One proven way to treat ich/ick

[Krismo962]

Check out the following 2 videos on Ich which was hosted by Chris Biggs featuring Dr. Denise Petty, DVM, a certified aquatic veterinarian

Understanding ICH Episode 1 and Treatment and Prevention of ICH-Episode 2

I found the info very informative and while I have not knowingly had Ich in my tanks, the videos do explain that identifying if fish actually have Ich is not as easy as we have been led to believe without taking actual samples from suspected fish and viewing them under a microscope.

I know duanes has contributed mightily to using 3ppt salt treatment for Ich and Dr. Petty suggests 5ppt should be readily accepted by most fish we keep in our tanks with a few exceptions.

Let me all know what you think of the videos!

Thank you for sharing.

 

[SalviniCichlidFan]

I also found that Ich-X works really well, at least in my case.

 

[williamsheikspare]

I am writing this because it is something that comes up so often.
Ich is a protozoal infection that afflicts fish and can rapidly kill them, most often by damaging gill tissue.
The organism goes through a life cycle of;
a small white spot feeding on your fish,
which drops off to the floor of your tank and encysts,
while encysted it divides into up to 2000 new mobile organisms,
the cyst ruptures, releasing the mobile organisms which seek out a host.
Only the mobile stage is vulnerable to treatment by anything that will not also kill your fish.

Here is an old fashioned but very effective method for treatment.
It can be used for most fish but morymids, corys, and some pims are sensitive to salt. Because the organism infest the tank, the whole tank should be treated.

Raise the temp of your tank to at least 85-86 degrees F.
Add aquarium salt (dissolved in water) at a ratio of 2 teaspoons of salt per gallon of water in your tank.
Now wait, while waiting it does not hurt to add a powerhead or airstone to increase the O2 level.
Over the first couple days your fish will look worse but then they will clear up. about the sixth day they will look clear but because some ecystments have not yet hatched keep the treatment up for the full 10 days.
If you are not able to raise the temperature you need to extend the treatment, at 85 the ich's life cycle is quick but at 72 it can take weeks, below 70F treat for 6 weeks.

There are medicines you can use but many fish are sensitive to them, you can also try just heat at 90-91 degrees F but some fish can't take that heat and some strains of ich can survive it.
The salt and heat method is one I have used several times with sucess.

Thanks for sharing

 

[williamsheikspare]

amazing

 

[vosen30]

I think below process is not bad, If attack itch raise the fish aquarium water temperature to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the aquarium run for about 10 days. Also, Quarantine new invertebrates previously kept with fish for two to four weeks. Quarantine all new plants before adding them to the tank (two weeks with no fish).

 

[LBDave]

Check out the following 2 videos on Ich which was hosted by Chris Biggs featuring Dr. Denise Petty, DVM, a certified aquatic veterinarian

Understanding ICH Episode 1 and Treatment and Prevention of ICH-Episode 2

I found the info very informative and while I have not knowingly had Ich in my tanks, the videos do explain that identifying if fish actually have Ich is not as easy as we have been led to believe without taking actual samples from suspected fish and viewing them under a microscope.

I know duanes has contributed mightily to using 3ppt salt treatment for Ich and Dr. Petty suggests 5ppt should be readily accepted by most fish we keep in our tanks with a few exceptions.

Let me all know what you think of the videos!

It's a great video. Anecdotally I have observed that small peacock bass I got a long while back seemed to get ick easily at their gills. By the time I observed ick on tankmate the bass were toast. So just observing for ick was not enough.
Also, it is a total reinforcement (to me) that salt is the most effective treatment. And using enough salt. Some balk at the 3 pounds per 100 gallons.
But given research, for most species, you can actually use higher concentrations. To me this is a great safety factor to have. If you go a bit over ppm, in most cases this is fine. The fact that salt remains in the water until water changes is the attribute you want to combat the ick lifecycle.

 

[LBDave]

It's a great video. Anecdotally I have observed that small peacock bass I got a long while back seemed to get ick easily at their gills. By the time I observed ick on tankmate the bass were toast. So just observing for ick was not enough.
Also, it is a total reinforcement (to me) that salt is the most effective treatment. And using enough salt. Some balk at the 3 pounds per 100 gallons.
But given research, for most species, you can actually use higher concentrations. To me this is a great safety factor to have. If you go a bit over ppm, in most cases this is fine. The fact that salt remains in the water until water changes is the attribute you want to combat the ick lifecycle.

Part 2 for treatment
Treatment and Prevention of ICH (white spot disease) in Aquarium Fish with a Aquatic Veterinarian (youtube.com)

 

[Heck]

This thread is super, and I really appreciate it.

I feel like the answers to my questions are probably in the comments somewhere, but it's daunting to try to read the whole thing - so I apologize for what is doubtlessly a repeat, and I thank anyone in advance who takes the time to respond to me anyway.

Ich wiped out all the fish in my 125 gallon tank. First symptoms on the 1st, all dead by the 8th. I started treating with API Super Ick Cure, but soon did a huge water change and switched to Ich-X. The last fish died on the 8th, after which I cranked my heater as high as it would go, but it seems unable to get the water super warm - it's 86 for several hours by the end of the day, down to 82 first thing in the morning.

I am still treating with Ich-X. I have not been using salt. I don't have any, but could get some.

I am eager to start over (patience is not my strong suit), but of course I want to put new fish into a healthy environment and not start this nightmare all over.

How long should I continue treating the empty tank? I am hearing wildly different things. The LFS guy said 6-8 weeks with fish, 3-4 without.

If it is relevant, my tank has lots of driftwood and leaves. There are a few struggling aquatic plants (I think my lights aren't reaching the bottom - but that's a problem for later) and lots of very happy terrestrial plants growing with roots in the water (carrot, onions, gladiolus, and lemon balm, off the top of my head) - but the plants are replaceable and if the treatment kills them (or if they have to go for some reason) I'll survive.

Thanks.

 

[tlindsey]

LFS guy said 6-8 weeks with fish, 3-4 without

Yes that's good the lfs told you that. I suggest testing your water parameters and post them. It's a possibility you may be ok as far as beneficial bacteria. Also suggest quarantine the new fish.

 

[Heck]

Yes that's good the lfs told you that. I suggest testing your water parameters and post them. It's a possibility you may be ok as far as beneficial bacteria. Also suggest quarantine the new fish.

0/0/5 this morning.

What would quarantining do, since the tank they'd be going into is fishless?