ICH: unusual question...

Watcher74

Watcher74

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Feb 5, 2004
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I'm confused on this point...

There is Ich for both fresh and salt water, yes?

That both look the same when they infect the fish?

But to kill off the fresh water variety you add salt? Like 1 tsp per gallon or so, plus raising the temp to 85?

Is this true?

And if so, just for my curiosity, how do you kill the saltwater kind?
 
I believe they're actually different parasites that cause similar symptoms - FW Ich is Ichthyophthirius, marine 'Ich' is Cryptocaryon irritans. I've read that filter feeders will actually remove the free-floating parasites from a saltwater tank, too bad we don't have those for FW!
It can be treated with copper sulphate in a QT tank according to Hans A Baensch's 'Marine Aquarist's Manual'.
And yes, that's a good way to treat FW Ich - salt (table, kosher, aquarium, pickling - any NaCl) and heat along with frequent water changes and gravel vacs.
 
Blinky, you can not use TABLE salt in your aquarium as it contains iodine. Like you said, any NaCl will do... with no additives.

Furthermore, if you have an ammonia reducer pouch in your filter, remove it before you add salt. Salt will reactivate the zeolite and ammonia will be sent back in the tank... now we don't want that now, do we ?

SB
 
Table salt is just fine. The levels of iodine in table salt are low--you'd literally be pickling fish before the iodine level would be at all harmful. Like all other living animals, iodine is actually required in trace levels by all our fish, and some organisms, like shrimp, do better if iodine is supplemented. Can you reference salt reacting with zeolite to produce ammonia? This product is marketed for both FW and SW, and I have used it in a SW tank with no noticable ammonia spike.
 
What about Sea Salt? I was looking at the box I have at home and it doesn't list any additives - which I assume it would if there were any.
 
Sea salt likely has a few other trace elements, but none that will be harmful to the tank--though it may also contain a buffer that will increase the pH--I doubt it--but you may want to test that in a cup of water before using it in your tank. Typically, sea salt will have more minerals. I've used marine mix as well--and it does contain buffers in addition to the trace elements.
 
OrionGirl said:
Can you reference salt reacting with zeolite to produce ammonia? This product is marketed for both FW and SW, and I have used it in a SW tank with no noticable ammonia spike.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I can not give you references other than some guy in another forum said that Zeolite is reactivated by salt. Never tested it and I took his word on it as he was experienced. Maybe it's just BS. If you say that Zeolite can be used in SW, then what he said is totally wrong.

Thx for putting things straight.

SB ;)
Note to Self : Stop believing everything you read in forums without first checking it.
 
Zeolite historically has been recharged with brine solutions (I don't know the strength, don't use the material), so at some point the capture must be reversible. What density is needed to release the ammonia I do not know. Similar to the so-called "water-softener" pillows, also salt/brine recharge.
 
ok stupid question, can ich travel on plants, and can ich live in tap water?
 
Interesting--the only time I have used Zeolite in a SW environment was a short term thing--an immediate removal was needed, and then the product was discarded (literally--threw it out). Clearly couldn't release ammonia when it was fresh!

Ich spores can travel on plants from an infected tank, but are easily removed with a mild bleach solution. It can survive in tap water, if the chlorine treatment is low, as a spore and a tomite, but only for the specified time of those life stages--tap water is not a vector for transmission.
 
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