Please help! White spots all over 2 tetras; what do I do?

[FireDancer7905]

Here is a great article that Mgamer2000 suggested to me about treating with heat and salt. http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich It is really very helpful and has a fabulous explanation of how/why it shwos up in the first place. Once again, thansk Mgamger!

 

[Mahma]

Here is a great article that Mgamer2000 suggested to me about treating with heat and salt. http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich It is really very helpful and has a fabulous explanation of how/why it shwos up in the first place. Once again, thansk Mgamger!

Thanks...this was helpful!

 

[Mahma]

The API aquarium salt will work fine. Good luck! Keep us posted.

Woke up to one dead tetra.... (I started the heat very late last night, and was going to start the salt this morning ASAP.)

Thanks for the support. I need it, as the tetras are "Thing One" and "Thing Two," and they belong to my five year old, who will cry his eyes out.

 

[Blueiz]

One thing to note, for future reference if you ever have it agai, or for those reading this. Te main reason to raise the temperature while treating ich is to speed the life cycle of the ich. It would be best to either add the salt first , the raise the temp, or do them simultaneously. I personally have never raised the temp in my tank when treating for ich, takes longer for the ich to complete its cycle..thats just a preference I have as I have no heaters in my tanks. Raising the temp alone will kill the ich if held at a certaing temp (84 i think) til seven days after all spots are gone. It would be virtually impossible to be certain your temperature hasn't dropped without special equipment to test the temp of the water, and lots of fish don't do well with temps that high (goldfish for example).

In simple terms, when using the salt heat method, the salt is used to kill the ich, the temp is raised to speed the life cycle of ich and is not a must (will have to treat for ~ an extra week if temp isnt raised)

Blue

 

[Mahma]

One thing to note, for future reference if you ever have it agai, or for those reading this. Te main reason to raise the temperature while treating ich is to speed the life cycle of the ich. It would be best to either add the salt first , the raise the temp, or do them simultaneously. I personally have never raised the temp in my tank when treating for ich, takes longer for the ich to complete its cycle..thats just a preference I have as I have no heaters in my tanks. Raising the temp alone will kill the ich if held at a certaing temp (84 i think) til seven days after all spots are gone. It would be virtually impossible to be certain your temperature hasn't dropped without special equipment to test the temp of the water, and lots of fish don't do well with temps that high (goldfish for example).

In simple terms, when using the salt heat method, the salt is used to kill the ich, the temp is raised to speed the life cycle of ich and is not a must (will have to treat for ~ an extra week if temp isnt raised)

Blue

This makes sense. I understand why the salt should precede the heat. Wow, I am learning. (And they say you can't teach an old dog new tricks....)

My tank doesn't hold heat very well overnight, although it stays well within the safe range. But it didn't raise much overnight anyway....

FWIW, when I told my 5-yr-old about the dead tetra, he looked over my shoulder (presumably at the tank), and said, "Can I have some of that popcorn over there?" Kids. My worry about his feelings was apparently not that necessary. (And then, when I least expect it, they cry over "nothing.") Well...back to fish stuff....

I added 6.5 tsp. of API salt via diluted tank water and introduced with the bio-wheel. I will do another 6.5 in an hour, etc.

Thanks to everyone for the help!!!! :clap:

 

[DebbyS]

When I had my first (and so far only) ich outbreak, I increased the temperature from around 78 to 82-84 & I used sea salt I had on hand for my own cooking use (bought at health food store in bulk). I wound up adding maybe 2-3 Tablespoons for a 10-gallon tank. It worked quickly on the black neon tetras. The only other fish in the tank were pygmy cories who showed no ich, though I kind of suspect the bit of pet-store water I unavoidably added to the tank with the cories may have had some ich in it -- or ich more adventurous than what might have already been dormant in the tank. After a few days there was no more sign of ich (it had show on one BN, then spread to the others -- then it disappeared), but I waited another two weeks or more, slowly decreasing the temp back to 78, to add some glow light tetras. If I ever get ich again, I'll go the same routine

 

[Blueiz]

Just make sure you treat for the full amount of time. Ich cannot be killed while it is on the fish. Even if the spots are gone from the fish, it is still in the tank. Lots of ppl don't treat for the full amount of time and keep getting ich continuously..thats where the myth that ich lies dormant in the tank, or that it is a naturally occuring parasite in fish tanks comes from. When in all reality the ich was never truly killed to begin with because the treatment was stopped prematurely..

Blue

 

[webcricket]

I added 6.5 tsp. of API salt via diluted tank water and introduced with the bio-wheel. I will do another 6.5 in an hour, etc.

Thanks to everyone for the help!!!! :clap:

Oh good, I'm glad you are doing teaspoons and not tablespoons! I mistyped last night (shouldn't type tired) when I replied to you!

As others have said, go the full treatment even if the fish look better. It's always tempting to just stop, but then the infection will keep coming back. Hopefully you won't lose any more fish!

 

[Mahma]

Oh good, I'm glad you are doing teaspoons and not tablespoons! I mistyped last night (shouldn't type tired) when I replied to you!

As others have said, go the full treatment even if the fish look better. It's always tempting to just stop, but then the infection will keep coming back. Hopefully you won't lose any more fish!

Thanks again! (I never even noticed your TBSP vs. tsp. I just followed the instruction from that attached link someone listed. Whew.... So far no more losses. :dance2:

 

[Mahma]

I have added 1.5 tsp. of salt per gallon of water and increased the temp to 82.

Is this enough? (I know to continue the salt with water changes and cont. the elevated temp for a while....) But should I really add in more salt? TIA