5 replies to this topic

[damias]

I know I can still use meds and salt. But I can't just up the temp to 88 without hurting the temperate fish.

 

What would be the best way to deal with Ick in this case?

[Josh Blaylock]

What species do you have?

[littlen]

damias,  I've had ich a few times with natives and didn't feel comfortable raising the temps up that high.  You can use the meds and salt--but your treatment will just have to be longer.  Heating the water only speeds up the the lifecycle of the parasite, not improve the efficiency of the treatment.  

If you have access to it, formalin works well too, but has less room for error.  So use it carefully.

[damias]

What species do you have?

 

None yet, this is a hypothetical question.

 

damias,  I've had ich a few times with natives and didn't feel comfortable raising the temps up that high.  You can use the meds and salt--but your treatment will just have to be longer.  Heating the water only speeds up the the lifecycle of the parasite, not improve the efficiency of the treatment.  

If you have access to it, formalin works well too, but has less room for error.  So use it carefully.

 

Thanks for the answer!

[Josh Blaylock]

Ok, so I've had it break out a few times with new fish.  I usually just treat with salt.

[gzeiger]

Many natives are fine with the temperature treatment, and it's generally the least damaging to the rest of the system if you have plants and invertebrates. I would always recommend temperature alone for planted tanks unless you have some real cold-water species.