How to Treat Ich on fish

Ich thyophthirius multifilis is the parasite of fish known as "ich" or "white spot". Ich is one of the most commonly diagnosed parasites that can affect a community of fish. Noting the ich parasite mucus scraping a fish infected with a microscope can reveal the two stages of the life of ich. During the "swarmer" stage, Ich is one, free swimming, very active organism teardrop with an interior of green or brown. The stage of the sub-epithelial life shows a large round body with fine cilia and a core horseshoe shaped visible.

A microscope is rarely needed for an accurate diagnosis as the fish infected will more often than not show visible symptoms. The most obvious symptom of ich is the sign of small white spots on the body and fins of a fish infected colors. These white spots are not ich parasites; they are a reaction of the immune system tries to fight infection. ICH in certain cases, depending on the strength of the immune system, a fish not get white spots. Certain physical and behavioral changes goldfish can help diagnose ich when white spots are absent. These changes may include: isolation, lethargy, fins clamped, difficulty breathing or skin redness.

The causes of Ich

Ich infestation in a tank of fish often occurs in the first week of introducing a new fish that has not been properly quarantined. If the ich parasite is introduced into a tank of goldfish through a new fish, goldfish with healthy immune systems can often fight a ich infection but goldfish who have weak immune systems are susceptible to infection. A weak immune system may be the result of a protective slime layer weakened by stress or infection of fish is currently trying to fight.

How to Prevent Ich

Many dealers fish quarantined new shipments of fish they receive, but not a fact these fish are 100% free of disease. It is better to err on the side of safety, quarantine and isolate new fish from two to six weeks in a separate tank fish tank main colors. Some shops offer in store fish quarantine fish purchased by customers for a fee. Whatever option is chosen, all new fish should be observed for a period of time to ensure they are free of the disease.

Keep the voltage drops fish goldfish races choosing similar colors to be tankmates, have filters of adequate size and air pumps for races and provide plenty of places to hide. Maintain optimal water parameters, including: lots of dissolved oxygen, pH around 7, the water temperature around 70 * F (21 * C) and nitrogen cycle healthy functioning.

Treating Ich

Remove the live aquatic plants. The treatment can damage or kill living aquatic plants.

Preforms a partial water change and reach the optimal parameters of water.

Temporarily increase the water temperature of 75-80 * F (24-27 * C). This encourages the ich parasite to accelerate its lifecycle. The ich parasites subepithelial skin explode and fall to the bottom of the tank where thousands of new free-swimming parasites seek a host. It is only during this stage swarmer that ich can be treated.

Add a concentration 0.03% salt aquarium; one teaspoon per gallon of water. Aquarium salt is readily available at local pet stores. It is important to treat not only entire tank infected fish colors. Avoid using a quarantine tank.

Over the next 24 hours repeat step 4 in increments of 12 hours for a total of three doses of aquarium salt. (It is common ich worse before it gets better.)

Leave the aquarium salt in the tank of fish treated for two weeks and then preform a water change of 50-75%.

Add a layer of stress protective solution to foster a healthy layer of silt and the immune system of the fish.