Guppies, tetras, fry and ich?

Question

I have 4 guppies, 4 neon tetras and 2 black tetras along with 3 guppy fry. They're all being kept in the same tank, although the fry are floating in a plastic tub above the others until I can set up a nursery tank. I was treating Ich using Interpet Aquarium solution #6 though the active ingredients are unknown. This appeared to be burning my fish so I decided to drastically cut the dose and raise the temperature of my tank. On very informed adivce I raised my tank to 84 intending on raising it to 88 but stopped because I was concerned for the fry, can the fry handle such extreme temperatures, especially since they are a few days old at present?. If I was going to do a salt bath, would this be wise with pregnant guppies? (one is showing a very darkened gravid spot).
As a result of cutting the dose, the signs of burning have lessened dramatically. I am also doing daily 10-20% water changes with the gravel siphon to try and reduce the ich levels in the water, is this wise?

Answer 1

The fry will not have a problem with the temperature at all. The fact that they are near the surface will help as well. I have seen wild guppy fry in shallow waters along streams with temperatures over 110F and packed in like sardines in a can. Ich however will kill they in a matter of a few days. It takes far fewer ich parasites on their gills to kill than for adult fish.

As for the very pregnant female fish, the salt bath will stress them significantly and could cause them to have a premature birth. You will have to make the call as if they have ich on them, it could kill they before they give birth. Tough choice, but you won't eliminate the ich from the tank as long as they have ich.

Glad to hear the burns are healing.

The water changes will help reduce the amount of ich in the tank, but will not eliminate the ich entirely. The salt and heat will finish it off though.

MM