# ick



## born2lovefish (Aug 3, 2009)

If you have ick in your tank with angels or discus just crank up the temp to about 90 for two weeks. Make sure to add a cup of salt per 100 gallons of water. After a week do a 50 percent water change and ad more salt at the same rate. After week two, do another 50% water change and start to bring the temp back down. After another week do another 50% water change and your fish should be better!


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

The temperature should not be that high...82 to 84 should do it and no salt need be added to the Freshwater aquarium.


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## born2lovefish (Aug 3, 2009)

I was told this method by a discus breeder and it worked for me. I do not agree with your statement about salt is not needed for the freshwater aquarium. Over the last decade in the hobby I have added it at times to my tanks to treat stress and in times of disease. While salt is not needed in the freshwater aquarium, it can be found helpful at times. Also, research shows that the free swimming stage of ick can not survive the high temps in the high to low 90s. Last time I used salt to treat ick in my planted tank, I raised the normal temp from the low 80s to the low 90s, which worked for me. If you are saying 82-84 would be fine, then why did my fish still get ick at those temperatures?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

With keeping discus the temp is already at the level that most of us use for treating ich. So in a discus tank you would raise it to the lower 90's. Even with other fish I have raised mine to 88 to 90 to treat. It also helps to run an airstone at those temps since higher temps mean lower O2 in the tank.


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## Chickadee (Nov 15, 2008)

I do agree. Before the treatment is advised the type of fish and the type of tank needs to be taken into consideration. With my bettas the temperature and salt that you recommend would never do and with scaleless fish you would never add the salt. I do not say that the salt CANNOT be added but I do not personally use it and have successfully treated ick without its use and at the lower temperature levels. If your fish did get the parasite at that temperature then your tank is different than mine but perhaps you should list what your tank inhabitants are if you are specifically treating that type of fish. I would never recommend putting any substance into everyone's tank without finding out what they had in their tanks first not even something like salt as there are some fish that cannot handle it.


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## born2lovefish (Aug 3, 2009)

Chickadee said:


> I do agree. Before the treatment is advised the type of fish and the type of tank needs to be taken into consideration. With my bettas the temperature and salt that you recommend would never do and with scaleless fish you would never add the salt. I do not say that the salt CANNOT be added but I do not personally use it and have successfully treated ick without its use and at the lower temperature levels. If your fish did get the parasite at that temperature then your tank is different than mine but perhaps you should list what your tank inhabitants are if you are specifically treating that type of fish. I would never recommend putting any substance into everyone's tank without finding out what they had in their tanks first not even something like salt as there are some fish that cannot handle it.


Please take note that I mentioned in my first post for angels and discus.


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## Mermaid (Jul 23, 2009)

Just some miscommunication here and there is all. Thanks for the advice everyone, Ick scares the hell out of me!


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