# Removing plants to treat



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me the best way to remove my plants to treat for ich? I have water wisteria that's about 14 inches tall, and an amazon sword that's about 8 inches tall. I've been using the salt and heat treatment since Monday, and that doesn't appear to be working. I've had the temp at 86-90 degrees all week, and I thought that alone was supposed to kill the ich. However, I'm still seeing spots on fish that I believe have already lost the spots and then regained them again. I'm going to ratchet up the salt to a teaspoon per gallon I guess, but if that doesn't do the trick then I'm going to say forget the natural approach and go with chemicals. So, should I have to go that far, what would be the best way to remove and ensure my plants safety.

PS: I know the heat and salt isn't good for the plants either, but they seem to be doing ok with it so I haven't bothered with removing them.


----------



## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

Salt is a chemical... in the Amazon, source of your sword plants, it's as rare a chemical as any commercial medicinal dye.

If you remove the plants, then you remove the Ich cysts. When you reintroduce the plants....
I'm willing to consider that tap water in different localities may affect how salt does or doesn't work, but I have never cured Ich with salt and heat. That's in 45 years of continuous fishkeeping. 
Check the salt resistance of those plants before you up the content, if that's the way you're going.


----------



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

Well I upped the salt to 1 tsp per gallon before work this morning and when I got home I don't see anymore spots on anyone. Hopefully after a week I'll be completely cured and I can turn the temperature down finally.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Here lies the problem with treating with natural methods.....further stressed fish and potentially stressed plants. Lower the temp back down where it was and pick up some Quick Cure. In the times I have used it has always gotten rid of the spots in 3-4 days. You also have to remember that you need to treat at least 4 days beyond the last visible sign.


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Knucklesam said:


> Well I upped the salt to 1 tsp per gallon before work this morning and when I got home I don't see anymore spots on anyone. Hopefully after a week I'll be completely cured and I can turn the temperature down finally.


Hopefully it will work.

One of the dirty little secrets IMHO is that ich sometimes goes away on its own.

Especially in environments where the fishs' immune system is heathy like planted tanks.

my .02


----------



## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Healthy fish don't contract ich. There are many strains of ich around now a days because of the the so many treatments many strains are adjusting to it. I have cured ich with just high temps, also with salt, and on occasions with meds. Treatment should last 10 days no matter which way you go in order to kill any cysts that may hatch. The only that they can be killed is when they are free floating.

As for the dirty little secret, it never goes away on its own, if the fish and plants are healthy they don't have the chance to attach.


----------



## Knucklesam (Mar 8, 2012)

jrman83 said:


> Here lies the problem with treating with natural methods.....further stressed fish and potentially stressed plants. Lower the temp back down where it was and pick up some Quick Cure. In the times I have used it has always gotten rid of the spots in 3-4 days. You also have to remember that you need to treat at least 4 days beyond the last visible sign.



You're right. After 6 days of 86+ degrees and all this salt, one of my barbs still has a couple spots. Also my wisteria is deteriorating a bit. I'm going to cool the temperature back down slowly and buy some treatment. We use quick cure at work, but don't sell it (go figure) so I'll pick some up at wally world tomorrow. I'm due for a water change tomorrow so I'm gonna make it a big one.


----------

