# Another ICHy question...



## davec (Jan 19, 2010)

So I recently bought a clown loach from LFS and I don't realize it has Ich until I get home and put it in the tank. I don't have a q tank yet. I call LFS and guys tel me that ICH is ubiquitous and gives me the impression it is always lying dormant waiting for the next stressed fish in one's tank to attack. He says just add salt and crank up the temp. He tells me that he at times have knowingly bought fish with Ich since it is such a common problem that can be readily treated. But, from what I've read it does not stay dormant and if there are no fish to continue the cycle it should 'wither up and die'. 

But to give credence to the LFS staff viewpoint is it quite possible for fish to harbour ICH have partial immunity to it. Pass through quarantine, be ok for sometime in the display tank but when stressed the ICH overwhelms the host and voila the can of worms is opened to cylce in the display tank. Just like chicken pox in humans. You fight it of as a child but virus never leaves you remains in check until you are stressed and then you get chicken pox the sequel aka shingles. Or is my line of thinking too theoretical and in practice q tanks actually are very effective and it is quite probable not just theoretically possible to have a tank 100% ICH free.

Another related question. For those of you who have worked at a LFS are the filtration systems at the LFS connected to multiple tanks which would increase likelihood of parasites to contaminate multiple tanks or does each tank have its own filtration system? If it is the former I guess you would have to look at an entire battery of tanks to make sure none of the fish look like they have parasites.

Lastly do you veterans alwasys put some salt in your tank to help prevent ICH/parasites? And salt is to help stimulate the fish's mucous coating from disease?

Thx 

Dave C


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

Though it is theoretically possible that you can get a tank 100% ich free....it is highly unlikely.

I am personally a believer of the dormant theory. Plus, its not worth it to try to achieve a 100% ich free zone, since its pretty easily treated.

I dont work for a LFS, but usually you can tell if a store has a central/multiple tank system or a 1 filtration system per tank. Most store that use 1 filtration system per tank will uses under gravel filtration or sponge filters, where stores with tanks drilled will have multiple tank filtrations.

So yes, stores with multiple tank filtration will have a higher probability of bacterial, viral or parasital infections spreading from one tank to another. Even so, stores with 1 filtration per tank isnt out of the dark. Many infectious agents can survive on hard objects in the tank or objects used in the tank, so there is a possibility of the infection to spread from tank to tank just because the same net or the same hose was used between the tanks. Camallanus for example.

I never add salt into my tanks unless there is a need--treating Ich for example. And salt affects the parasites directly, freshwater ich to my knowledge doesnt tolerate salt that well.


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## davec (Jan 19, 2010)

Hi Hitch

What is your protocol to treat ich?

How much salt and what temp? +/- which meds?

Thx in advance


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## Fishfinder (Feb 17, 2008)

My clowns and a few tetra's also have ICH at the moment. My tank temp is already fairly high b/c the clowns like that ~79-80F, and i am using an ICH med, when using ICH meds with clown loaches, make sure to use only 1/2 the recommended dose because they are very sensitive to it. 
Its also important to make sure your loaches are feeding well to keep up there strength.
Watching mine, iv noticed that one would stay still/ lay down and another loach would pick/groam off some of the white ICH spots off the body( or maybe just giving a back scratch?) 

Edit: personally i have never tried using salt. As for meds, i just pick one off the shelf that says 'ich med', the one i have has malachite green in it i believe


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## Hitch (Apr 26, 2009)

This is prob the best protocol for dealing with ich in loaches. I have plecos, which are more tolerant of salt then loaches so I use a slightly diff protocol. 

One of the main things is to increase the temp to 86F. This would speed up the ich's lifecycle drastically so you can kill the bug itself since the meds dont work on the eggs.

oh, forgot to mention, increase the temp gradually, like over 2 days. Sorry, forgot to mention that since all of my tanks are always at 86-88F. lol


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## Tropicana (Feb 15, 2009)

When i went to Big als Newmarket i asked if the tanks were linked together and had one larger filtration system and the employee said they have there aquariums in groups of 10 or less. so many of the tank systems are linked together.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

+1 I don't add anything to the tanks unless it's necessary.


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## NuclearTech (Mar 23, 2008)

Riceburner said:


> +1 I don't add anything to the tanks unless it's necessary.


++1

I've treated ich on cardinal tetras in the past with just a gradual temperature change. I was fortunate enough not to lose a single fish. The Rams in the tank were unaffected and made it through just fine. Good luck!


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## davec (Jan 19, 2010)

Hi Nuclear tech

So just heat without any meds or salt?

What temp?

Thx


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## davec (Jan 19, 2010)

Oh by the way

Do you think just keeping the tank at a temperature at the high range of what the fish can tolerate will help prevent ich?


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## NuclearTech (Mar 23, 2008)

Hi davec,

It's been 2 years since my battle, honestly I can't remember the temp I used. I got some good advice here on the forum, and I went with that. Hitch recommended 86 F, which I believe to be 30 C, and that does sound like what I used. I definitely raised it gradually, like over 2 days, and I maintained that temp for (if I recall correctly) about a week. Then I gradually brought it back down. Ich has a life cycle and only one stage of it shows up as white dots (cysts) on your fish.

There's lots of info on the life cycle of ich here: http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/health/ich.shtml

This article recommends raising the temp as well as treating with meds. I may be incorrect, and someone please speak up if I am, but I believe that the length of time that you keep the temp raised is just as important as how high you raise the temp, and by raising the temp long enough, you are eventually preventing the life cycle from continuing and the remaining parasites die out. (phew, run-on sentance).

Furthermore, it may depend on how much ich is currently in your tank. I caught mine early (Like 3 Cardinals showing cysts out of 15). It's up to you; you may feel more comfortable with the combined temp/meds approach.

As for keeping the temp high post ich-tx, I wouldn't. Fish are most comfortable in their specific temp range. Don't waste hydro when the parasite is no longer a threat.

I hope this is helpful. Keep us informed!


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