Ich is a freshwater disease that plagues many aquariums. This disease is believed to be attributed to extreme temperature changes, stress, or introduction from feeder fish.

Nonetheless, when encountering ich, I have always successfully treated it using Non-Medication practices. I use aquarium salt to treat all of my aquariums. Going on 24 years of using this method, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best and most reliable method available to the hobbyists.

Typically, I ALWAYS add aquarium salt to all of my aquariums. I have yet to have any fish encounter any signs or symptoms of ich. Adding a Tablespoonfull per 5 gallons of aquarium water, will keep ich away. If you do happen to encounter ich, it is best to raise your aquarium temperature above 80 to help kill the disease.

Remember that extra salt should only be added hen doing water changes and not topping off aquariums. Salt will not evaporate, as water tends to do.

I have found that this method is more practical then adding medications and having to remove carbon. It is much cheaper, too.

Thanks for your attention.

Good information, Apoc! A disease triggered by stress, the last thing an affected fish needs would be more stress, which many times is what chemical based meds end up doing. Salt and temp increase is usually tolerated much better, speaking from experience!

Apocalypse wrote:

Ich is a freshwater disease that plagues many aquariums. This disease is believed to be attributed to extreme temperature changes, stress, or introduction from feeder fish.

Nonetheless, when encountering ich, I have always successfully treated it using Non-Medication practices. I use aquarium salt to treat all of my aquariums. Going on 24 years of using this method, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best and most reliable method available to the hobbyists.

Typically, I ALWAYS add aquarium salt to all of my aquariums. I have yet to have any fish encounter any signs or symptoms of ich. Adding a Tablespoonfull per 5 gallons of aquarium water, will keep ich away. If you do happen to encounter ich, it is best to raise your aquarium temperature above 80 to help kill the disease.

Remember that extra salt should only be added hen doing water changes and not topping off aquariums. Salt will not evaporate, as water tends to do.

I have found that this method is more practical then adding medications and having to remove carbon. It is much cheaper, too.

Thanks for your attention.

All good stuff. Although just to clear things up the heat is not what kills the parasite. Heat speeds up the creatures life cycle so that in it's vulernable stage the salt can kill it.

Great post Sir Poc!

Keeper

I agree Apoc, raising the temp and adding in some salt is best way to treat ick.



If I do get a case of ick (because I didn't quarantine new fish/plants) I would slowly take the temp up to 86 F and through water changes add in 2 1/2 tablespoons of salt for every 5 gallons. This treatment works well for the fish that can handle hard water and higher PH levels, and lower doses for those that can not of course. After about 2 weeks, bam, the ick is history, and I start reducing the salt levels in the tank by way of water changes.

But as I have learned over the years, the best way to avoid getting any diseases in my main tank is quarantine all new arrivals, fish and plants a like. LOL.... Now if I could follow my own advice!

DragonKeeper wrote:

Apocalypse wrote:

Ich is a freshwater disease that plagues many aquariums. This disease is believed to be attributed to extreme temperature changes, stress, or introduction from feeder fish.

Nonetheless, when encountering ich, I have always successfully treated it using Non-Medication practices. I use aquarium salt to treat all of my aquariums. Going on 24 years of using this method, I have come to the conclusion that this is the best and most reliable method available to the hobbyists.

Typically, I ALWAYS add aquarium salt to all of my aquariums. I have yet to have any fish encounter any signs or symptoms of ich. Adding a Tablespoonfull per 5 gallons of aquarium water, will keep ich away. If you do happen to encounter ich, it is best to raise your aquarium temperature above 80 to help kill the disease.

Remember that extra salt should only be added hen doing water changes and not topping off aquariums. Salt will not evaporate, as water tends to do.

I have found that this method is more practical then adding medications and having to remove carbon. It is much cheaper, too.

Thanks for your attention.

All good stuff. Although just to clear things up the heat is not what kills the parasite. Heat speeds up the creatures life cycle so that in it's vulernable stage the salt can kill it.

Great post Sir Poc!

Keeper

Actually heat alone is proven to kill ich...you will needtemps of 86-90 to do so. I would not trust heat alone to kill the ich completley as there has been tests done where ich has survived high temps but for the most part the high temp proves fatal to ich.