ICH!!!!! help

[Ruturaj]

Temperature up to mid 80's and some good old salt should work

I’d try some seachem paragaurd. Keep gravel vacuuming and doing ur water changes.

There is no point to putting them in a quarentine tank, because if one is exposed, all fish in the tank are also exposed..
The entire tank must be treated.
I treat with 3 lbs of salt per 100 gallons, any less the ick will not die.
I use rock salt or water softener salt, @ $5 for 50 lbs.
You could also use Nox-ick or some other product, they are just a more expensive way, and no better than salt.
You will need to keep salinity up fort least 2-3 weeks, to allow all dormant ick cysts to run thru their life cycle.

I have another thread, following advice from here. Changed the temperature to 86 from 80. Added about 2lb salt in 75 gallon aquarium (I assume it holds less than 75 gallons). Ordered some paraguard. I don't have gravel so not sure if vaccuming would help.

 

[kno4te]

I have another thread, following advice from here. Changed the temperature to 86 from 80. Added about 2lb salt in 75 gallon aquarium (I assume it holds less than 75 gallons). Ordered some paraguard. I don't have gravel so not sure if vaccuming would help.

I’d choose one method salt/heat or meds.

 

[duanes]

I don't have gravel so not sure if vaccuming would help.

Each spot on the fish morphs into up to 100 new ick.
As long as salt, or meds are concentrated enough those newly morphed ick will die.
If not....some fall to the bottom, vacuuming them out will always help, and that water should be discarded.
If you use a battery vac, that doesn't remove water, the cysts are so small, they will be returned to the tank

 

[cichlid tank]

what would be more effective? salt, or meds?

 

[cichlid tank]

so its a 55. how much salt should i add in?

 

[duanes]

In a 55, I would add 1.5 lbs to maybe 1.75 lbs of salt, to be safe.
Salt and all meds like those containing malachite type metals or ingredients work the same.
By increasing osmotic pressure they lyse (crush) the new ick cells as they emerge, when young ick hatch out of the spot, the salinity (osmotic presure) cause them to implode because their new cell walls are still weak, those walls collapse.
When ick is on the fish they are protected by the fishes own slime coat, when ick are dormant, they have a thick, impermeable cell wall that protects them.
Its only in certain stages of their life cycle that they are vulnerable. This is why a cure doesn't happen over night, it is why treatment needs to last until the last one hatches out and is crushed by osmotic pressure (possibly a couple weeks).
And just because you don't see spots on the fish, doesn't mean they aren't still there.
One place they seem to like to infect, is unseen in the gill membrane.
Below some fish that arrived with ick.

below those same fish about a week and a half later, treated with salt.

 

[LBDave]

Have used treatment with salt that Duanes advises and it worked for pbass and oscars. Did it quickly. Did water changes and gravel vac. Was gone in a week because I acted fast. Most advise to continue treatment for 2 weeks min.

 

[Ruturaj]

I’d choose one method salt/heat or meds.

I would go with salt and heat method for now. The tank has a pleco, 3 x parrot and a flowerhorn, they should be fine with salt.

 

[Ruturaj]

Each spot on the fish morphs into up to 100 new ick.
As long as salt, or meds are concentrated enough those newly morphed ick will die.
If not....some fall to the bottom, vacuuming them out will always help, and that water should be discarded.
If you use a battery vac, that doesn't remove water, the cysts are so small, they will be returned to the tank

Thanks, I will syphon it out.

 

[DN328]

When I first got my severums, one started to get ich on its fins. I cranked up the heat in three days from 79 to 89. In day three there were no signs of ich and I kept heat up for two weeks.

I didnt use salt (not saying that you shouldn't) just sharing that heat was the key to expediting the life cycle as been said.