Ich???

Hi DD.

The temp was up to 82 from the night before treatment began and im just about at 2tsp/G. (adding the final bit very slowly). i dont think i'm gonna go all the way up to 3, would 2 suffice? the fish do not seem to be stressed at all. i dont even think the ich has started to bother them. maybe because i cought it early.?.?

Thanks for your help
 
Ok, here is how the salt works.

At .1% which is 1 teaspoon per gallon, you are using it as a tonic
At .2% which is 2 teaspoons per gallon, you are treating for fungal infections, stress and nitrites which harm the gills.
At .3% which is 3 level teaspoons per gallon it kills many parasites but chilodonella which requires higher salting levels.

Goldfish can take high levels of salt if done at a slow pace of each dose 12 hours apart.

Ive known goldies to go up to nearly 1% salt for short times.

I wouldnt recommend any salt for fish less then 2 inches in body length as the kidneys arent good enough to function properly.

If you go at .2% then make sure you do plenty of gravel vacs and water changes, clean out the filter sponge a couple of times and never mix salt with meds.

Remember to calculate how much water you take out so you can add back the right amount and dont add salt if topping up through evaporation.

Its a good idea to keep the salt at the level you choose for two weeks to make sure the ich has died and always gradually do small water changes so as not to shock the fish too much back to fresh water.
 
Hi Fantail,

Thanks for that. I do water changes with a gravel vacuum every 5 days and the next one is in 2 days. is this frequent enough? also, do you think that going up to 3 would be better?
 
fantail said:
Ok, here is how the salt works.

At .1% which is 1 teaspoon per gallon, you are using it as a tonic
At .2% which is 2 teaspoons per gallon, you are treating for fungal infections, stress and nitrites which harm the gills.
At .3% which is 3 level teaspoons per gallon it kills many parasites but chilodonella which requires higher salting levels.

Goldfish can take high levels of salt if done at a slow pace of each dose 12 hours apart.

Ive known goldies to go up to nearly 1% salt for short times.

I wouldnt recommend any salt for fish less then 2 inches in body length as the kidneys arent good enough to function properly.

If you go at .2% then make sure you do plenty of gravel vacs and water changes, clean out the filter sponge a couple of times and never mix salt with meds.

Remember to calculate how much water you take out so you can add back the right amount and dont add salt if topping up through evaporation.

Its a good idea to keep the salt at the level you choose for two weeks to make sure the ich has died and always gradually do small water changes so as not to shock the fish too much back to fresh water.
Click to expand...

Fantail, can you post some links to articles, resources, referencing the above percentages, information ?

Blue
 
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I just want to point out that i would never recommend something that i havent tried myself.


How big are the fish you want to treat mushroom as you cant use salt on a fish with a body length of 2 inches or below.
 
Fantail,

Before you, i have heard nothing about not treating fish with sald under 2 inches and i had already began my treatment. My smallest fish (The only visably infected fish) is probably just under 2 inches.

on a posetive note, she appears to be doing great. No signs of stress, no change in behavior and the spots have already started to drop off!!

question:

How is it possible that only one fish has been infected?? Does this mean that She has the weakest immune system?
 
Theres a lot of theories as to why one fish can get it and the others might not get anything, though if left the other fish will get it. It may well be stress which you need to find the cause of or her slime coat isnt as protective as it could be. The parasite burrows under the skin and salt makes them thicken up on the slime coat to stop them and also kills the free swimming stage. Are you raising the temperature at all as this helps to boost immunity.

If you read the links above then that info may help as well.

You have to keep the water salted for a couple of weeks as the cysts fall off and then burst with lots more free swimmers.

Please keep a good eye on the smallest fish, any sign of a problem and do some water changes. Kidney damage is irreversible.
 
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