A little bit of ich?

Blinky

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Jun 22, 2004
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Hi all,
I was watching my fish today, with my nose up against the glass, and noticed what looks like a few ich spots - there are two spots on my bristlenose's body and one on the tail fin of one platy.
The tank is absolutely stuffed with live plants, and the inhabitants include shrimp and snails, tetras and scaleless fish. I'm dreading the thought of treating for ich - I don't want to hurt the plants, shrimp or snail, and it's virtually impossible to remove any of the fish/invertibrates without ripping the tank apart.

I'm wondering:
1. Is it safe to treat with salt (up to 1tsp/gal is what I see recommended for ich) in a planted tank with snails/shrimp?
2. Is it necessary to treat? I'm assuming these few spots may turn into a full-blown case of ich when the cysts drop off and multiply, but then again, maybe not? None of the fish are flashing, no one looks unhappy - I only noticed the spots because I was looking so closely.

I've never had to deal with ich in a planted tank, I'd appreciate any ideas/opinions.
 
1. Yep, I've treated with up to 1 tablespoon of salt in my planted tank and never lost anything. I maintained this level for 1 full month, then started water changes with pure FW. Never kept it that high for longer.

2. If you are sure it's ich, I would. Ich won't go away on it's own, really--you just end up with a sub-clinical infection, where the ich is primarily confined to the gills and passes unseen. Any stress event may cause a full outbreak--not a happy situation.
 
Good to know it's not going to hurt anything, I'm glad - I've seen ich a few times before and though there are only a couple spots I'm positive that's what it is and I'll feel much better if I can do something about it :)
I'm going to do a large water change tonight (it's time anyway) and add the salt gradually over the next day, working up to at least a teaspoon per gallon - up to a tablespoon per gallon if no one looks stressed. I'll keep it there for at least two weeks, and if I see no more signs of ich for a week the cysts drop off I'll remove the salt over a few days with water changes.
Thanks for the advice :D
 
One teaspoon per gallon should be enough salt. Dissolve it before you add to the tank. You should also raise the temp up to at least 82, even 85, until the last visible spot has gone. That'll speed up the life cycle of the ich, which means you'll get rid of it sooner. Your plants should be fine at this temp and salinity.

Good luck!
 
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