Easy Ich Cure, Turn Up The Heat !

[Fisher Price]

OK, here's my story. I bring home two gorgeous new red swordtails to add to my community of livebearers. Sure enough, three days later these two fish are dead from ich. (I know, I know, I should have quarantined them but they looked so healthy at the time) Within a week every fish I have is covered with little white spots and scratching on the bottom. Knowing I have to act quick or risk losing my whole community, I gradually add a teaspoon of salt per gallon and start cranking up the temp until it hits 90F. Now it is a few days later and the spots are completely gone and the fish are more playful, hungry and healthier than I have ever seen them when the water was at only 75F.

Now for the questions, how long until the tank is totally clear of ich? Should I just leave the temp cranked up high since the fish seem to enjoy the heat and high metabolism or will they end up having long term side effects?

 

[Sumpin'fishy]

I think 90 degrees is way excessive!!! I raise mine to about 82 for most fish. If I had discus in 85 degree water, I might raise it to 87 or 88, but 90 is just crazy, IMO!

This cannot be healthy for extended periods for almost any fish. Slowly start lowering the temp now. Don't drop it more than 2 degrees per day. The life cycle of ich at 80 degrees is about 5 days (average). They live around 3 weeks at 70 degrees, so go figure what 90 degrees is doing to them ........and your fish! Ich might last a day at that temp. This is just my estimation.

 

[ChilDawg]

I don't think that very many fish are cut out to live long at 90 degrees. You might be able to reduce stress on your fish by aerating the water like crazy, but the temperature shock will stress them...and then what happens when the temperature is lowered? More stress, and more latent diseases still in the system will strike.

 

[wetmanNY]

Actually, for salt and heat you couldn't have picked a hardier kind of fish. A few days with no sign of mature Ich on the fish should convince you that no more swarmers are hatching. Then you can start diluting out that salt and lowering the heat.

Live fast. Die young. That was a sixties slogan, wasn't it? (Not that any of you'all would remember...) High heat (within stress limits) means high metabolism, means shorter lives. Didn't someone reckon each critter has a certain number of heartbeats in its kit. Then boom!