It's ICH!!!
After a... what, three year hiatus? Ich has struck one of my freshwater tanks. I purchased two emperor tetras 7-10 days ago and this morning I noticed one was swimming with clamped fins. A closer inspection revealed the tell-tale sign of ich, the white spots.
The other occupants -- black neons and cardinal tetras, two danios, a blue gourami, and a clown loach -- are also infected and showing the ich granules. Even if only one fish were infected, that still wouldn't matter as the entire tank has been exposed and over time every fish would show the signs.
Ich has an incubation period involving eggs, free floating parasites, the parasites burrowing into the fish, and finally, only the exterior visible ich nodes. This is why ich can be such a pain in the ass... you may think you've cleared it and then ten days later, bam, another outbreak.
I've fought Ich before, you see... several times. And every time I've won due to this simple and tried and true method I'll outline below.
I instantly raised the temperature to 86 degrees. This speeds up the life cycle of the parasites and the heat wears on them. If you have fish that can withstand temps up to 90, turn up the heat as high as it can go. Most strains of common ich will not last in temps above 88 degrees.
Then I added approximately 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. (29 gallon tank). The salt kills the parasites in the free-floating phase due to osmosis... they burst. I'll add more salt tomorrow just to be sure.
I've tried ich medications and none have ever worked. This method has worked for me three times, brilliantly. The thing is, though, you have to keep the heat and salt treatment up for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month, in order to ensure the last parasite has died and the last egg has hatched.
Stay tuned for some video footage. I'm going to try to film the most afflicted emperor tetra as he's got a classic textbook case of ich.
- Josh
joshday.com
The other occupants -- black neons and cardinal tetras, two danios, a blue gourami, and a clown loach -- are also infected and showing the ich granules. Even if only one fish were infected, that still wouldn't matter as the entire tank has been exposed and over time every fish would show the signs.
Ich has an incubation period involving eggs, free floating parasites, the parasites burrowing into the fish, and finally, only the exterior visible ich nodes. This is why ich can be such a pain in the ass... you may think you've cleared it and then ten days later, bam, another outbreak.
I've fought Ich before, you see... several times. And every time I've won due to this simple and tried and true method I'll outline below.
I instantly raised the temperature to 86 degrees. This speeds up the life cycle of the parasites and the heat wears on them. If you have fish that can withstand temps up to 90, turn up the heat as high as it can go. Most strains of common ich will not last in temps above 88 degrees.
Then I added approximately 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. (29 gallon tank). The salt kills the parasites in the free-floating phase due to osmosis... they burst. I'll add more salt tomorrow just to be sure.
I've tried ich medications and none have ever worked. This method has worked for me three times, brilliantly. The thing is, though, you have to keep the heat and salt treatment up for at least 2 weeks, preferably a month, in order to ensure the last parasite has died and the last egg has hatched.
Stay tuned for some video footage. I'm going to try to film the most afflicted emperor tetra as he's got a classic textbook case of ich.
- Josh
joshday.com
posted by Josh Day at 11:19 AM
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