I Think My Tank Has An Outbreak Of Ich! Question About Salt.

lateinningmagic

lateinningmagic

Call Me E-Man
Apr 14, 2009
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New York
I was just taking a look at my tank and saw a pleco with e a single white dot in the middle of his head. I looked at all my fishies and a few of the neon tetras have white specks too. The Zebra Danios seem uneffected as do the ADFs and other Plecos.

I was looking at the salt/heat treatment. My temperature is already 80 degrees, but will add the heater to bring it up to 84-86. When is the best time to add the salt? As soon as I see the spots begin to dissapear? Or now?

Also, aquairum salt is just any salt without chemicals right? I have salt from my trip to Mexico about 2 years ago. It's made by digging a hole in the ground, pumping out water, and letting it sit in the hot sun until the water evaporates and only the salt is left. No chemicals are added. Can I use this salt for treatment? Or should I buy some from the store?

Help please.
 
One more question:

Should any of the other inhabitants be moved out into another tank?
 
I don't know why there would be a problem with the salt. It is food grade, right?
I think the salt heat method is good, and I know quite a few here that have used it and extol it's effectiveness.

I've hear the snail experts say that the snails can take it, too. I would worry about the ADFs, but they do not get Ich so don't really need the treatment. If you had another tank you could put them in, I might do that. It may not be necessary, though. I hope someone with more knowledge about that comes along soon.

I'm using a product called Ich Attack by Kordon that is safe for all occupants. I've increased the heat to 84 just to speed up the life cycle of the Ich protozoan.

Another AC member is using it right now, after hearing me discuss it and he's having great success with it. His name is Tay something, I can't remember, but his thread is in this forum about freshwater illness. I've been offline for two days due to power outages so I haven't checked on him, but I'm going to now.
 
I have two oranda's and one of them got a fungus infection. I was putting aquarium salt in for awhile and then I stopped. I started adding aquarium salt to my 20 gallon tank and the fungus is going away. The fish store that I go to told me to add salt when I change the water, also to try salt first before using any medication.
 
It seems that there are some practical uses for salt in goldfish treatments, from what I've seen here on AC, but in general the consensus is that in the freshwater tank the use of salt should be restricted to the treatment of Ich.

It is very effective in killing the Ich protozoan but its use should be very limited otherwise for freshwater fish. I've read papers that discuss salt dips in treatments of pond fish but again, by the comments of the fishkeepers on AC that have been doing this for years and years, salt should not be used generally in freshwater fish tanks, other than in treating Ich.
 
Thank for the info.

I put in the heater, but is a cheap one that I'm not even sure works. The knob that controls it doesn't turn it off as it should, so I don't if its even working. The temperature went from was a 78 this morning when the air temperature was 78. It got really hot and muggy here in NY and its up to 82 air temperature in my living room. The aquarium is at 84. Don't know if its because of the heater or not.

Anyway, the temp is up and I put in regular table salt since according to the sticky I could. (Even though normally table salt is a bad idea?)
 
Table salt is just fine, absolutely.
 
Better watch that heater very closely. I've seen too many posts by distressed fishkeepers here on AC after heater malfunctions cooked their fish. Get a good one as soon as you can.

I have a heater that came with a 10 gallon that had a dial but it was hit or miss on setting the temp. Now I have a Visitherm Stealth and set the desired temp, and it corrects and adjusts and even stops when you do a water change and the water level gets low.
 
Melody Doucet said:
Better watch that heater very closely. I've seen too many posts by distressed fishkeepers here on AC after heater malfunctions cooked their fish. Get a good one as soon as you can.

I have a heater that came with a 10 gallon that had a dial but it was hit or miss on setting the temp. Now I have a Visitherm Stealth and set the desired temp, and it corrects and adjusts and even stops when you do a water change and the water level gets low.
Click to expand...

I was just looking at a marineland submersible heater today, but decided to hold off on getting it until the weather got colder. This was before i noticed the ich obviously.

I'm going to keep a close eye on it, but my fish have handle up to 90 degrees (first day I got the heater and was trying it out) overnight. So they should be good with the heat.
 
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