can you???

Question

I am thinking of raising my temp. of my tank of trop. and goldfish what is the highest the temp. can to kill parasites in my water that are visible such as ick

Answer 1

While raising the temp to 85 for 3-5 days for tropical fish is the best way to kill all the phases of the parasite, I don't know if it will harm goldfish which are coldwater fish and need 60-65 degrees. That would be a 20 degree rise in temp for the goldfish and could be fatal to them.

I suggest going to a goldfish forum and ask the posters what they do for their goldfish in that circumstance. I may do that myself, too, just to find the answer. Fishjunkies.com is a good one that has much info on all fish.

Here is the info on ich from them:
Ich is a parasite that burrows underneath a fish's skin. They cause the fish to be dusted in white specks, sometimes compared in appearance to salt or sand grains. The fish may dart around and try to rub against objects in its tank. This disease can actually be quite lethal, but fortunately is very easy to diagnose and treat. The parasites will multiply in greater and greater numbers so it is important to start treating right away when detected. It is very important to note that just because the fish no longer have white spots that you may assume they are all dead. They will continue to live and reproduce in the water and surrounding tank after they have fallen off the fish. This is why the appropriate amount of heat is important. It would take weeks for the life cycle to complete at low temperatures! You must continue treating the tank for at least one full week in order to kill ALL the parasites (if tank kept warm; longer if not; see treatment below). The parasites on the fish cannot be treated; they are only susceptible to medication in a pre-adult phase of their life cycle, right before they become adults and attach to the fish.

Treatment:
Raising the water temperature will help to speed up the life cycle of the parasites (upper 70's to 80 if your fish can handle this; temp of 90 can sterilize some fish. Try for 84, while gradually reducing temp as problem is cured). Salt baths are effective in getting the parasites off the fish. Salt baths are also beneficial in that you cause the parasites to fall off while the fish is in its bath water, then you return the fish to the tank without the parasites, so they won't be present to reproduce in the tank! Products containing copper salt are very effective (note that this will kill snails) such as Coppersafe or Aquarisol. A number of other products can be found in stores specifically designed for Ich, but remember that the harsher the chemical is, the more stress it will cause to the fish too, not just the parasite. Malachite green is not suggested for scaleless fish like catfish or loaches, or some other fish such as tetras. Treat once every 3-4 days for 4 treatments, changing 50% of the water before every treatment. Continue this treatment for about 2 weeks to ensure death of all the parasites. Remember, they're only susceptible to the medication during one phase of their life cycle which is a 3-day period.

Prevention:
A stressed and weakened fish for whatever reason will allow a dormant parasite to invade the fish and start multiplying. Eliminate stress due to poor water conditions, changes in temperature, bullying fish, etc. Quarantine new fish and plants to ensure you don't bring parasites in from outside sources. Do not cause any drastic changes in temperature in your tank. Always float new fish in their new tank for at least 15 minutes to allow the temperature to stabilize and match before releasing them in a new tank (remember if you float in a bag to open it, as the fish need air to breathe). This is a very common problem in new tanks that causes new fish to contract the parasites, alongside poor water conditions in established or establishing tanks.

Answer 2

Raising temp doesn't kill the parasites, it speeds up their life cycle so that a medication kills them off more quickly. Keep in mind that the higher the water temp the lower the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water for the fish to breathe. Use good aeration (a good airstone) if you try this. Also, I would not raise temp much higher than low 80's. If you think you have parasites I'd recommend you find a good live fish store and ask them about a proper medication. Also, as another responder said, your goldfish will be very unhappy with higher temps. I don't think raising temp is recommended for goldfish. You could put the tropicals in a separate quarantine tank to treat them with a medication and a higher temp though you'd still have to treat the goldfish, too, in the main tank.

Answer 3

i have goldfish and i dont have a heater but it gets hot in the summer and my tank got to like 80 but i dont know if you are supos to have it that high

Answer 4

no temp can kill the parasites and not kill your fish,
cleanig and special solution at stores is the best way