Pleco Ich Treatment

[Rivers2k]

I got some Thoricthys Pasionis. And the day after I put them in my tank they all are covered in Ich. Took me a year to get these guys and they were pretty tattered but I took them anyways. I am really worried about my L200 cause it took me like 5 years to find him. He does not show any signs of Ich yet. I am using the heat and salt treatments on the tank. I don't have another tank that he would be ok in. Heat is up to 92F and I did a half dose of salt 1 tblsp per 10 gallons. the L200 seems to be breathing pretty hard is this to hot for him or do I need to forgo that salt? I am pretty worried about him.

I do 50-70% WC once a week. I tested water on monday everything showed fine. The fish that were originally in the tank (hondruan red points, meeki, and gourami) all look fine except my L200 who is breathing hard.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

i feel like 87-88 would be plenty warm enough to speed up the life cycle to were the salt will be effective...I'm no expert but I think at that tempature range ich cannot effectively reproduce either. I don't trust the ol' heat and salt treatment anyhow haha

 

[Rivers2k]

i feel like 87-88 would be plenty warm enough to speed up the life cycle to were the salt will be effective...I'm no expert but I think at that tempature range ich cannot effectively reproduce either. I don't trust the ol' heat and salt treatment anyhow haha

Salt and heat is the only thing I trust it has worked for me before. When I first started I lost too many fish to the medications. I read 88 they stop reproducing. over 90 they die off in the stage where the parasite is free floating. but I am worried this temp may kill off my L200 as well.

I do know quarantine is the way to go but I don't have room for a quarantine tank right now.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

Salt and heat is the only thing I trust it has worked for me before. When I first started I lost too many fish to the medications. I read 88 they stop reproducing. over 90 they die off in the stage where the parasite is free floating. but I am worried this temp may kill off my L200 as well.

I do know quarantine is the way to go but I don't have room for a quarantine tank right now.

ah see im the opposite, I'd rather hit a fish with meds first and take care of the problem rather than waiting for heat and salt to work. well then I'd go the middle route and set the temp at around 89. might be easier on your pleco and it'll definitely rid you of the ich with a bit of time, up the 02 in the tank with a bubbler or something and your fish should do just fine

 

[Warborg]

I read 82 is their max normal temp. I would think 92 is too much for treatment. 88 sounds ok for a short time. To be honest, I'd put him in his own tank(Normal temps) and watch to see if he gets infected first. Sometimes medicine/salt/temp can be as bad as the infection itself.

 

[Drstrangelove]

I would add some aeration and drop the temp a little---88 or 89---both of which should help improve the oxygen saturation in the water. The harder breathing is probably due to lower oxygen levels.

 

[Rivers2k]

I will get a pump today so I can get the oxygen going again. My 18month old keeps breaking my pump cause he likes to stand on it and it tickles his feet LOL. I have to try and hide this one better. Trying to keep him away from it is like keeping metal from a magnet.

So dropping to 88/89 with the salt will kill the Ich?

No room for another tank at the moment.

 

[predatorkeeper87]

I will get a pump today so I can get the oxygen going again. My 18month old keeps breaking my pump cause he likes to stand on it and it tickles his feet LOL. I have to try and hide this one better. Trying to keep him away from it is like keeping metal from a magnet.

So dropping to 88/89 with the salt will kill the Ich?

No room for another tank at the moment.

If all these folks that rely on the salt and heat method are correct, then yes it will speed the lifecycle up, and if the temp does not prevent the ich from reproducing, then the salt (provided there is enough salinity to the water) will kill the free swimming stage.

I can't speak from experience on that however, just what I have heard from others, because I just use paraguard at normal running temps if I have an ich outbreak. I've used it on my catfish with no ill effects too.