeared again luckily i caught it early how do o get rid of it I did a 30-40% water change and added salt and raise temp it seemed to control but its been 3 days and my oscar still has it but hasnt gotten worse

Try using hertana. It is easy to use but takes around 10 days and you have to take any carbon out of your filters. It is safe for all fish and inverts. You can get it at any petco

 

[AnthonyFish20]

Try using hertana. It is easy to use but takes around 10 days and you have to take any carbon out of your filters. It is safe for all fish and inverts. You can get it at any petco

I just used salt went away fast luckily its all gone I cured them and gravel cleaned the tank