Opinions about Ich cures

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Ponera

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 2, 2012
341
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Calgary, Alberta
I'm just looking out here for some opinions on ich cures. In the past I had one so resilient that it lasted a month with malachite green. I had to go to copper for 2 weeks to bring it down finally.

I've heard and read a fair bit about the heat treatment combined with raising salt content.

What is your experience with ich treatments?
 
API quick cure treats ich very effectively, if you follow the instructions.
 
I used API, then Malachite and finally had to do an extended dose of copper and heat to get rid of it that one time.

How much salt is generally the right amount?
 
I haven't had an ich outbreak in years, but I just raise the temp to 85 for a couple weeks and it clears up. I never use salts or meds, and I haven't lost a fish (to ich) in over 10 years.
 
ich can usually tolerate a salt concentration of under 3ppt (parts per thousand).
Sea water is @ 35ppt, but at 3ppt, you can taste the salt.
At 3ppt or above, osmotic pressure makes the cell walls of young tomites collapse.
Adding heat to the mix, speeds up their life cycle, killing them faster.
Vacuuming the substrate daily (or twice daily) helps to remove any dormant cysts in the substrate.
In nasty cases I add a malachite product.
I had a nasty case in Jan/Feb after a power outage, where the salt heat failed to eliminate it, and resorted to Nox-Ich, and it then cleared in 5 days.
1/27/15

1/30//15

1/31/15
 
If your fish can tolerate the heat, that will work. Adding salt will help speed it up, again if the fish are salt tolerant. Be sure to raise the salt content slowly. 1/3 of the total dosage per day is probably as fast as I'd try it.

If you use other medications, it's probably best to avoid using combinations especially while also using salt and heat, as the total affect may be lethal, especially for fish that are already weakened.
 
I am an opponent of heat and salt treatment, not because it is ineffective, but because it works too slowly and in light that more powerful commercial remedy is readily available and much easier to apply. Malachite Green or MG and Formalin combination works quickly and is simple to apply. Being organic and biodegradable, MG and Formalin do not leave any residuals once the treatment is over. There is no need to raise and reduce temperature and do massive water change afterward with salt and heat treatment. Many shy away from MG because they heard that MG is harsh on the fish. Nonsense. If you follow the instructions, MG is only harsh to the pathogens but not the fish and it is exactly its harshness you want to quickly and thoroughly wipe out the pathogens. Salt and heat is harsh too for some fish that can't tolerate heat or high temperature, and having to salt and heat bath for a long time to wipe out the pathogens will add stress to the fish you treat
 
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Formalin is basically just formaldehyde though. I don't really think that is very healthy, considering it is such a well known and strong carcinogen. I've worked with it before in university, it's nasty as hell.
 
Ponera said:
Formalin is basically just formaldehyde though. I don't really think that is very healthy, considering it is such a well known and strong carcinogen. I've worked with it before in university, it's nasty as hell.
Click to expand...

Both MG and formalin are probable human carcinogen. MG has been banned in aquaculture use for years for concern of entering human food chain. Formalin is not used in aquaculture, but some banana countries use it illegally to make meat looks fresh in un-refrigerated meat market. When you use MG and formalin for ick remedy, you are not eating them or bathing in it, so you have zero exposure and zero health risk.,
 
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