Ich Prevention

[FanOFish]

I guess I've been lucky because I have never had Ich in my tanks until now! I noticed last night that one of my clown loaches had a few white spots on it's fins and tail which I'm thinking is Ich.

I turned the heater up to 80-82 and ran to the store for medication. I read in a book I have that many times if you catch it early you can clear Ich simply by turniing up the heat because the parasite cannot last at that temperature but the tropical fish can. However, I bought CopperSafe which is supposed to help kill the parasite but it says it is also something that you should add on a regular basis to prevent Ich in the first place?

My two questions to the panel of experts are:

1. Am I doing the right thing to try and rid the fish and tank of Ich?
2. Do any of you use this product or a similar product on a regular basis as a preventative?



Thanks

 

[Loopyness]

The first thing to do when you have ich is put the temp up, because as you said this will get it if you catch it quickly. you have to be careful when using medication when you have clown loaches. They're sensitive fishies.
Personally i dont use any medication to prevent ich, im sure doing regular water changes and keeping the tank clean will prevent this on it own. im sure someone else will come along and make more sense about all of this.
heres a quote from loaches.com
"What to watch out for:

- ick, at the first sign of ick, medicate the tank with any product at half dose. Keep the medicine concentration at a steady level until the Ick are all gone. Almost any medicine that treats Ick will work. Personally I have always been successful with coppersafe."

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I don't think thetre is any way to prevent ich as such other than to avoid any stress on the tank as this can make fish more susceptible to getting it. There are arguments that it is always present in the tank but it only gets out of hand when the fish are vulnerable.

Some put meds in when adding new fish in an attempt to make them not get ich from the stress. IMO you shouldn't keep meds in the tank without disease and so this med should be removed gradually when the fish are more settled. Keeping meds constantly in the tank may lead to the disease becoming immune to it and then there would be no cure of it was to properly attack the tank.

I am not sure on most of the above, it is my educated guess.

HTH

 

[HeatherSweetness]

If I see ich start I just add a little extra salt and raise the temp to 85. Someone recommended that and it worked pretty good for me. I caught it early,tho.

 

[FanOFish]

Well hopefully I've caught it early enough....the temp has been raised and CopperSafe added so we shall see. I checked this morning and of course the clowns loaches are in hiding but didn't see any outbread on any of the other fish.

Thanks for all your suggestions.

 

[crazie.eddie]

If I see ich start I just add a little extra salt and raise the temp to 85. Someone recommended that and it worked pretty good for me.

I concur...I got rid of an ich infestation in my 37 gallon tank, all by just raising the temp and adding aquarium salt. Also forgot to mention, doing light gravel cleanings.

Raising the temp speeds up their life cycle. They cannot be killed when they attach to a host. But the next stage is they fall off and fall to the bottom, and later become free swimming. There is where they are most vulnerable. The gravel cleaning will pick up the ones on the gravel. The parasites do not have the organs to process the salt in the water.

 

[FanOFish]

I was under the assumption that you can't add salt if you have scaleless fish like clown loaches?

Anyway, after turning up the heat and adding Coppersafe, the spots are gone from the loaches and the Coppersafe is supposed to stay for the 30 day life cycle...

Looks good so far

 

[Reefbum]

I am having some problems I have never had before but ICK is not it. I have had a reef tank and fresh water tank for many years and started using a UV Sterlizer and since then I have had no problems as it will sterlize your water and eliminate many problems. These new fish I got in are the only problems I have ever had.

 

[crazie.eddie]

I have clown loaches and I apply normal dosage of salt in my tank. The trick is to dissolve the salts in water, then slowly pour that into your tank over 15-20 minutes. My method is I cut several slits on the bottom half of a plastic disposable drinking cup, then glue some string to the cup using aquarium silicone glue so I can hang the cup. After the glue dries, I put my salt in the cup and slowly lower the cup into the tank. I let the cup hang just below the water line. The salt slowly dissolves and the current of my filters spread it around. I also move the cup in different locations so that it spreads evenly. I always does my tank with salt every month, during a water change.

 

[crazie.eddie]

UV sterilizer for a freshwater tank isn't a good idea. You are not only killing off the bad bacteria, but the good (benificial) bacteria as well. Therefore, the tank would be similar to a new tank cycle and you could be exposing the fish to high ammonia/nitrites, which could stress the fish out, causing lower resistence, which leads to disease or even deaths.

The best way to use a UV sterilzer in a freshwater tank is using it with a Wet/Dry filter and a large sump. You would place the UV sterilizer after the overflow, before it enters the wet/dry filter. That way you kill off the bacteria before it is filtered. The filter pads on the Wet/Dry will take care of the mechanical filtration and the bioballs will take care of the bioligical filtration. Then place the heater and large pumps and powerheads in the sump to trash the water around like crazy. This will oxygenate the water before it returns back to the tank. I would also add a biowheel to the tank for added bacteria.

Whenever you get new fish, you should always quarantine them in a QT tank for at least a week and treat them with parasite medication. This way, they will get rid of any internal parasites. Also, if the fish have any kind of bacteria or fungus, it should show within the QT period.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

I have clown loaches and I apply normal dosage of salt in my tank. The trick is to dissolve the salts in water, then slowly pour that into your tank over 15-20 minutes. My method is I cut several slits on the bottom half of a plastic disposable drinking cup, then glue some string to the cup using aquarium silicone glue so I can hang the cup. After the glue dries, I put my salt in the cup and slowly lower the cup into the tank. I let the cup hang just below the water line. The salt slowly dissolves and the current of my filters spread it around. I also move the cup in different locations so that it spreads evenly. I always does my tank with salt every month, during a water change.

How will that help their bodies to cope with the salt? I thought that they will have internal problems that will not always be seen from the outside as their bodies are not tolerant to salt. I have used a little salt with some fish but never a full dose and I don't really see how the menthod of putting it in the water will make any difference to the long term effects on health. I agree that it should not all be shoved in at once but I think that about all fish.

I am interested as perhaps salt is an option for my loaches but not until I understand it.

 

[crazie.eddie]

They don't have internal problems with the salt, it's externaly. It will burn their skin if comes in contact. I used to put salt directly in the tank, but I suffered a few fish deaths with cories. After I started dissolving the salt in water first, before applying in the tanks, the fish were fine. I later got clown loaches and still applied with salt. I later found out they are sensitive to salt, but mine never reacted to it. I figured dissolving it worked. In fact, they even approach the hanging cup as the salt dissolves.

Aquarium salt helps reduce electrolyte loss caused by disease and stress, and promote healthy gill function. I also apply Stress Coat, which also helps them out.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

They don't have internal problems with the salt, it's externaly. It will burn their skin if comes in contact. I used to put salt directly in the tank, but I suffered a few fish deaths with cories. After I started dissolving the salt in water first, before applying in the tanks, the fish were fine. I later got clown loaches and still applied with salt. I later found out they are sensitive to salt, but mine never reacted to it. I figured dissolving it worked. In fact, they even approach the hanging cup as the salt dissolves.

Aquarium salt helps reduce electrolyte loss caused by disease and stress, and promote healthy gill function. I also apply Stress Coat, which also helps them out.

I have read on here a million times that it does something to their liver or kidneys (I am not good with organs. ooo er ) over longterm.

It's nice to hear a different view. I have used salt with cories ok in the past. I disolve the salt but I always did it in warm water and then pured it into the tank gradually over time into the filter bubbles.

I am a great believer in stress coat btw. Not for tap water condtioner but to help stress with moves and disease etc.

Thanks for the information.

 

[motherof6]

I have also read that any form of Catfish or scaleless fish cannot tolerate any salt. I do not know off hand what the injury to the fish would be but they would not say so for no reason.

Here is a link posted in the Catfish Cradle part of this form.

I would post a question in that form asking what the side affects would be before adding salt if you really care about the long term life of your fish.


Plec's and Cory's, No use of salt!