Ich

[Zoe]

I have 7 rummy-nosed tetras with Ich.
I've caught them all (oof) and they are in a smaller tank in heavily salted water. Their white "ich" spots have for the most part disapeared - does this mean they are gone and i can reduce the salt? Or do they just go discoloured or something in the salt?

Thanks
Zoe

[locojay]

Ich sucks!

When I had it I treated it for 14 days, even tho I couldn't see anymore spots after the first 4 days. Different sources gave me different lengths of treatment but I went with the longest one to be safe. If they just went away I would keep treating it. The fish could still be infected. From the understanding I got the white spots are not visible until a few days after the fish is infected so there could be more on the way. I could be wrong, someone will probably come along and give a better answer.

[Zoe]

Yeah, I will go buy some real ich meds tomorrow. I read that a salt bath can kill some of the ich, and while I didn't put the salt ultra high, it's much higher than "normal". I obviously can't keep them like that forever :S poor fishies

[Puffer Pita]

If they have "for the most part" disappeared, no, you can't stop treatment. You must continue treatment for at least 14 days after you stop seeing any sign of ich. Just because you can't see it doesn't mean its gone, it often lives in their gills where its out of sight. Additionally, ich has three life stages, only one of which is the visible form you see on the fish.

[Zoe]

Yeah, I know. I'll start treating them tomorrow with ich meds (everything is closed at this time). My question is, can I reduce the salt concentration in the water. Can't be good for 'em. Or should I keep it high to combat the ich?

[Puffer Pita]

Medication is not necessary and tends to cause more problems than it solves. I would continue with the salt and heat (have you raised the heat?) and that is all that's needed. Well that and patience. The salt won't harm the fish for that period of time. If you aren't using one, you should consider adding an air stone as higher temps lead to less oxygen in the water. How much salt are you using? Higher than "normal" doesn't mean much, as "normal" should usually be zero. Salt isn't needed in a freshwater tank unless you are treating for ich/velvet, particularly not those you have listed in your 90g tank.

[aaa]

besides the sick fish, look closely for any sign for ich on other fish in the same tank. just a throught, you mention 2 dead bn pleco, maybe something has to do with that.

[Zoe]

There's about 2 tablespoons of salt, it's a 1.8gallon tank. I know it is small but I just saw the ich tonight and it's the only thing I had to put them in. There is no airstone but the filter has a bubbler thing. Not sure what it is but anyway there are a lot of air bubbles going into the water.
There is no heat in it (again, didn't have a small enough heater and could not go get one at this time of night).
Drastic measures will have to wait until tomorrow night...

Do you advise against treating the 90gal? I have seen no one else with Ich, but I'm sure its in the water there somewhere. (kicks self for not quarantining... I've learned my lesson.)

I've increased the temperature to 82F. Don't want to put salt in because of the plants...

Zoe

[Zoe]

Don't think so, aaa. The two pleccos died a couple days ago, only 3 days after I got the rummy-noseds. I can't see that being long enough for the ick to attack and kill the two pleccos. In the same night, no less...

[locojay]

Originally Posted by Boxermom

Medication is not necessary and tends to cause more problems than it solves.

I used meds on my outbreak and it worked fine. The worst part was it turned my airhose blue and it's still blue a year later. I had 1 marble molly 1 dwarf gourami and 6 neon tetras in my 10g. The gourami was the one to catch it and he was the only one that didn't make it, but that was because it took me a long time to diagnose. I didn't figure out that's what he had until it was somewhat advanced.

[Puffer Pita]

locojay, yes, it can work sometimes but other times, it can cause other problems including death. I'm a firm believer of using medications only when necessary, and its not necessary for ich treatment.

Zoe, if you found them with ich in the 90, then the 90 should be treated. The amount of salt you are using isn't going to hurt the fish (or the plants) but since everyone has been exposed and there's ich living in the tank already, they should all be treated. The temp should be slowly raised to about 86 and kept there during the entire treatment period. Also treat with the salt. The heat will speed up the parasite's lifecycle and the salt will kill it and will help the fish heal as well.

[locojay]

Well I sincerely hope that I never have to deal with ich ever again. But if I do I will try treating it with salt this time. I suppose I have to agree that a non-chemical solution would be better.

[Zoe]

The amount of salt you are using isn't going to hurt the fish (or the plants)

Oh, I was told by someone else that the salt would kill the plants... They seemed to know what they were talking about. Bah, I need a third opinion!

How many salt? One tbsp/gallon? Or more?

[Puffer Pita]

That amount of salt won't hurt most plants. Won't even register on a refractometer. I use 2 Tbs. per 5 gallons for ich treatment.

[Zoe]

Okay... I'll put some salt in. Promise it won't hurt my plants? I love my plants...

[Puffer Pita]

I promise its very unlikely to harm them. Not that low of a dose for such a (relatively) short time. I've treated in my heavily planted tanks with no plant losses.

[Phantom_Cichlid]

as Boxermom said just raise the temp a few degrees it will work, when my oscar was small it got ich so i raised the temp and it started going away.

[Damon]

That amount of salt will not hurt your plants, any of them. Even the most fragile in our hobby (Downoi, Eustralis stellata, and tonnia) will not suffer from the amount of salt needed to treat for ich. Temp is important as it speeds up the lifecycle of ich. It can only be killed in the freefloating stage by salt or any med. When the white spots are gone from your fish, they are either free floating (vunerable) or in cyst form (impermeable to everything) getting ready to begin anew. Thats why you have to treat for 14 more days to make sure you get it all. Ich is normally in all 3 stages when you notice an outbreak.

[Zoe]

So I'll need to keep the salt in and temps up for 2 weeks?

As for medicating, I don't know. Some are telling me to medicate, others not. Will salt and high temps alone kill the ich? I don't want another outbreak but I don't want to medicate if I don't have to.

[Lupin]

Zoe, high temps will definitely speed up the ich's lifecycle process. Ich parasites are most vulnerable at free-swimming stage. Of course, salt will kill ich. Better than meds, in fact, since some meds will harm your beneficial bacteria.

Yes, continue treatment for 2 weeks. You don't want to risk another outbreak, right?

IMO, some meds will kill your fish more than the salt.
Just follow the advice given to you. Rest assured that your fish will recover if you follow others' advice.