How to Treat Ich in Fresh Water Fish

Look for any white cottony spots or strings on your aquarium fish.

Ich (or Ick) is a common fish disease easily recognizable by its white cottony spots or strings. Ich is actually a protozoan disease that most aquarium hobbyists will encounter at least once in their life. Although now so common that some tank fish acquire an immunity to it, Ich is thought to be an symptom of stress or changes in tank conditions.
Easy to spot, Ich is seen as a white dot or spot on the gills or fins and you may see affected fish rubbing themselves against tank furniture or gravel.
Since Ich is a disease in your tank, not just on the fish, you have to treat the whole tank, and isolating an affected fish will not solve your problem. Got an Ich issue? Here is how to solve it.

Things You'll Need

• Tank heater
• Aquarium salt
• Medicated Wonder Shell
• Malachite Green
• A spare fish tank

Instructions

1. Raise the temperature in your tank. The life cycle of the Ich is dependent upon temperature and Ich can be effectively controlled by raising the tank temperature to about 78-80 degrees. After about four days you should see considerable improvement in your fish and water of the tank. Slowly raise the temperature in your tank over 48 hours so as not to stress your fish.

2. Remove the fish. If you have a spare tank, fill it and prepare the water to hold your fish. Ich cannot live without the fish, so by removing the fish and raising the tank temperature to 80 degrees the Ich should die within two days. Leave the fish in the temporary tank another two days just to be on the safe side then return the fish to the original tank. Any Ich on the fish will fall off and die normally. Remember to then kill the Ich in your temporary tank before putting new fish in it or emptying it for storage.

3. Use the "Medicated Wonder Shell." This product is widely available and treats not only Ich but Velvet and helps clear cloudy water. Safe to use with fish in the tank, this is an easy and effective treatment. Read package directions to be sure you have the right tank conditions to effectively use the Wonder Shell.

4. Try Malachite Green. This is another effective and widely available Ich treatment but should be used with caution as it can sometimes stain a tank or it's ornamentation. Use this along with a raised temperature in your tank for the most successful treatment.

5. Use aquarium salt. Most effective in goldfish tanks, aquarium salt is inexpensive and successful in treatment of Ich and some other water problems. Use one teaspoon of aquarium salt per gallon of water every 12 hours for a total of three treatments (total dose: 3 teaspoons per gallon.) Some live aquarium plants don't respond well to the salt, so check with your aquatics store or remove plants temporarily.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to look closely at your fish each day to diagnose fish illness at onset.

• Maintain good water conditions and appropriate temperature to prevent diseases like Ich.

• Read directions carefully on medications for your tank to take note of dosage instructions and filter settings before treatment.

References

• Pet Education: Ich in Freshwater Fish