How to handle ich?

StarSapphire22

StarSapphire22

Senior Member and Goldie Enthusiast
May 3, 2012
473
0
0
33
Fargo, ND
Real Name
Jessica
Hey guys!

I'm just wondering what medications would be used to treat ich. Normally, I would just google this, but I also want your guys' advice on this situation.

Theres an lfs in town that's the only real place to buy fancy goldfish. Our petco and petsmart are terrible. Normally all of it's fish look very healthy, but we went in 2 weeks ago and there was a moor so sick with ich, it looked like it wouldn't make it more than another hour. It was bottom sitting and barely breathing. The owner said she would move it to the back, but didn't seem very concerned when I told her. I called today to see if they had gotten more in lately, and the owner said they only had a black moor, with no new shipments. I haven't gone in yet, so I haven't seen it's condition, but the girl in me really wants to go rescue it and put it in my qt and make it better. Thoughts?

Sent from my VM670 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
I've never had the heat + salt method fail me yet. Slowly bring the temp up to 86 - 88 deg. while slowly adding 2 - 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon (I do all of this over the course of 36 hours). Regular plain salt is fine, no need to buy "special" aquarium salt. I get mine from Walmart for 48 cents. Continue this treatment for AT LEAST one week, while replacing any salt you remove from water changes.
 
Jumko said:
I've never had the heat + salt method fail me yet. Slowly bring the temp up to 86 - 88 deg. while slowly adding 2 - 3 teaspoons of salt per gallon (I do all of this over the course of 36 hours). Regular plain salt is fine, no need to buy "special" aquarium salt. I get mine from Walmart for 48 cents.
Click to expand...

Is this for tropical fish only or does it work on cold water fish like goldfish? Seems like a high temp for fish there kept around 70 degrees. Forgive my ignorance if I'm wrong, I haven't kept any goldfish before
 
I don't have a heater...never got one since it's hard to keep the water cold enough for my goldies in my apartment. They stay at 74-76.

Sent from my VM670 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
I've done it with goldfish, but kept it at 86. Of course, these were pretty well established fish I've had for a while. The reason why people go the heat + salt method over medicine is that it's supposedly less harmful/stressful to the fish over conventional medications and won't harm your biological filtration. If you do go the medicine route, make sure you take out any carbon from your filters.

P.S.: The key here, of course, is to GRADUALLY increase heat and salinity. In the case of goldfish, I would definitely add a couple of airstones to increase oxygen in the water.
 
I have raised fish for almost 40 years, and have help friends that had fish with ICK many times. THE ONLY SUCESS I HAVE EVER HAD IS WITH SALT AND HEAT!!! I have tried many things.

Gradually raise temp about 2-3 degress every 24 hours. Add salt during temp raise. After ALL ICK gone, wait another week before lowering temp and doing water changes to eliminate salt.
 
I've used this method on tropical tanks and goldfish, except I personally don't use salt (snails and cories don't like it). You have to make sure to keep the tank at 86 degrees at all times. it's the only time I measure the temperature for a water change (past the finger method). Make sure to keep the temp up for about a month, for sure two weeks after the last spot falls off. I do daily wc and light gravel vac, but since 86 degrees keeps ich from reproducing, that may not be as important, other than making it nicer for your fish while he waits out the ich lifecycle.
My experience with the malachite green medications it's that they don't work very well and are much harder on the fish than living in an elevated temp for a month. Goldfish don't find it ideal, but don't suffer from it.
Sent from my SCH-R930 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
Two weeks with a bad case of ich? It's rather likely that that particular moor has already died from bacterial infection following on the ich infestation. If, however, it's still there and you go for it, it'll be a very kind thing for you to do! In a QT tank with just the moor, I would use salt and heat ... but 86-deg. water is only needed if you're trying to kill the ich with heat. If you are also using salt, the salt itself will disrupt the ich so you only need to increase temp to around 80-82 to speed up the life cycle of the ich so it dies off sooner. Definitely add aeration to increase oxygenation.

Take care to increase and decrease both the salinity and temperature slowly. Here's a very good article about treating ich. It focuses on tropical fish, so nothing on goldies, but it's helpful in explaining the ich life cycle and how salt/heat can are used.

Good luck!

------

ETA: You could try Seachem Paraguard instead of heat/salt. Won't harm filter bacteria. It's not marketed as invert- or plant-safe, but it's never hurt anything in my community tank. It does contain malachite green, which Semila cautions against.
 
Last edited:
Salt and heat is a tried and true method that is one of the cheapest and most effective means of treating ich. However, my own personal preference is with the use of heat and 'AP Quick Cure'. It's a lethal combination, IME.
 
H20gal, it was the only moor they had and she didn't get any new shipments because of heat here. It would be a beautiful fish if it was healthy and it's very young, the poor thing. My boyfriend is worried that we would just be wasting our time, but I can't stand just leaving it there.

Thanks everybody, I will do some price comparisons between a heater/salt and meds and see if it can get the boyfriend stamp of approval, lol. If anyone has any other meds to check out let me know. :)

Sent from my VM670 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom