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Re: Ich & Temp



> High heat WILL NOT kill Ich.  In fact, you are asking for a large outbreak
> if you raise the temperature and don't medicate....  (In the past, I have safely
> treated for ich at a temperature of 90
> degrees F.)

The last ich outbreak I had was over 12 years ago. (I've *really* been blessed). For
that outbreak, I tried courses of two different meds for "scaleless" fish, being
that I kept many Botias in my tank. Both treatments failed, so I did a massive water
change and attempted an "ich voodoo treatment." I increased the temp to 85F+ (ended
up at 92F), added an airstone to maximize the oxygen level (increased the
circulation of water to the surface where gases are exchanged), added some rock
salt, turned off the lights and even covered the tank in black plastic (Yeah, a
little extreme, but I did it. :-). I maintained this for about a week. This "voodoo"
:-) successfully got rid of the ich. I was amazed. My trio of 1" Clown Loaches --
which were absolutely *covered* with ich at the beginning of the treatment-- went on
to live in my tanks until just a short while ago. *I didn't medicate.*  The ich was
gone and the fish survived just fine.

In the past, I've tried using 1/2 strength of Nox-Ich, but had a difficult time
keeping my Botias alive by repeating this process every time I had ich. Soon after
treatment, some of them would stop eating and eventually die. I wouldn't recommend
using this product with "scaleless" fish.

A couple of years later, I really concentrated on maintaining good water quality,
kept my tanks stocked on the lighter side, and would use a Q-tank many times for new
purchases. This really helped keep diseases at bay.

I was always told that heat alone *would* kill the ich -- that there was a point
where they could no longer live (not merely speed up the life cycle). I was also
told that this point was somewhere around 85F+. Am I wrong then? What cured my fish
then? Was it the darkness? The salt? I've recommended this treatment for years with
a high degree of success (wo/meds). Those that reported failure have also admitted
that they had some poor water quality issues at the same time.

I wish I could use this treatment in a planted aquarium, but I'm afraid that most of
the plants would turn to mush! :-)

"Joe Loach"
Walter B. Klockers
Plano, TX