# Sticky  I have ick in my tank, will salt be safe?



## stargate_geek

I have in there Neon Tetras, Black Neon Tetras and Bronze cories. Will salt (0.3%, three teaspoons per gallon, added in three shifts) and raised temperatures (80* right?) be safe for these fish?

Once the treatment is over, the salt is removed gradually over normal (10-20%) weekly water changes, right?

I'd read somewhere that cories can't have ANY salt, so i wanted to check. I don't want to use harsh chemicals if I can avoid it, I'm very much more into the organic and natural route.

Thanks!


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## jones57742

Folks:

I have very much refined this protocol during the preceding year. 

I have a community tank which includes cories, SAE's, Gold Nugget Plecos, Yoyo loaches and most importantly, for the purposes of this article, Queen Arabesque Plecos (as these are very, very sensitive fish). 
I have determined this protocol to be successful without the uses of medications. 

I normally maintain the water temperature at approximately 78F (25.5C). 

Salt is defined as aquarium salt and NOT table salt! 

Upon observing a white spot on a fish or a fish brazing themself on various tank appurtenances: 

Day 1 
Increase the water temperature to 80F (26.6C) 
Perform a 20% WC. 
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 20 US Gallons of water (76L, 16.6 UKG) 

Day 2 
Increase the water temperature to 82F (27.7C) 
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water. 

Day 3 
Increase the water temperature to 84F (28.8C) 
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water. 

Day 4 
Increase the water temperature to 85F (29.4C) 
Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water. 

Days 5, 6, 7 and 8 
Do nothing 

Day 9 
Perform a 20% WC. 
Decrease the water temperature to 84F (28.8C) 

Day 10 
Perform a 20% WC. 
Decrease the water temperature to 82F (27.7C) 

Day 11 
Perform a 20% WC. 
Decrease the water temperature to 80F (26.6C) 

Day 12 
Perform a 20% WC. 
Decrease the water temperature to 78F (25.5C). 

Day 13 
Return to the typical maintenance protocol. 

TR


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## llamas

Oops. Posted to the wrong thread. 

Sorry about that


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## Trout

I added salt to my tank to help my Corys fins regenerate, but nothing has happened. Their fins are still exactly the same. I've heard too much about how much corys dislike salt enough to not add more. I'll just hope they get better on their own.


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## phlyergirl

Just wanted to say thanks for this thread and to jones57742. I'm doing the schedule above, and was scared to death to salt because I have corys and loaches, but they are doing fine and already the ich spots on the fish are gone.


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## TankdreamerJim

I just started a salt treatment for Ick also and my heater is a heater with a fixed temp you can't adjust it. I bought Jungle Aquarium Salt and it says it's safe for all fish and live Aquarium plants, it says one tablespoon per 10 gallons of water. So far I have been slowly been adding salt one tablespoon a day, till I reach 3 tablespoons. I will be adding the 2nd tablespoon today. I'm doing it slowly so I can keep an eye on both fish and plants so far everything seems fine. Best of all it won't kill the bacteria which I was worried about because my tank is in the process of getting cycled and it wont die everything in the tank a different color I found out about that one time all my plant's, filter turned red and it was permanent! I have even noticed the ick is vanishing with only one tablespoon in the tank. So far so good. What other diseases will salt cure? Are there any it won't?


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## Biffle16

*Sea Salt usage?*

After having no disease issues, I woke this morning and looked closely at my one tank and noticed some of my fish with white specs and the Big Fin Tetras fins starting to look weathered. My Red Tetras and Fire Tetras also look the same. My Plecos seem OK and the Platies and Guppies seem OK. So my question, is it OK to also use Sea Salt and use the temperature guide posted? The ICK has arrived......YUCK! :chair:


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## C. King

Biffle, I have had great success treating ich with salt over the years. I have used it with platies, guppies, various tetras and a common pleco, no adverse affects. The combo of salt and raised temp is the only way I medicate for ich.Sure beats the old days of blue stained water! Some fiah are sensitive to salt, however, so it is important to read up on your fish before begining any new protocol.


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## lohachata

the best treatment for ich along with several other diseases and parasites is aquari sol...i have been using it for almost 40 years....i have not found anything to beat it....and it is safe for catfish and loaches....and it does not stain the water..
unfortunately i recently found out that it is no longer made...i was fortunate enough to get 4 pints from a friend...i was going to package it in 2 oz. bottles and sell it...but since i only had 1 person order it i stopped selling it...
so if you go meandering around an old LFS and see some you had better buy it up...


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## Guest

I agree with lohachata. Aquari-sol does prevent diseases, all diseases. I have been using it in my tank for about 3 to 4 weeks now since I ordered it from lohachata, and my fish are healthy, they haven't gotten sick. It is too bad that aquari-sol is not being made anymore, maybe if we all talk to our petstores around where we all live, maybe they will talk to the manufacturer and get them to make it. Because it does prevent diseases. Yes it is safe for loaches that are sensitive to medications. If you can prevent diseases, you prevent death of your fish.


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## SteveC

jones57742 said:


> Folks:
> 
> I have very much refined this protocol during the preceding year.
> 
> I have a community tank which includes cories, SAE's, Gold Nugget Plecos, Yoyo loaches and most importantly, for the purposes of this article, Queen Arabesque Plecos (as these are very, very sensitive fish).
> I have determined this protocol to be successful without the uses of medications.
> 
> I normally maintain the water temperature at approximately 78F (25.5C).
> 
> Salt is defined as aquarium salt and NOT table salt!
> 
> Upon observing a white spot on a fish or a fish brazing themself on various tank appurtenances:
> 
> Day 1
> Increase the water temperature to 80F (26.6C)
> Perform a 20% WC.
> Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 20 US Gallons of water (76L, 16.6 UKG)
> 
> Day 2
> Increase the water temperature to 82F (27.7C)
> Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water.
> 
> Day 3
> Increase the water temperature to 84F (28.8C)
> Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water.
> 
> Day 4
> Increase the water temperature to 85F (29.4C)
> Add 1 Tablespoon of salt per 40 US Gallons of water.
> 
> Days 5, 6, 7 and 8
> Do nothing
> 
> Day 9
> Perform a 20% WC.
> Decrease the water temperature to 84F (28.8C)
> 
> Day 10
> Perform a 20% WC.
> Decrease the water temperature to 82F (27.7C)
> 
> Day 11
> Perform a 20% WC.
> Decrease the water temperature to 80F (26.6C)
> 
> Day 12
> Perform a 20% WC.
> Decrease the water temperature to 78F (25.5C).
> 
> Day 13
> Return to the typical maintenance protocol.
> 
> TR


Just for me to know in the future. Hopefully will not have to use it.
Day1 through 4, should there be WC after each day?


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## weedkiller

been a while since ive been here, some will know me some wont..
hi all those that do  and hello to all that dont 
just thought i would share my experiences i have just had with ich...
i have converted my tank recently to housing German Blue Rams after having enough of the boring fish my wife loves..
i purchased a few more to make the total to 10 and it looks like i introduced ich by doing so, i was noticing a few white spots appearing over a few rams and some of the tetras shortly after and decided i needed to act, increased the temps, i rushed out to get the aquarium salt, rushed back home to start adding it then before i did started considering my snails who do such an awesome job of keeping everything clean, i know the salt would most certainly kill them all off so had to research fast to see if it is possible with salt alone, it seems it is so i had to try.
i found this link very imformative http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/ich.php and pretty much did as averyone suggest by adding heat but cranked it up a few extra degrees to 89 so then if the research is correct it will stop the ich reproducing and hatching, after a few days i noticed the spots had fallen off or dissappeared somewhere anyhow, the suggested time is 10 days, i figured a couple extra may be better without the use of salt, so far it seems to have worked, i lost some fish after about 4 days due to the heat no spots, i dont think they could deal with it, the rams seemed to be fine and have lost none, the 3 neon tetras lasted near to the end and have now all gone no spots, the red tailed black shark, the mega clown plec and the other 3 i dont know the name of and of course not forgetting my 2 glorious snails who i didnt want to lose are all fine.. im touching wood and anything else that may give me luck that im hoping all the ich has been irradicated by heat alone and if i dont see any spots now in the next week im sure they have.
it would seem so far it is possible with heat alone without the use of chems and salt, if you do follow this approach check 1st to see if most of your little friends will cope with the heat, i knew some of mine would die because of the heat, my philosophy here was i would rather lose some than all. didnt lose any of my java moss thats growning nicely over my wood either which i probably would have dont with salt


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## weedkiller

just thought i would give a further update... 2 weeks on and not a spot in sight.
it can be done with heat alone.


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