ich again

[wilsonriverfish]

I got ich again in my 70 gallon from a mistake I made 1.not having a qt tank 2.putting a sick fish in with my other fish. I turned up the temperature to 89 and will keep it there? The question is can i use some table salt to help the process along I think i heard it somewhere but cant find the link anymore.

 

[GIS Guy]

Do a search for table salt on MFT.
Plenty of threads will come up.
You will find that there are a lot of ppl who say it's okay.
Iodized Salt is back and forth.

 

[JWright]

There isn't enough iodine (or any other "toxin") in table salt to cause a problem.

In fact, all fish need some iodine, just like we do. Some fish, like african cichlids, are especially prone to iodine deficiency issues like goiter.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

i did the search and alot came up I was really wanting to know the recommended amount of salt to add? The last time I had it i only used the heat treatment and it worked fine but im alot more attached to my fish I have than I was then.

 

[GIS Guy]

I used 1 tablespoon per gallon in mine.
The recommended usage (non-ich) on aquarium salt is 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's best to only use Aquarium Salt. Table salt may be ok in smaller doses, but depending on how much you use, it can cause complications. Also, for treating ick, salt is not required. Just keep your temps up at 89 degrees and you'll be fine. You will get the ick no problem with no salt. I'm currently treating 4 tanks for ick as well, and no salt in any of the tanks.

 

[GIS Guy]

That's a lot of ich LWB.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

It seems like I would be hurting the fish by putting 70 tablespoons of salt in! I might not use the salt but if I do I will run to the lfs and pick up some aquarium salt.

 

[GIS Guy]

It's about the ratio of salt to water.
Try the heat again and see if that'll work.
Good luck battling the parasite.

 

[SANND]

I just treated two 30 gal tanks with heat only with great results. I don't think you really need the salt tbh.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Also, if you treat with salt, don't just put the salt directly into the tank. The fish will try to eat it, and end up getting salt burns on the scales and gills. Dissolve it in warm water first, then pour into the tank slowly. And you only want to do 1 teaspoon per 10G. Some say more, but that's all that's really needed, and is a safe level for even plecos and other scaleless fish. But all you really need is heat. It will take care of the problem. Also, make sure you have plenty of surface aggitation at the warmer temps.

 

[JWright]

1 teaspoon per 10 gallons is a meaningless amount. At that level, you might as well stick with just heat (which is an effective method)

 

[channy]

i did the search and alot came up I was really wanting to know the recommended amount of salt to add? The last time I had it i only used the heat treatment and it worked fine but im alot more attached to my fish I have than I was then.

go to this page, you are going to learn a lot in this link


Fish Diseases - Signs of Stress and Disease in Tropical Fish and Goldfish.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

The ich already seems to be going away I did a big water change

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yup, the best way to fight ick is heat and water changes. The better the water, the better the fishes immune systems. So far it sounds like everything is going well.

 

[Seleya]

If you're going to use salt, 1 heaping tablespoon/5 gallons is what you want to use. At that dose, the temp needs to be at 84+.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

hay it looks like its gone how long should i keep the temperatures up???

 

[Lonewolfblue]

2 weeks after the last spot disappears, then slowly turn the temp back down. If they are clear, do a 14 day countdown and start turning the temp down on day 15.

 

[wilsonriverfish]

ok that sounds good how much is a safe decrease in temperatures? and over what period 1 degree a day to 72 degrees?