lynnie

i have read here to raise the temp to 82-84 to kill off ICH. will this harm my fish at all i have 2 mollies they like up to 82 and a tigar barb but he only likes 78. do i need to worry?

CHoffman

Nope no worries, they will be ok. Raise the temp to 83-84 for two weeks. Do frequent water changes and vacume the gravel VERY good during the water changes to make sure your getting all the ICH spores out of your tank. The raised temp basically speeds up the life cycle of ich to get rid of them faster. Good luck I hope it works out for you and your fish.

Kivstev

Isn't a temp of 86 or 87 a much better recommendation if the fish can handle it and one isn't using any salt to help kill the Ich?

I guess the Tiger Barbs are a bit too sensitive for that temp?

In any case remember to add extra aeration when raising temps. 2 degrees F a day should be fine.

aquarist48

Good morning. In most cases temperatures of 84-85 will do the trick. Leave it there for a full two weeks. Do 2 gravel vacuums each week to remove the spores that fall off the fish and into the substrate. ICH can't reproduce in temperatures over 82 degrees so they die off during the 2 week period. Warmer waters require more oxygen so an air supply line is highly recommended. Ich may get worse before it gets better even after raising the temperatures. After the two weeks are up and the fish appear to be free of ICH you can lower the temperatures "slowly".
Best of luck! I hope your fish are going to be ok.
Ken

harpua2002

Some strains of ich are resistant to temps up to 89.5 (rare, but it happens). I always go with 87-88 to be sure; IME 84 isn't enough to kill it a lot of times. The salt helps a ton and it's the only time I recommend using it for FW.

IME 82 is warm enough to speed up the life cycle of ich but not warm enough to stop it from reproducing, but again, that's just my experience.

lynnie

thank you all so much. i have raised the temp. Tigger( tigar brab) was doing better yesterday swimming more and hanging around top less. Tigger is still swimming today but has alot more bubbles on him. ooops i was going to vac out 5 gal out of 35 gal tank every two days. have 2 heaters in and temp is 86- 88. thank you all for your help!!!!!