existentialmisery Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Hi all, had some ich develop in my tank after adding a few new fish. Didn’t have issues for a few days but now all new fish (a few tetras and three platys) have various stages of the parasite. I want to try to treat naturally, aka no meds. I have read about just increasing the temp to 86, exhausting the ich’s life cycle etc, but the thought of shocking my fish from the high temp is terrifying me. I love my fish and I would be heartbroken if I cooked ‘em. in the tank: 3 dojos, 3 neon tetras, 5 cories, 3 platys, some shrimp and snails. Only fish affected with ich are the tetras and platys (new fish). I’m actually amazed my other fish never seem to get it... who has kept dojos at this temp for 2 weeks? Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 (edited) 11 hours ago, existentialmisery said: Hi all, had some ich develop in my tank after adding a few new fish. Didn’t have issues for a few days but now all new fish (a few tetras and three platys) have various stages of the parasite. I want to try to treat naturally, aka no meds. I have read about just increasing the temp to 86, exhausting the ich’s life cycle etc, but the thought of shocking my fish from the high temp is terrifying me. I love my fish and I would be heartbroken if I cooked ‘em. in the tank: 3 dojos, 3 neon tetras, 5 cories, 3 platys, some shrimp and snails. Only fish affected with ich are the tetras and platys (new fish). I’m actually amazed my other fish never seem to get it... who has kept dojos at this temp for 2 weeks? Anyone? Raising the temperature on its own doesn't always cure ich I would treat with Ich x or API super ich cure I don't think Dojo would do well at 86 the maximum temp I would expose Dojo loach to would be 76 Edited April 27, 2021 by Colu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
existentialmisery Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 Yeah I just don’t have a QT tank set up so I’d have to dose ich x in my community tank and it’s just a mess with dying things blue (I have seiryu stone) I’m at a loss 😩 I wanted to see if the ich would go away on its own with the high temps for a week or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 2 minutes ago, existentialmisery said: Yeah I just don’t have a QT tank set up so I’d have to dose ich x in my community tank and it’s just a mess with dying things blue (I have seiryu stone) I’m at a loss 😩 I wanted to see if the ich would go away on its own with the high temps for a week or so I would still treat with ich x I have used it before the staining went away on it own over time 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Cory once told me on this forum or on the Facebook group that he wouldn’t raise temperature to treat Ich. He says the trade off of stress to only speed up the process isn’t worth it. Ive treated Ich twice. Once when I accidentally left the heater unplugged and once with a mew fish that I should have quarantined. The first time I turned up the heat and had no losses. The second time I did not turn up the heat and the Ich was gone within a few days with no losses. The second time was quicker, but the Ich was found quickly and I had the meds on hand. I won’t turn the heat up again when using Ich-X. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 ich x or salt. as mentioned raising the temp alone will not kill the ich. if you want to raise the temp, do a couple of degrees. no need to stress thigs further by raising the temp a lot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I somehow missed the part about not wanting to use a Ich-X because you wanted to do something natural. If you don’t have plants, I’ve heard of people beating Ich with only salt, but I don’t have any first hand experience doing it. I had no issues out of the Ich-X staining anything long term. But I don’t have that stone. It did discolor my silicone in one tank, but it did eventually go away. I also wiped the silicone down with a sponge afterwards. If you are set against the Ich-x (which works) I would do some real research on using salt. Maybe someone on the forum can walk you through that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowells Fish Lab Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 I think if this happened to me tomorrow I would move them to plastic totes with the essentials only (heat and air) and treat with the ich-x. I've only seen ich once and treated it effectively with the ich-x. It had no effect on hardscape (I had dragon rather than seiryu) but did tint the tank silicon and airline tubing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 2 hours ago, Lowells Fish Lab said: I think if this happened to me tomorrow I would move them to plastic totes with the essentials only (heat and air) and treat with the ich-x. I've only seen ich once and treated it effectively with the ich-x. It had no effect on hardscape (I had dragon rather than seiryu) but did tint the tank silicon and airline tubing. This is a great suggestion! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lefty o Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 2 hours ago, Lowells Fish Lab said: I think if this happened to me tomorrow I would move them to plastic totes with the essentials only (heat and air) and treat with the ich-x. I've only seen ich once and treated it effectively with the ich-x. It had no effect on hardscape (I had dragon rather than seiryu) but did tint the tank silicon and airline tubing. problem with this is, the ich is in the tank, not just on the fish. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch_ScruffyCityAquatics Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Most likely true. She could try it and abandon the attempt if any other fish become sick. I guess it depends on how long ago the Ich was introduced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowells Fish Lab Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Ya that's a tough one. Once fish are out of the tank though you would have more options as far as cranking up the temperature without harming a lower temp fish. I've heard 10 different answers to how long ich will survive without a host but it's supposed to be a week or two right? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 42 minutes ago, Lowells Fish Lab said: Ya that's a tough one. Once fish are out of the tank though you would have more options as far as cranking up the temperature without harming a lower temp fish. I've heard 10 different answers to how long ich will survive without a host but it's supposed to be a week or two right? From what I have read ich parasites can live for up 2 in a tank without a host 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowells Fish Lab Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 Sounds very familiar. Ok so how about that? Medicate fish separately in tubs while the tank runs hot to clear out remnants. How does that sit? I'm going to remember this the next time my fish get acne 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted April 28, 2021 Share Posted April 28, 2021 21 minutes ago, Lowells Fish Lab said: Sounds very familiar. Ok so how about that? Medicate fish separately in tubs while the tank runs hot to clear out remnants. How does that sit? I'm going to remember this the next time my fish get acne I have never done that I have always treated the main tank left fish in it I don't see why it wouldn't work separating fish you also be exposing them to less parasites in a clean tub 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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