Curing ich in tank with cats and eels

C

Cksnffr

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Aug 5, 2013
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What would be a safe medicinal and nonmedicinal (heat/salt) approach to curing ich in a tank with these fish?

Cory cats
Syno cats
Peacock eel
Gourami
Barbs (Odessa, Denison)
African butterfly fish

Some of these don't like heat, some (I think) don't like salt, and some don't like typical ich medications.

Please add details (durations, temps, doses) to your recommendations. :)

Thanks!
 
Personally, I don't use medications. I've been both very picky and lucky when it comes to my fish. So I'd recommend salt/ heat method. The way I do it takes longer but I haven't lost any fish.
Measure 1tsp per gallon of aquarium salt in a plastic cup and place inside aquarium. Allow it to dissolve in the cup. Repeat over the course of 4 weeks. On the 5th week, begin water changes of 25% per week. During the first 4 weeks you should notice fewer white spots on the infected fish. The larvae should die due to the salinity. Heat shortens the life cycle but if heat is a concern, don't raise the temp, it's the salt that kills. BTW I was treating Silver Dollars and I had Pictus Catfish in the tank also. No ill affects.



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Heat and salt is the best bet IME as well. With heat, most fish can tolerate the higher temp for the short time frame needed to kill ich much better than they can tolerate medications. For fish with high oxygen needs, added surface agitation if usually enough to keep them comfortable for the duration.
 
jasonfishaddict said:
Measure 1tsp per gallon of aquarium salt in a plastic cup and place inside aquarium. Allow it to dissolve in the cup. Repeat over the course of 4 weeks. On the 5th week, begin water changes of 25% per week. During the first 4 weeks you should notice fewer white spots on the infected fish. The larvae should die due to the salinity. Heat shortens the life cycle but if heat is a concern, don't raise the temp, it's the salt that kills.
Click to expand...

Do these numbers apply even to a tank with cory cats, eels, and the like? If so, I want to make sure I understand:

For a 55-gallon tank, dissolve 55 tsp (about 18 tbsp) aquarium salt in a cup of tank water. Add to tank on day 1. Then on day 8, do the same. Then on day 15, do the same. Then on day 22, do the same. That's it for the salt. On day 29, begin weekly 25% water changes.

Is that right? Also: For tanks that tend to have significant evaporation, do you top off the tank to keep it full as usual? I would think you need to.

Thanks!
 
I'd use more than a cup of tank water. :) You can pull out a couple gallons, dissolve the salt, and then gradually add it back in to the tank. Slow changes are safer, since it lets you monitor the fish as you go.
 
It won't make him happy, but yes. I've treated a tank that included an eel with salt, and he was not as bothered as some of the other occupants.
 
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