What causes ick?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
its caused by an invertabrate, you have a few options you can add some salt to the tank, or use ich meds for it. The ich meds can be harsh and if you have other inverts in the tank it will kill them too I believe the treatments attack the reproductive cycle if I remember right. To add the salt it should say on the aquarium salt box how much to use for a therapeutic dose.
 
It's a blood sucking parasite like fleas for fish king of.

There are lots of meds out there I like to use coppersafe myself. High temps will speed up the life cycle so you can kill it off faster. Also it's said they can not live in temps over 86F . You can use salt with the heat to kill it off.

Educate yourself and understand the parasite better then you will be able to fight it better.
 
The white things on your fish are actually the eggs. The invertebrates are in your gravel. The ick are easy to take care of just get medicine and use it as directed. They start growing on stressed fish. Fish get stressed from everything so just test your water
 
Itsadeepbluesea;4981207; said:
its caused by an invertabrate, you have a few options you can add some salt to the tank, or use ich meds for it.



Don't use aquarium salt. All aquariums need salt even freshwater but I think he may be referring to a saltwater bath. Saltwater baths work very well if you catch the ick early.
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Rickross;4981317; said:
Itsadeepbluesea;4981207; said:
its caused by an invertabrate, you have a few options you can add some salt to the tank, or use ich meds for it.



Don't use aquarium salt. All aquariums need salt even freshwater but I think he may be referring to a saltwater bath. Saltwater baths work very well if you catch the ick early.
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No hes referring to using aqaurium salt which is a very effective means of treating ich.

Ich is caused by a single celled protozoan parasite (Ichthyophthirius) the parasite burrows into the flesh of a host and becomes a cyst (white spots/dots) it they ruptures realsing thousands of cells that continue the cycle.

It is only vulnerable when it is in its free swimming stage so raising the tempurature (and thus speeding up its life cycle) will speed up recovery.

aqaurium salt and an increase in tempurature is usualy all that is required to treat ich. (86f is usualy a good place to start as far as temp is concerned)
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thanks i did a 75% water change added copper safe rised the temp to 86 and added salt
 
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