# Treating ich with salt



## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

So I found what looks like a bunch of ich spots on a female convict. I have decided to treat for ich. I've been raising the temperature sitting at about sitting at about 86 degrees right now. I added about 8 table spoons of salt which would treat about 20 gallons of water going off 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons. It's a 90 gallon tank. Fish arnt acting any different than beforehand. I will add another 8 in the morning and give about 6 hours before adding more. My question is, after reaching the required amount do I do any water changes while adding more salt? Or do I leave it for the 10 days of salt bath before a water change? Thanks for the help!


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## DrewForDummies (Jul 26, 2010)

I'm treating my tank with the salt treatment as well, but I'm not seeing any results.. hopefully you get luckier. The only time I've changed my water these last two weeks was when I noticed my nitrates started creeping up, just make sure when you add new water it already has some salt and you should be fine.

Good luck.


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Thanks. Did you increase the temperature as well? I hear it can take a while. Also what kind of salt did you use? I just got some sea salt says it's iodized but shouldn't harm fish. Good luck to you as well. Hopefully we don't lose any fish!


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## DrewForDummies (Jul 26, 2010)

Yeah my tank is sitting at 84 - 86 degrees. I'm using just regular table salt but its iodine free, the fish are doing fine surprisingly. The catfish has no ick or signs of it on him what so ever, and the polleni is covered with ick but only occasionally sits at the bottom of the tank for a few minutes before she starts swimming around again. I'd be bummed if I lost any fish, considering if I lost one it'd be 50% of my tanks population. :lol:

And as I'm typing this I hear my polleni trying to jump out of the tank. Twice.


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

If you have a lid it maybe trying to rub up against it. I have a glass cover and a couple of mine seemed to try and relieve themselves by rubbing up on it or maybe even by stirring up the water. Well as an update my fish don't seem to be flashing as much. There's less spots on the fm con. Funny thing is I have yet to see that specific one flash yet. Adding more salt now.


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## DrewForDummies (Jul 26, 2010)

What do you mean by flashing? I know that my polleni is flaring at me with her gills and she also started to randomly twitch every now and then.


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Flashing as in rubbing up on objects, scratching themselves on rocks, filters, sand etc. Is your fish doing that?


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## DrewForDummies (Jul 26, 2010)

Yeah, she actually has a few self inflicted wounds. Her gills look kinda messed up, and shes also clamping her fins. Not a very pretty looking fish right now..


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Keep it up. Hopefully turns around soon. Are there still lots of spots? The spots fell off my female convict, no new ones have appeared on it or any other fish. Fish are progressively flashing less and acting more natural. Still some scratch marks on my acei, but that was likely from rubbing from last couple days. Acting as natural as can be. Temp is around 88 degrees. Im at about 70% salinity im aiming for.

Just curious, when the salt is added and dissolved in water, does it eventually sit at the bottom or does it cycle with the water? also can the salt harm my bacterial colony?


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

If you dont see progression maybe bring it up to 87 or 88 degrees? i read differing opinions that ich dies off from 82-86 degrees. some rare strains apparently withstood until 90 degrees. I would imagine the fish can take it, just make sure to keep lots of oxygen flowing. Thats the only other thing i could think of. Good luck man. I watched the video, great looking fish.


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## DrewForDummies (Jul 26, 2010)

Thanks! I came home from class today and noticed that all of the spots fell off, but that happened before and she became infested again, so I'm waiting to see if it'll happen again. My heater is on max right now and I can't get the temp. to over 86, so I'm kinda stuck at this temp. The flashing has also stopped, as far as I can tell, but she still twitches her head and shes still clamping her fins.

I've read that the salt sits on the floor of the tank, thats why I'll be doing a few large water changes assuming this ick thing gets sorted out. Glad to hear that your tank is making progress! None of us have list any fish so far. :thumb:


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

Update: Havent seen any flashing/rubbing for about 24 hours. My dominant male still kind of strikes objects but im thinking thats his regular aggression. In any case theres deinitely improvement. My large male Con is a bit lethargic hiding in his rock, but i just got him last week so unsure if thats normal behaviour for him.


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