ICH!

[Vanilla_Rat]

Well I just turned on the aquarium light and noticed my fish have ich!

I have not dealt with ich in yrs.Is there anything I can do until I can get to the pet store to pick up some stuff to get rid of it?

[pinkie1205]

i don't know any right away remedies but I do know that there are drops or something that the pet store sells. My mom bought fish from walmart and my entire tank was bombarded with ick. It killed almost all of our fish until it was under control. Find something fast!

[Sasami]

I personally find that the "natural" way (raising the temperature, doing water changes, and using aquarium salt) works better then chemicals but if you must medicate then make sure to keep up the treatment for the full 10-14 days (depends on what you use). Even if they look completely healthy don't stop early. I would use Malachite Green.

Raise the water temperature slowly up to 82-85 degrees and use aquarium salt. Since Ich can affect the gills of fish and because the water temperature will be so high you'll want some extra aeration. Air stones, power heads, HOB filters, etc. Anything that can make a current.

Keep up on water changes and take special care to vacuum the gravel. Remember to remove any filter carbon when medicating.

[Zookeeper]

I second Sasami's advice. I think it's neat why sometimes just raising the water temperature can help out with the problem. How it was explained to me: Ich is like a bacteria that is always carried with the fish. All fish have it, like all humans have bacteria in their intestines. If we have an overpopulation, we get sick. Same thing with fish. Ich is a bacteria, and because it is a living thing, it has a lifespan. At higher temperatures it goes through its lifespan faster, and return to a more "normal" level in the body. Good luck!

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Zookeeper I second Sasami's advice. I think it's neat why sometimes just raising the water temperature can help out with the problem. How it was explained to me: Ich is like a bacteria that is always carried with the fish. All fish have it, like all humans have bacteria in their intestines. If we have an overpopulation, we get sick. Same thing with fish. Ich is a bacteria, and because it is a living thing, it has a lifespan. At higher temperatures it goes through its lifespan faster, and return to a more "normal" level in the body. Good luck!

This is mostly true but Ich is actually not present in all tanks . People used to think that but it was found to be untrue.

Raising the temperature does speed up the lifespan, like you said, and the reason we want to do that is simple. Ich is impossible to treat when in the adult stage where it lives on the actual fish. Towards the end of the lifespan the parasite leaves the host and produces large amounts of free-swimming tomites. Then the young look for a host and the cycle continues. Aquarium salt and medications will only harm these tomites. By speeding up the life cycle treatment will work faster since, like I said, medications won't affect the Ich trophozoites that are already on the fish.

[Vanilla_Rat]

I am going to try that.Thanks.

Question...is ich a type of parasite?
Thats what I was told.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat I am going to try that.Thanks. Question...is ich a type of parasite? Thats what I was told.

Yes, it is. I wrote a bit about it's lifespan in my last post on this thread .

[Vanilla_Rat]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sasami Yes, it is. I wrote a bit about it's lifespan in my last post on this thread .

Oops...I read it a little fast earlier,because I was in a rush.

[Vanilla_Rat]

I am treating the tank with this stuff...I am not sure the brand but is called "quick ich cure" and I have raised the temperature and everything,but I have lost some fish anyway.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat I am treating the tank with this stuff...I am not sure the brand but is called "quick ich cure" and I have raised the temperature and everything,but I have lost some fish anyway.

Which fish didn't make it? What's in this medication?

[Vanilla_Rat]

My platties and swords...I have my 4 gouramis and my black khuli...thats it!

I have the stuff here now and the brand is "API - Aquarium Pharmaceuticals".The product is called "super ick cure".Is that a good brand?

It says it contains "Benzaldehyde Green" and "Povidone/Colloid mix".

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat My platties and swords...I have my 4 gouramis and my black khuli...thats it! I have the stuff here now and the brand is "API - Aquarium Pharmaceuticals".The product is called "super ick cure".Is that a good brand? It says it contains "Benzaldehyde Green" and "Povidone/Colloid mix".

I don't medicate for Ich (I've actually never had an outbreak in any of my own tanks, I've simply treated other people's aquariums) but that should work.

I would be careful, though, because you have a loach. They can be more sensitive to medication and most people cut the dosage in half.

Make sure you do lots of water changes. Did you remove filter carbon?

[Vanilla_Rat]

Yup I did remove the carbon and I have to do a 25% water change today according to the box and then add a second dosage.

I have never had ich this bad before.And the last time I had to deal with it was many yrs ago! It sucks.Hopefully I do not lose anymore fish.

[Sasami]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vanilla_Rat Yup I did remove the carbon and I have to do a 25% water change today according to the box and then add a second dosage. I have never had ich this bad before.And the last time I had to deal with it was many yrs ago! It sucks.Hopefully I do not lose anymore fish.

Good luck and keep us updated. How high did you raise the temperature? The higher you raise it the faster treatment will work so it might be a good idea to bring it another couple of degrees higher.