Re: Ich and temp

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Ich and temp
From: jim kostich <jkos at execpc_com>
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 1996 18:00:02 -0500 (CDT)

>>Raising the temperature to 85 degrees F. both strengthens the fishes' immune
>>response and weakens the parasite directly.  Several disease books recommend
>>keeping the temperature elevated for one to two weeks.
>
>Sorry, I have to disagree with this. Perhaps some fish benefit from higher
>temps but not all, especially not nontropical fish. As cold-blooded
>animals, fish's metabolism might increase with higher temps but that would
>also go for bacterial growth, and so on.
>
>Greg. Tong

I'm not sure you're disagreeing with me.  I didn't say the fish benefit
overall from an elevated temperature, only that their immune response
improves.  The situation is somewhat analogous to humans getting a fever:
our high body temperature isn't really "good" for our bodies overall, but it
sure gets the immune system cranked up to fight off pathogens.

IMHO, however, it doesn't matter much how or even whether increased
temperature fights "ich" in a plant tank, since many common plants suffer
more from the higher temperature than they would from "ich" medications.

jim - in Milwaukee, that never saw a 90 degree this July.