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Hi, I need to know if i can kill ick with salt and by raising the tank temperature. I just want to be ready for ick for the future. These are my specs. 4 foot by 18" high (55gal) java fern plants, 5 loaches( 2of them are 4" , 3 of them are 3", 8 platys,6 zebra danios. One AC 500 and Filstar XP2. The loaches and the zebras have been in the tank for a year. I just want to be sure if i can use salt and temp, to kill ick. These are my notes.

- Change temp one degree or maybe maybe 2 every 12 to 16 hours.
- Add 2 1/2 teaspon per gallon
- Raise temp to 80F

---Fish Notes---
Clown loach Temp : 77F-84F
Zebra Danio Temp : 64F-77F
Platy Temp : 64F-77F

---Salt Types----
Aquarium,Kosher,Rock Salt.

If im wrong please correct me. Also I know about the size of the tank for the clowns, they will be moved to a bigger tank this year or next, just in case i cant, i will give them a way to in one of those trade shows.

P.S. I live in New Orleans, if that makes any difference.

Last edited by kwikspell at 02-Oct-2004 01:51

Your plants and loaches will likely NOT appreaciate the salt @all. While yes raising the temperature and using salt are methods of killing ich, the temp needs to exceed 95F, which is also likely to simply kill the fish. Simply raising the temp to anything lower will just speed up the life cycle of ich and not kill it.

With number of ich meds available on the market, some of them like rid ich + specially designed to handle ich on sensitive fish like loaches, there's no reason to use the old methods.

^_^

*Proud member of the Committee for Sig line Restoration*

Thanks, but can i use salt in any other way, any amount, doesnt salt help fish?

The 95 degrees for one week method has been successful if the oxygen content of the water is increased by creating more surface movement...

Most fish can tolerate the slow increase if healthy to begin with.

The usual temp is 86 degrees when using ich meds.

Salt, as far as I'm concerned, has no place in treating sick/diseased fish.

--garyroland.

Is it really as high as 95F? I am sure I treated suspected Ick (successfully) by raising the tank temp to 90ish for about five days - unless, of course, it never was Ick in the first place. Salt isn't neccessary to assist this method.
Personally I'd rather use an 'old-fashioned' method if it avoids adding chemicals to my tank, 'medication' or not

The 95 degrees, no meds, was meant for Clown Loaches who seem to be e to ich and are a risk to treat with meds...

Clowns by their very nature, prefer 86 degree tank water.

Those hobbyists who had Clowns with ich and preferred to treat medless, reported back that the high heat treatment did indeed cure the Clowns and all the rest of the other species in the tank.

Super oxygenated water is a must if one is to attempt the 95 degree treatment.

--garyroland.