My fish have Ick, what's the best way to cure it?

Question

I recently added a Bala Shark to my tank and the other day I noticed that my fish have Ick. I'm 16 and can't drive and my parents are always busy so going to the pet store for commercial products is out of the question. I don't want to lose my fish. Any suggestions on what I can do?

Answer 1

Heat, salt and darkness: This is surely one of the most hotly debated topics in fishkeeping! The suggested treatment procedure is as follows:

* gradually increase the tank's temperature to 80 degrees F.
* add salt to a solution of 3 teaspoons per gallon (in increments of 1 tsp per gallon every 12 hours).
* keep the tank in darkness by switching the light off and covering it with cloth or paper.

The theory behind how this treatment works is this:

* Increasing the temperature to 80 degrees F speeds up the ich lifecycle to a few days and therefore speeds up the rate at which the tomites are killed off by the salt. It also boosts the fish?s immune system, helping it to fight off the disease.
* The salt raises the salinity of the water to a level beyond the the tomites? osmoregulatory tolerance, causing them to burst. Also, the increased salinity stimulates the fish to produce a slightly thicker slime coat, helping to prevent re-infection and secondary infections.
* Ciliated protozoans cannot find new hosts easily in darkness and therefore more of the tomites die before they can latch on to the fish.

There seems to be good evidence, judging by the many stories related by people who have tried it, that this method does successfully cure ich.
However, many aquarists argue that it is an unsuitable, even dangerous, treatment because:

* Raising the temperature to 80F reduces the oxygen level in the water which can make it more difficult for the fish to breathe.
* Higher temperatures encourage the rapid growth of bacteria and fungus, putting the fish at increased risk of secondary infections.
* Higher temperatures speed up the rate at which the ich reproduces and therefore places more stress on an already vulnerable fish population.
* Coldwater fish such as goldfish will be put under more stress by a tropical-level temperature.
* Such a high level of salt places osmotic stress on the fish as well as the ich tomites, so if the fish is badly infested ? and therefore already struggling to control its osmoregulation - then this might be enough to kill it.
* There is no real evidence that darkness inhibits cilliated protozoans.

Answer 2

Ich is a parasite that lives on the surface of the fish. The best thing to do is get a product called Nox-Ich or something similar to treat the tank with. Can you order this online? You could try increasing the salt content of the tank, but you have to use salt actually designed for aquarium fish, also available at the pet store. This doesn't cure the ich per se, but makes water conditions less favorable for the parasite and other bacteria and fungus. Good luck!

Answer 3

I'm not sure what other fish you have and some fish...possible the baba shark may not take kindly to some treatments. You can use Kosher salt, and raise the temp of the tank in ick treatments. I believe the period for ick is 15 days (to kill eggs and all or it will come back) at 85 degrees. Not sure of exact info.

Do a search for bala shark ick on yahoo and you should come up with info for you. Don't put this off or they will die. Please treat tank after ick is off fish or you will not kill eggs.

Answer 4

You can try the salt and temperature change first, but no one has mentioned that you shouldn't use salt with iodine added - this includes table salt! If you have kosher or pickling salt at home use this instead.

If not, you'll have to get it at a grocery store. If you have a WalMart where you shop, you can also look in their "pet department" for a product called Quick Cure that is good for ich.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Ick is caused by a sudden drop in watr tempratur, ie: heater fails, cold air frm an open window, adding cooler watr to a tnk. If you cant gt to a shop try this:(1)siphon th bottom of yor tnk (2) slowly raise th watr temp (if 76 now, then raise to 83,84..).-heat alone will kill ick. (3)if u dnt hav aquarium salt, use house kosher salt(4)contrary to what most ppl believe, ordinary table salt will work.(5) Get MORE oxygen into th tnk. because th extra heat & salt will stress th fish.. .After yor fish r cured make a watr change 2 get rid of excess dissolved salt. When u do finally get a chance to shop, buy an ick preventive med, such as AQUARI-SOL. good luck

Answer 6

Find a way to a pet store for the drops. If you don't all your fish will get ick and eventually need the toilet burial. Walk, ride a bike, take a bus or taxi.

Answer 7

I'm sure you have a friend that can drive or maybe parents of a friend or neighbors can try to help out. Go to your pet store as soon as possible and get the medication for your fish.

Answer 8

Either you medicate them or you lose them. I would suggest next time you get a fish put it in confinement for a week before you add it to the tank. Oh, and retailers tend to have stressed out, sick fish. Buy elsewhere.

Answer 9

1. buy jungle buddy's parasite tablets this stuff works like magic online its only 3 bucks and yhou cant get it from petco.com and wal-mart.com

2. raise your temp to like 80's

but, remember ick is due to the health of your fish, b/c ick can't attach to fish unless there is something wrong like they r stressed, or poor water quality.

Answer 10

table salt.....2 teaspoons per gallon, pre-mix in a container and add slowly over several hours. Leave in your tank at least 1 week, and raise the temp to about 80*