Heat and salt for ich

Yesterday I noticed that 2 of my Green Severum's have ich. I usually move a sick fish to a qt tank. But I have 2 angels in the qt tank at the moment. I also usually use Tetra's ich medication and it works fine. My question is this, since it is a 125 gallon tank I do not want to spend a fortune on the required treatment. So what I did instead is do a 50% water change, raise the temperature in the tank to 82 degrees and added one tablespoon of aquarium salt per every ten gallons. From what I read, I am supposed to leave it like this for 5 days and do not add more salt during this time. I want to know if this is the right way to go about it. I want to add some airstones and maybe raise the temp a little more, but the Oscar destroys any air stone or sponge filter I try to put in. Any suggestions would be appreciated, by the way before any one asks. I have a fluval fx6 and 406 filter running on the tank so I think I may have enough aeration to raise the temp a bit higher.

 

Yes you'll need to raise the temp to at least 86. If you can't add an airstone just raise one or both of the filter outlets so that they create some extra turbulence at the water surface.

 

Yes you'll need to raise the temp to at least 86. If you can't add an airstone just raise one or both of the filter outlets so that they create some extra turbulence at the water surface.

Thanks for advice.

 

yes, I read somewhere 10 days of that heat should do it.

 

Here is an update, since trying the heat and salt treatment last sunday I have lost one Green Severum and two others are on the verge of dying. I was went to the lfs to get my usual Tetra Ich Guard, as I only had one box left. He also had on box in stock, but suggested I try Kordon Rid-Ich Plus. He said it is about the same as Tetra's but I wouldn't need 12 1/2 tablets per day as it is a liquid and would work better in my 125. So today did a 50% water change (making sure to gravel vac the substrate), made sure to take out the carbon pads in my fx6 and treated the tank. Hopefully this will work and I won't lose more fish. Has anybody used Kordon or am I just wasting money?

 

Are you 100% sure it is Ich and not a bacterial issue of some sort?

 

Are you 100% sure it is Ich and not a bacterial issue of some sort?

I am sure as in my Severum's the the spots are all over them and not just on the fins. Some of my other fish have on fins only. I have dealt with ich before, but this time it seems more virulent. Also after two days of treatment with Kordon's the fish seem to be doing better. I have also read that sometimes ich is resistant to the heat and salt treatment. So I am guessing this was the case. Even my Severum's perked up a bit and were eating last night.

 

Day five of Kordon's treatment done, all fish seem to be much better now and no sign of ich. Even the ones I thought were going to die are ok and eating.Also thier fins are no longer clamping. Going to do three more days to be sure, then 50 percent water change and add some carbon to filters.