oscarfan Posted November 27, 2005 Report Share Posted November 27, 2005 arg. ick infestation in one of my tanks. tank temp has always been 82 degrees so i don't think i can raise it. don't have aquarium salt. will regular table salt work? half dosage of quick cure is in the tank with no filters left in. help?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 I've only ever used the salt and temp trick. What is in the tank? Fry? Cichlids? Community fish? Oscars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop Eye Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Make sure there is no iodine in it!!! Regular salt usually has iodine in it. buy any new fish lately? I got some fish a week ago.. and now a couple fish in my tank have ich as well... Just wondeing if somethings going around.. I just did the salt, med and heat thing. With water changes. No deaths in a week... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Jury is still out on table salt with the iodine. There's nothing conclusive that it does in fact harm your fish, as many keepers have been using it for years without any apparent effects. That said, use at your own risk. Myself, I don't think twice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOSStile Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 (edited) Course pickling salt that you can get at Safeway, I believe there is no iodine in it, least the bag I had didn't. The ich you see attached to the fish is at a stage in its life when it is relatively immune to all treatment. Its only when it is in its free swimming stage that is can be treated by meds. The increase in temp. increases its metabolism so that its life cycle is shorter. Main thing to remember that the ich you see on the fish has grown there over a period of days and have grown enough to be visible to you, when you don't see them on your fish means they have detached to reproduce, so the thing to keep in mind is to continue to treat after the ich is no longer visible. I personally err on the side of caution and treat for 8-10 days total. I take it you are treating at half strength because you have scaleless fish such as loaches? If you don't it has been recommended to treat a full strength for a long enough length of time. Think of it like bacterial infection and treating it with antibiotics Also I have heard the same as Dunl that the amount of iodine in table salt will not harm fish, I will try to find a write up on this. Meanwhile use what you are comfortable using, myself I would use whatever I had to get the treatment going. Edited November 28, 2005 by HOSStile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Hosstile's right, pickling salt is an excellent source, very cheap, and free of iodine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arixonbarnes Posted November 28, 2005 Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 Sea salt works too and is available in bulk at the grocery stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarfan Posted November 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2005 thanks all for the quick advice. raised the temp and am treating with quick cure. will hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candice Posted November 29, 2005 Report Share Posted November 29, 2005 I also have added an airstone in when raising the temps. I have raised the temps as high as 84 short term with no problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarfan Posted December 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 ok. i caved and bought two pleco's and shockingly.. ick kicked in in my tank again.. i've got aquarium salt.. will my two cory cats and my weather loach be able to handle it if i put some in the tank to help fight the ick? the quick cure i used fixed 'em up last time but this time i thought salt might help. i've read cory's don't do well with salt but thought i'd ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishBrain Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 Just be sure to mix it very well before adding to the tank. I salt all my tanks lightly and have no problems with my loaches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
midgetwaiter Posted December 17, 2005 Report Share Posted December 17, 2005 The whole iodine thing is silly. Iodine is added to salt through a couple of compunds, usually potasium iodide. It is added at a level of 0.006% to 0.01% by weight. By time you have an iodine problem you will have added about 40 pounds of salt per 10 gal. Maybe more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arixonbarnes Posted December 18, 2005 Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 Aren't plecos sensitive to salt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oscarfan Posted December 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 18, 2005 seem to be doin ok with the salt so far.. is it recommended to treat and use salt/raise temp? or can one get away without using chemicals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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