Ich Treatment Advice Needed

[Aquatina]

The white specks on my tetras and platys (only fish I have) look like ich based on pictures I've seen.
Read in an article on fish forum to treat:
Remove carbon from filter.
Raise temp slowly to 86.
Add salt with no additives at 1 teaspoon per gallon.

What else should I do?

 

[Addie42]

I wouldn’t do heat and salt
Super Ick cure by API has always worked well for me at the temperature 82F. I’ve cured Ich with it over 3 times

I realize that heat and salt is a common method... I just don’t really like it *shrugs*

 

[Momgoose56]

I wouldn’t do heat and salt
Super Ick cure by API has always worked well for me at the temperature 82F. I’ve cured Ich with it over 3 times

I realize that heat and salt is a common method... I just don’t really like it *shrugs*

I agree. Heat speeds up the maturation of the ich parasite. Because the parasite can only be killed in the free floating stage, be sure to treat the tank for the entire time recommended on the medication packaging.
The other thing you need to do is check your water parameters. Ich doesn't usually infect fish with healthy immune systems. The most common cause of sick fish in an established tank is poor water quality from inadequate water changes. My recommendation is to test the water and do a 75% to 90% water change just prior to treating the tank.

 

[hanra85]

I wouldn’t do heat and salt
Super Ick cure by API has always worked well for me at the temperature 82F. I’ve cured Ich with it over 3 times

I realize that heat and salt is a common method... I just don’t really like it *shrugs*

To each their own, I've never lost a fish due to ich using salt though. It works, I'm sure those ich specific meds work as well, I just don't see any reason to use them.

 

[Momgoose56]

To each their own, I've never lost a fish due to ich using salt though. It works, I'm sure those ich specific meds work as well, I just don't see any reason to use them.

Not sure tetras (esp of they're neons) would tolerate temp increase AND salt in the water for the time it would take to completely eradicate the ich from the tank (10 to 14 days).

 

[hanra85]

Not sure tetras (esp of they're neons) would tolerate temp increase AND salt in the water for the time it would take to completely eradicate the ich from the tank (10 to 14 days).

I've actually had neon tetras handle 3tsp per gallon during treatment of what appeared to be columnaris, looking back I'm still not certain it was or not, at first I was hesitant to even consider it too but I thought for sure I was going to lose the fish regardless, a year later and that neon tetra is still alive and well. I've treated bristlenise plecos, sa cichlids, and many others for ich with salt as well just fine, I'm sure there's going to be some hard no's when it comes to salt treatments though, so not implying any and every species can automatically handle it, but I haven't had issues with it over the years.
Also an important note to consider would be how slowly you raise salinity if you were to use salt, don't want anyone to read this thinking you can just dump 10-30tsp of salt in a 10 gallon quarantine all at once and not just outright shock your fish. I gradually raise and lower salinity over the course of the day or even days to a recommended dosage to allow their osmoregulation a chance to gradually adapt.

 

[Aquatina]

They've had ich a week. We added a fish from big box store and I believe that was the cause. We've had temp to 86 and added the salt. We've also done the water changes and used API super ich cure . How long should we treat the fish? They are stressed, clamped their fins and have ich. Should we continue the API treatment?

 

[SaltyPhone]

How many what type of fish? With ich continue an elevated temp as well as dosing the apI per instructions. Usually like dose med 48 hours later water change and dose again. With water changes in between doses gravel vac really well and do a large water change like 50%. Keep at it until the ich is gone.

 

[MrBryan723]

I would start with trying to increase the oxeygen with a bubbler. If all you have in live bearers you can get away with adding a lot more salt than usual for treatment as well.

 

[SaltyPhone]

Also filter make and model or a pic?

The reason I dislike the heat/salt method is not that It doesn’t work. It surely can however there hasn’t been enough research to support how much salt to add. Unlike meds which have been researched to the point of add x amount to x amount of water. In the case of salt you will get conflicting information as to precise dosing instructions

 

[MrBryan723]

The reason I dislike the heat/salt method is not that It doesn’t work. It surely can however there hasn’t been enough research to support how much salt to add. Unlike meds which have been researched to the point of add x amount to x amount of water. In the case of salt you will get conflicting information as to precise dosing instructions

Definitely true with most species, but with mollies you can go full brackish and they would be fine. I've even had some of my saltwater buddies cycle saltwater tanks with them.

 

[Aquatina]

I've got a fluvial 30 for the 13 gal (4 platys) and a fluvial 50 for the 20. Both have air stones and sponge filters. I use a Python and have vacuumed gravel. I did a 50% water change after 1st treatment of API ich treatment and 20 every other day. back when we added salt and raised temp.

 

[SaltyPhone]

Sounds like you’re doing it all right; stick to the schedule and it should work out. I have no experience with the apI product but ich x has always worked for me.

And if live bearers are all that’s in the tank 80-82 should be alright till they get through it just be sure the temp changes are as graduated as possible. Keep us updated

 

[Aquatina]

And if live bearers are all that’s in the tank 80-82 should be alright till they get through it just be sure the temp changes are as graduated as possible. Keep us updated

Thank you!

What's the longest it's taken to cure ich?

 

[SaltyPhone]

What's the longest it's taken to cure ich?

That’s all going to depend on the level of infestation. The worst I’ve experienced took about two weeks of treatment and water every other day.

I did lose three cories in the process. So know that’s a possibility; ich is a bad situation to be in but stay on it and you and your fish should pull through it!!

 

[Islandvic]

Frequent water changes with gravel vacs is key.

That is best way to remove free floating Ich.

If fish can tolerate it, many meds can be used 2x a day, 12 hours apart.

The higher temp and meds help kill the Ich when it is floating in the water column.

A reduction of visible Ich on the fish is a good indicator that treatments are effective.

I treat fish at least 7-10 days past the last visible sign of Ich can actually be seen on the fish.

The past 2 months when I've bought fish (2x online and 1x from PetSmart) the fish got a 10 min dip in Ruby Reef's Hydroplex (LINK) followed by a 10 second dip in Kordon's Methylene Blue (LINK).

The 3x Peacock Cichlids from PetSmart have been in an outdoor 20 gallon quarantine tank and been receiving everyday for a week. They never had signs of Ich, but I wanted to be safe.

Some other fish went into a 10 gallon QT with daily doses of .

Both the 10 gallon and 20 gallon QT get a large water change every 3 days. I will be ceasing the med treatment tomorrow as the meds were given prophylactically. They will stay in QT another week though while being given water changes, then they will go into general population of their respective tanks.

When I have had fish with Ich in QT, heat + water changes + meds from Kordon always worked for me.

Here is a great video on Ich.

 

[MicG]

Have treated my fish with API super ich.
Instruction says dose, wait 48 hours, dose, wait 48 hours, then water change.
I noticed you did the water change after first dose, which is absolutely wrong.
Also, raise the water temp a bit to 82+ which helps with the cure.
Don't forget to remove the carbon. We all know that, but sometimes we can forget.
My fish showed signs of healing after first dose, and after second dose they were much better.

ALso, the ich should appear white cloudness right? Yours doesn't seem to be ich to me.
Try some prazipro to kill the parasites which might be really helpful.
good luck.

 

[Aquatina]

They are white specks like you like tiny sand almost. Haven't done a water change since. We know to do 25% in 48 hrs. We just took out carbon. Just wondering why take carbon out? Here's a pic of one guy and the specks are hard to see. Anyone know why top fin down and it's a bit more brown than it was when we got him. Just did third dose and temp at 86.

 

[MicG]

They are white specks like you like tiny sand almost. Haven't done a water change since. We know to do 25% in 48 hrs. We just took out carbon. Just wondering why take carbon out? Here's a pic of one guy and the specks are hard to see. Anyone know why top fin down and it's a bit more brown than it was when we got him. Just did third dose and temp at 86.

When top fin is down, it means this guy is under stress. I spotted the same on my black molly and treated her immediately.
Carbon will absorb chemicals from the water, including medication. That’s why. It looks you are on the right track.

 

[Aquatina]

We're about 2 weeks into ich treatment. Should we clean the sponge filter? Rinsing it in tank water would not be helpful. Should we actually remove and clean sand substrate? Should we leave silk plants and other decorations in the tank?

Also, when a fish is showing shimmy behavior, fins all clamped, covered in ich is there anything we can do for him?

 

[ForceTen]

What temp is the tank at? 86 degrees without any chemical treatment worked fine for me.

 

[TransEleanor]

I am only 2 days in. I set temp to just shy of 88 on day 1 so even lowest temp would be above 86. Today, I am keeping temp at 89.2 because my Betta is in really bad shape.

Disclaimer: DO NOT USE HEAT + ICH MEDICATION. Follow the medication instructions, exactly. Including tank temperature.

86 makes ich infertile, but it will still finish its lifecycle from spore to parasite. 89 is theoretically deadly for ich.

From what I gather, the biggest problem with heat increases, relating to heat’s impact on fish, is not the heat itself. The problem is the capacity of water to hold oxygen. The more heat, the less oxygen water will hold. If you are going to heat your tank, to 86+, please add air stones! I know they aren’t ‘oxygen packs’ for your fish, but they are really good at agitation which helps keep the water as oxygen saturated as possible.

I also increased the photoperiod of my plants to 12 hours so the plants (including algae) could help with the oxygen issue.

I chose to go to 89 because my Betta is my favorite fish. I didn’t jump straight there, I just upped the heat a bit, checked the thermometer in about 45 minutes, and tweaked again until I got where I am now.

It sucks. I am sorry someone else is going through this too. I wish I could tell you a success, but as of now, I don’t have any to share. All my ember tetras are alive and well. All the barbs are dead. My cherry shrimp seem fine. My entire snail is active, so I assume it is fine as well.

Google says the max temp for a barn is 81, so perhaps the heat killed them. Then again, google says the max temp for a Betta is 80, and mine is fine, other than super lethargic, ich covered, and clearly struggling...

 

[Dray]

If you completely clean all substrate and the filter sponge, you're going to send your tank into a minI cycle that will make your fish even more vulnerable. Agree with TransEleanor that heat is a more reliable treatment than medication. You can do a pretty big water change and add carbon in the filter to remove any medication, then gradually turn up the heat.

For the fish in bad shape, search the forum for how to do a salt bath.

 

[TransEleanor]

Please look up fish species specific instructions on a salt bath before you do any ‘general instruction’ salt bath.

Salt has about a 50/50 chance of killing a freshwater fish if you do it blindly or based on ‘freshwater’ fish rather than your specific species. Goldfish or pea puffer? Salt away. Scaleless fish (ex. cory cats) or most tetras, and the fish will likely die soon f you follow a rule of thumb on freshwater fish.

Salt will also wreck any live plants, so be careful if you have any. I know the OP says there are fakes, but just in case... be aware.