Quick Ick question

[Fishowner]

Ick can come in two forms, saltwater and freshwater right. And either one can be treated if water dipped to its counterpart, for instance sick freshwater fish can be dipped in saltwater to treat. So can ick live in brackish water??

 

[Go_redfish]

I don't keep marine fish but for fresh water fish it takes more than a salt dip to get ridof ich. Usually have to raise the salt level on the whole tank for at least a week.

 

[duanes]

Fresh water fish need more than a dip.
Each spot on a fish erupts into hundreds of juvenile ick, and it is in the juvie stage when ick is vulnerable, and killed by the meds (or salt solution).
When it is on the fish, the protozoa is protected by the fishes own slime coat.
You must treat the entire tank for up to a few weeks to get them all.
There are also dormant ick cysts in the substrate waiting to hatch out.
One of the reasons most cures tell you to raise temp, is it speeds up the icks life cycle, making it easier for meds to get the emerging young ick as they hatch.
By the way to kill ick in fresh water salinity needs to be at least 3ppt (parts per thousand) if under 3 the young ick are irritated, but not killed. They have an almost impermeable cell wall that needs to be crushed by the saline osmotic pressure.

 

[TwoHedWlf]

Ick can come in two forms, saltwater and freshwater right. And either one can be treated if water dipped to its counterpart, for instance sick freshwater fish can be dipped in saltwater to treat. So can ick live in brackish water??

No, dips can't treat ich, at least not effectively and I don't believe is used on a regular basis. You basically need to treat the water and wait for eggs to be dropped off the fish, hatch and the free swimming larvae to be killed.

There are some other parasitic infestations that they can treat though.