ICH!!

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Reily

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It has become apparent that my fish have been infected with ich. Iā€™m assuming this has been the issue with my tank all along to those that have seen previous posts. Half of my fish have developed white spots. What can I do?
 
Update: after some research Iā€™ve decided to try gradually heating the tank to 86Ā° Over the next 24 hours and keeping it there for the next couple weeks while doing 25-50% pwcs. Does anyone have any advice on that? The fish are tropical and can withstand this method and I prefer it over medicating the tank. Thoughts?
 
Yes increasing the temperature to 86 should eventually cure it. Do a gravel vac with siphon every couple of days.
 
Now hereā€™s the other problem I have:
My water quality has been awful ever since I got this tank setup and cycled. Ph from the faucet I fill the tank with reads 7.5 which would be fine for angels and gouramis but for some reason when I test it a few days after itā€™s been sitting in the tank, it reads 8.2 or higher. Poor water quality has likely been the culprit to the issues Iā€™ve had (fin rot). Amonia levels also seem to be present in the tank although very subtle. Everything else is as should be but how can I keep the ph and amonia levels down? Whatā€™s causing these things to be up in the first place?
 
The usual culprit with rising pH is something in your decor slowly releasing minerals. With ammonia, it is overstocking, something decaying and/or inadequate water changing routines.

Ich comes from outside, from the store, as does most fin rot. Very little of what we call fin rot is actually that, btw. Ragged fins can come from shipping or stores.

We all disagree on Ich treatments, every time. I've encountered heat adapted/resistant Ich and keep tropicals that would perish at 86f, so I use meds. But with most Ich, heat will work. I wouldn't do it myself, but you've researched and made a choice that should be effective.
 
I have used both medicine and heat for ich, neither are ideal. Don't end the treatment too soon otherwise it will come back. The problem with Ich and medicine is that the parasite is only sensitive to the medicine during a very short time within the 3 day to a week or more reproductive cycle of the organism. The problem with heat is the fish don't like it either, it can be hard to maintain if the environment is a little cooler, and if feels like a sauna next to the tank. This brief little site has some facts on the lifecycle, don't know about their treatments though. https://fisheries.tamu.edu/files/20...multifiliis-White-Spot-Infections-in-Fish.pdf

If the fish seem free of the disease on one day, I would keep the treatment up for another 5 to 7 days, a full lifecycle, if you feel the fish can withstand it. It can exist in the gills without any outward presentation other than the behaviour of the fish.

I agree with @GaryE, tanks tend to become more acidic with age unless something is leaching out to raise the pH.
 
I've had ich in my tank twice and both times I used the API Super Ich cure and followed the instructions exactly and each time, fish healed up perfectly and all is well in the world
 

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