# Bought new fish with ich/ick



## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

I've bought from a particular LFS, for years and this is the first time I got a fish with ich/ick. I've never had to deal with it before

Currently I'm slowly raising my temperature to 86 degrees and I'm turning off lights.

I know the fish came with it, he only had one speck and I thought I was seeing things, now he has more. I drip acclimated so no water from the LFS tank went into my tank...

When should I do a water change? I know the parasite has a life cycle but I don't know it well, my guess is that you're supposed to do a water change once the parasite is in the water looking for a host.

Also should I add a tablespoon of salt? I don't have aquarium salt, so will table salt be safe? How long should I continue this treatment?

If the treatment fails should I get Quick Cure? Will Quick Cure affect invertebrates? Does it have copper?

Here's my tank params:

Size: 20H gallon, planted

Fish infected: One Platy, no other fish in the tank at the moment.

Ammonia, Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrates: Normal

Another question: How long should I wait to add anymore fish? I do not want infect new fish.

Edit: Also, I cannot tell if he's itching or not, would that be a sign that the parasite is moving towards the water?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

You can use un-iodized salt to treat ich, and it's one teaspoon for every 5 gal. raise the temp to 85 and add some airstones. You can do water changes anytime, but you have to make sure you replace the salt you are removing. Treat for 10 days.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Thanks Susan... I also have another question... How does a dip treatment work? I hear you just dip the fish in a fully saltwater container until he starts losing equilibrium and then putting the fish back into the original tank. Does it produce faster results?

Edit: How big should my water change be?


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## joevw007 (Jul 6, 2011)

susankat said:


> You can use un-iodized salt to treat ich, and it's one teaspoon for every 5 gal. raise the temp to 85 and add some airstones. You can do water changes anytime, but you have to make sure you replace the salt you are removing. Treat for 10 days.


+1 for that. 5 tbsp per gal at 85 will run the cycle in about a week. i suggest changing water 2 times in the week and one the last day of it. good luck it should be fine you acted quick. you can also keep about 1 tbsp per 10 gal in at all times to help prevent any parasites in the future. it wont affect your plants i do it in my 55 planted.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

joevw007 said:


> +1 for that. 5 tbsp per gal at 85 will run the cycle in about a week. i suggest changing water 2 times in the week and one the last day of it. good luck it should be fine you acted quick. you can also keep about 1 tbsp per 10 gal in at all times to help prevent any parasites in the future. it wont affect your plants i do it in my 55 planted.


That is way to much salt. And I don't suggest keeping salt in a tank all the time. It defeats the purpose of using salt as a med.

I have never used the dip method, and I think you have to leave them in so long. Dip method might help get it off the fish faster, but it doesn't do anything about getting the parasite out of the tank. I would do 50% water changes while vac the substrate good.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

susankat said:


> I would do 50% water changes while vac the substrate good.


I should do this every other day within the ten days of salt + high temps? Or would every day be better?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Every 2 or 3 days would be fine, be sure to add salt to replacement water. After the 10 days, you can start removing the salt.


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## Pigeonfish (Jun 23, 2011)

Improvement on the Platy.. no spots now... just gotta wait now...

but ugh.. I think I somehow transferred some of parasite to my Betta tank... I see two spots on my female... Do I do the same treatment for her?


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