Ich add salt or not?

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Arowana-nana

Registered Member
Oct 16, 2006
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I have been treating my bare bottom 180g for the last 4 days for ich because I didn't quarantine a new flagtail prochilodus. The tank is at 90* with a diatom running (D-1 only ment for a 55g but works to polish 180g in 24hr). Only the clown loaches have ick and it hasn't got better. Everyone else in the tank is fine and not showing stress at 90*. I dropped the water level so the filters make waterfalls, added 4 air stones powered by renas best air pump and set it up so the diatom output water flys thru the air making a waterfall. I have been reading all I can about ich the past 4 days (I never had to deal with it before in 5 years).

I read a few posts from this site without joining thru google cache, but figured I should join to find out all I can thru the search. Why hasn't the ick fell off the loches? Everyone says 86* = 48hr full life cycle! I seen a post say it will stay in cold spots. I have no cold spots 500w heater in about 140ish (because water level dropped) gallons of water and I got the water moving like crazy at 90*. My g/f is picking up aquarium salt but I don't know if I should add it. I have a $200+ scarlet pleco in there and don't want to kill him with salt. If you think I should add it how much T spoons per gallon is relatively safe for him?
 
I'm not good with ick (as my tank got hoarded by it and killed all but 4 fish)... But from what I read and heard...
1 tsp/gal is good but...
2 tsp/gal is overkill. And you want overkill.... :Angel:

But why do you ask about the scarlet pleco? Is it like, they can't adapt to salt or something? because all fish can adapt to a puny amount of salt (2 tsp/gal) just as long as you add it slowly...
 
I am not sure, but I think the 48 hours quoted (and around 3 days at 82*) is how long the ich things live when they are swimming about in the water. I don't think it is the total life cycle length. I am doing the salt thing at 82*, it took 10 days from the first signs (and addition of 2 tsp/gallon) till there was no sign of white spot. I searched a lot but found no indication of whether temperature sped up this phase of the life cycle or not. I am planning to keep the salt and temp high for about 2 weeks from the last signs of it.

Only clown loach were affected, and although they only had a few spots when I started the treatment, the poor things were covered before they started getting better. It was very distressing (to the fishies and me) - but I from what I read you just have to wait this stage out and hope. This is the first time I've dealt with Ich, but so far all the fish are doing well, and none died.
 
Even at 86+ you really need 3-4 days to kill the ich. You may also have a heat resistant strain.
 
CaitxSith said:
I'm not good with ick (as my tank got hoarded by it and killed all but 4 fish)... But from what I read and heard...
1 tsp/gal is good but...
2 tsp/gal is overkill. And you want overkill.... :Angel:

But why do you ask about the scarlet pleco? Is it like, they can't adapt to salt or something? because all fish can adapt to a puny amount of salt (2 tsp/gal) just as long as you add it slowly...
Click to expand...

Are you sure 2 tsp per gallon is overkill? It suppose to be 3 tsp per gallon, that is the limit..As a matter of fact, I am treating ich now with 3 tsp per gallon and the Ich is not coming off!
 
well that's because the ick right now is embedded into your fish's scales absorbing the cells... It is immune when it's in that stage and when it's embedded onto your gravel. You can only kill them when they come off. Raise temps to 83's to make the life cycle go faster (make it fall off fish faster). Make it 86 degrees and MOST ick will die. Better do both 86 degrees AND salt treatment..

can your fish even stand being in that much salty water?

here read this: http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/Ich
 
i just rescued 2 med oscars both with fungus and ick, never treated ick before. Bumped up the temp to 85 ,1 tbls of salt per 5 gal and 5 days later its gone also did one 25 % waterchange 3 days in. There finnally healthy just :clap: adding my 2 cents
 
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