May be got ICH, please help!

[mashenka]

GOt new fish about a week ago. No one silver dollar is covered with little white spots that look like grains of salt. Not too much but about 5-10 on one side and a couple on the other. I think I am seeing some on one of my balas as well.

What can it be and how should I treat it?

Thank you for your help!

[conbrio]

when I had Ich in my tank, I added salt and turned up the heat to 82-84F. I will look for the article on this site that I used and post here for you. I like this method rather than adding chemicals to the tank.

[gypsie02]

Don't use table salt, get aquarium salt, your LFS will have medication that will help

[Mgamer20o0]

http://aquafacts.net/components/com_mambowiki/index.php/Ich


As far as what type of salt, you need NaCl. I use table salt and many folks use pickling or canning salt. Iodized salt has never been harmful to my fish. The levels of iodide and other agents are too minute to be a factor. Freshwater aquarium salt is also NaCl as a rule, but is usually more expensive. The only thing I would caution against would be marine salt mixes for saltwater tanks, as they contain many things unnecessary for the treatment of ich and stand a good chance of changing water chemistry.

in shorter words table salt is fine. aquarium salt is just over priced salt.

[Lupin]

I don't get why table salt is often feared. I used it before with no issues at all plus the additional amount of iodine prevents goiter among fish.

[mashenka]

What amount of salt do I need to put? I have a 29 gallon tank?

Thank you,

[ct-death]

What amount of salt do I need to put? I have a 29 gallon tank?

Thank you,

2 Tsp / gallon (FYI - 1 Tablespoon = 3 Tsp)

Do this slowly, and pre-mix any salt added to the tank in a cup of tank water first to dissolve it.

Personally I add 1 tsp every 3-5 hours until my concentration is up. When you perform your Water Changes (WCs), be sure to re-dose the concentrations back up.

To treat Ich, this pocess will take some time to ensure the parasite is completely gone.

Lastly, after about 5-7 days of no visual evidence of Ich, again I personally reduce the salt at a very slow rate and simply use Partial Water Changes (PWCs) 2-to-3x a week at about 25-30% for the next month before going back to my normal 50% WC once per week.

One this enables me to increase my gravel vacs and offer what I feel is a slightly better water quality during this process, and two, also ensures that the salt concentrations are reduced slowly to avoid stress.

Everyone does it differently though. Have you read the Article on here about Ich (I think Fish_Freak wrote it, but don't quote me? ;))

[mashenka]

Thank you all. Quick question. There is a new fish that probably brought it on to the acquarium that is exibiting the most cysts (15 on one side or so and a couple on the other) - it is small silver dollar and also one of my balas but I think she only has a couple that I can see. And at this point, I might be just seeing things.

My question is. I removed the silver dollar and was going to take it back to the store I purchased it from. What I am really asking is - those cysts - it means parasite is on the fish and it is good that I removed it from the tank or it is out of the fish and it does not really matter and I might as well try to save it with the others.

What should I do with the poor silver dollar?

Please advise.

[ct-death]

You could bring it back to the LFS, but I would call first so they are prepared to treat and isolate him in a Hospital Tank.

However, you mentioned that other fish now exhibit the cycsts as well, which means the parasite has had an oportunity to perform at least 1 life cycle (which is typically 5 days depending on water temp), thus the whole tank must be treat regardless.

[mashenka]

CT-DEATH -

So what you are saying, removing the fish out of the tank is not really removing much of the parasites out of it or removing him still is a better idea then leaving him in?

Thank you

[Star_Rider]

leave the fish in and treat the entire tank.

if the tank is infected(a good chance of that) you should treat the entire tank.

what other inhabitants are in there.. some are sensitive to salt.

[mashenka]

I have 3 guramis, 2 balas, 2 small silver dollars (one of them out), 1 barb, 1 catfish, 1 sucker