Hello, I am new to the fish tank realm and I am having a serious problem with ICK in my tank. I have a 75 gallon tank which I bought about a month ago, and I very ignorantly filled it up with fish, about 8 a week. Well, it didn't take long before white spots showed up and half of my fish died. I have about 15 fish now and it seemed like the problem was gone, but now my Tiger Barb's skin is peeling and he is hanging out by himself. I just did a water chang of 25% and added RID-ICK. I didn't have a pump used to change the water, so I just fished out the water from the top, will that be good enough? I am open to any and all suggestions.
Help, I've got ICK!
- Thread starter leif
- Start date
if you're willing to make an investment ...
... IMHO the most effective long term 'cure' for ick is to run a UV sterilizer - which if properly set up will do a very good job of preventing ick from getting a 'foothold' in your tank, as well as killing off most algae.
As to getting rid of the ick infestation that your tank already has, there are tons of theories and recommendations ... add a little bit of kosher salt, raise the tank temperature, a dozen different 'medicinal additives'. Doing a search on this site or other aquarium sites will turn up tons of recommendations. However, if you have one particular fish which is showing serious ick symptoms and the rest of your fish still appear more or less OK, one of the best things you can do is pony up for a small 5-10 gallon 'isolation tank' and get that one fish out of your 75 gallon community tank fast.
... IMHO the most effective long term 'cure' for ick is to run a UV sterilizer - which if properly set up will do a very good job of preventing ick from getting a 'foothold' in your tank, as well as killing off most algae.
As to getting rid of the ick infestation that your tank already has, there are tons of theories and recommendations ... add a little bit of kosher salt, raise the tank temperature, a dozen different 'medicinal additives'. Doing a search on this site or other aquarium sites will turn up tons of recommendations. However, if you have one particular fish which is showing serious ick symptoms and the rest of your fish still appear more or less OK, one of the best things you can do is pony up for a small 5-10 gallon 'isolation tank' and get that one fish out of your 75 gallon community tank fast.
I don't think a UV is necessary in most cases. I'd raise the temp. and add some salt, and if after a while you still have it, try Malachite Green
UV ounce of prevention
Agreed - if you're doing everything you should be to maintain stable tank and water conditions then a UV unit is really only an expensive item that wastes energy in exchange for little or no visible tank improvements (algae control being the most noticeable). But a UV unit does function as an effective 'insurance policy' if/when tank and water conditions ever do take a turn for the worse. I guess it boils down to how much you're willing to spend for an 'insurance policy'.
Agreed - if you're doing everything you should be to maintain stable tank and water conditions then a UV unit is really only an expensive item that wastes energy in exchange for little or no visible tank improvements (algae control being the most noticeable). But a UV unit does function as an effective 'insurance policy' if/when tank and water conditions ever do take a turn for the worse. I guess it boils down to how much you're willing to spend for an 'insurance policy'.
ICH is simple and removeable. once cured it should not be an issue ever again, and a quarantine set-up costs less than an UV sterilizer and has far more uses in the hobby.
Algae is easily enough prevented with good maintenance practices to not warrant a UV sterilizer.
UV's are effective, but I do not trust them to kill ich and be 100% effective. ich could feasably avoid the UV well enough to survive in a tank. if the freeswimmers pass through the sterilizer it will definately kill them, if they don't it won't. salt will kill them either way.
For lots of detail, this is worth the time to read IMO:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39759
HTH
Dave
Algae is easily enough prevented with good maintenance practices to not warrant a UV sterilizer.
UV's are effective, but I do not trust them to kill ich and be 100% effective. ich could feasably avoid the UV well enough to survive in a tank. if the freeswimmers pass through the sterilizer it will definately kill them, if they don't it won't. salt will kill them either way.
For lots of detail, this is worth the time to read IMO:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39759
HTH
Dave
I totally agree with Dave. I am now 10 days ich free following Daves advice in the above link with no loss of fish life (I raised my temp to 86 and added 2tsp of salt per gallon). Thanks Dave.
Mike
Mike
I second that. I just had Ich and the 2 teaspons of salt per gallon + 87 degrees worked like a charm. Visible Ich was gone after 4 days and I maintained it that way for the next two weeks... no more Ich.
hi dave.
im new to this forum. i found you post very informative. thanks! but i have a question tho, i have goldfishes and they have ich (so sad i know).
Are they able to withstand temperatures 86F? they are generally colder water creatures i've read. and are they able to withstand 2tsp/gallon salt during treatment?
currently im using the anti-ich medicine from petcetra, but it doesnt seem to have cure it. its been 5 days since...
i'm worried that my goldfishes are not gonna make it.
please help!!!
im new to this forum. i found you post very informative. thanks! but i have a question tho, i have goldfishes and they have ich (so sad i know).
Are they able to withstand temperatures 86F? they are generally colder water creatures i've read. and are they able to withstand 2tsp/gallon salt during treatment?
currently im using the anti-ich medicine from petcetra, but it doesnt seem to have cure it. its been 5 days since...
i'm worried that my goldfishes are not gonna make it.
please help!!!
coffeegurlo,
I answered via PM already before coming here, let me know if you have any more questions.
dave
I answered via PM already before coming here, let me know if you have any more questions.
dave