Ich with Armor

[bobbi619]

I'll try again as I cant seem to get anyone to answer my questions.

Is the 1 Tablespoon per 5 gallon rule a good one?

Will 11 Tablespoons of salt in my 55 with 84 temp kill these little beasts?

:bowing:

 

[Harlock]

Actually, someone did rewspond to your previous post. You can read up on a very good Ich teratment in the Articles Forum. Just go to the main forum index, click the articles forum near the top, find the article titled Ich written by Daveedka and you'll learn all about it, how to treat it using salt and heat and all that good stuff.

 

[bobbi619]

Yes, I read it. But really, 50 Tablespoons of salt, thats why I am asking this question, wouldnt that be a toxic amount?

Alot of other articles on the net talk about the 1 Tablespoon per 5 gallon rule.

I know there are alot of Ich questions and you just want people to read the article posted, which it is a good one, but I just want some input on what other people are saying out there.

Is the 1 Tablespoon per 5 gallons enough to kill Ich?

 

[Harlock]

Yes in some cases, no in others... like the article said. Also, you are misunderstanding something the article is saying:

#1. Salt added to the water. Salt will kill ich. Just as meds will. The dosage needed for this is 1-3 teaspoons per actual gallon of water. One strain of Ich has been reported to withstand as much as 5 parts per thousand of salt* so do not rely on light salt dosage to be 100% effective. Most strains will succumb to low levels of salt though
My personal recommendation is 2 tsp. per gallon as a target. This gives me a good solid level with a 1 tsp. per gallon buffer zone in both directions. In other words I can be 1 tsp. per gallon higher than I think I am and my fish should be OK, or I can be 1 tsp. per gallon lower than I think I am and my ich will still die. Many people do quite well with 1 teaspoon per gallon but I don’t like variables so I go higher. This buffer zone is more necessary with hobbyists who don’t know the actual (vs. estimated) water volume of their tank.

He is suggesting 2 TEAspoons, not tablespoons, per gallon. In your case, 110 teaspoons. That's a little over 36 and a half tablsepoons for your tank. If you only want to use 11 tablespoons, go ahead, but really, don't expect too much. I understand you care about your fish and want to get rid of the Ich at the same time. A lot of folks have used Daveedka's recommendations even on scaleless fish (to whom salt treatment is supposed to be hard on) and they have pulled through with flying colors.

 

[Holly9937]

I personally never had luck with the salt treatment, but I know there are some that swear by it, and that won't put chemicals in there tanks... But I like the meds you can buy. It cleared up my ich a while back within 2 days (it was also a very mild case though). The only thing is you would have to use hald the recommended dose, maybe even less because of the corys.

 

[daveedka]

I personally never had luck with the salt treatment, but I know there are some that swear by it, and that won't put chemicals in there tanks... But I like the meds you can buy. It cleared up my ich a while back within 2 days (it was also a very mild case though). The only thing is you would have to use hald the recommended dose, maybe even less because of the corys.

Holly, the article covers the use of meds as well as salt, and although I don't se meds, I have never said that the right meds used for the right amount of time wouldn't work. There are disadvantages to the meds, and more difficulty in using them. Salt does the same job with less stress, less cost, and less guessing.
If you had ich and treated for two days, you most likely still have ich and it will at some point rear it's ugly head again. you really should kill the ich before it kills your fish, and nothing will kill ich in 2 days without killing your fish in the process. It would really be good to read the article, and understand the enemy better. there is no 2 day cure !!!!

Yes, I read it. But really, 50 Tablespoons of salt

anything between 1-3 TEAspoons per gallon As Harlock said will get the job done. anything less and you risk not getting the job done. I like 2 teaspoon per gallon, and have used it on extremely salt sensative fish without any serious problems. And don't worry about getting the teaspoon tablespoon thing mixed up, you aren't the first person to do that. Essentially your 55g tank probably has roughly 40 gallons of water, so I'd go with about 80 teaspoons unless you know the exact amount of actual water then you can be more precise.
dave

 

[bobbi619]

Thanks guys, I have upped the dosage as Dave suggested. I will now be shopping for a 10 gal Q tank.