# Treating with Rid Ich.. Do I pull out rocks & wood?



## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

I am in the beginning stages of treating my 60GA tank for ich.. I am using Ric Ich Plus, which I know, will stain the silicone in the tank.. Should I pull my driftwood and let it dry out while treating the tank, or keep it in there to be treated? Same with the rocks.. Should they go but for a couple for the loaches to hide under? 

Thanks...


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## Midnighttide102 (Oct 2, 2014)

No need to remove that stuff just remove charcoal from filters if your using any


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## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

Nope... Not using charcoal in my canister filter...

Thanks...


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

Try raising the temp and adding salt first. See if you can treat it that way.


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## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Yeah if your fish and plants or whatever you have in there can handle it, heat is the best way to go. 100% effective if done properly and no chemicals. Has to be at least 86 degrees for a good 2 weeks to be sure and thats it, with a few cleanings in between to clean up all the dead and dying little critters. In rare cases, it can survive in higher temps but you don't see that often.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

I said this on your other thread about it.. Salt + heat. I still don't like the idea of salt and loaches. SOME people say it's okay or, have done it with little harm. Heat though. The raised temp speeds up the life cycle to the free swimming stage and also kills the parasite at higher temps. The higher temp shouldn't be a problem as long as you add extra aeration(airstones/circulation pumps + fan blowing across surface of water). I've used increased heat(almost 90f) and aquarium salt([NaCl]2tbs/g) to treat ich on both GBRs and Pimelodus catfish - took three weeks but 0 casualties. I've also treated with just heat successfully.


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## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

I have never had to treat loaches so I'm not to sure how they would fare but I anytime I treated for Ich by raising the temp, I never used salt. I personally don't like putting just salt in my tanks. It can help ease certain symptoms in fish and help things along but I don't use it. I know that Ram's and certain other dwarfs dont mind the heat at all, some actually seem to really like it. 

And you nailed it Benson. Ich is such an easy little bug to treat/take care of if you just do a little research and learn about it. Much better than running out and buying a bunch of chemicals to put into your tank/s. I know meds are needed in some instances as not all fish tolerate the heat.


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## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

i have upped the temp to 85 so far... will tweak the heater to get to 86 or just alittle above.. so far only the loaches are showing symptoms... I have done (2) small water changes by pulling water from the bottom of the tank... I have dosed the tank only 2 times.. I will do what you all are suggesting and try it with just heat... Tested for ammonia and nitrates tonight... ammonia is zero and nitrates are up to about 80ppm.. I will do another WC tomorrow.... of the three original loaches I bought, one has already died.. another one is showing signs of stress... it has about half its body covered in white dots and is just swimming in place.. don't see the other small one yet... I have lots of rocks... I did see my older, bigger loach this morning and it had some white spots, but not as many as the small one... I feel terrible and am upset with myself that I didn't set up a QT tank... I have never had one and have not had ich in my fish tank in about 10 years.. I'll have a QT tank from now on... I no longer trust the LFS.. They had a few suspect tanks in the past and I thought this tank looked pretty good... Well, that turned out to be wrong... It just sucks... I feel for my little guys... I hope they pull thru...


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## iamtechno (Sep 23, 2013)

Hopefully they do alright. At 84-85 its not killing them but helping them run their life cycle quickly and effectively. That extra degree can make a huge difference. As mentioned before, the higher the temp the faster it goes through its life cycle and once they are all cleared up, keep it up for a few more days just to make sure you got them all. And it's good to clean the gravel thoroughly as you want to remove all the dead and dying guys.


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## HDBenson (Jan 26, 2015)

We understand. Losing a companion is tough! But, If they can handle it keep bumping up that heat up by a degree a day until you are around 90f. Make sure you increase the aeration too! Extra airstones etc. Higher water temperatures have lower levels of dissolved oxygen. So your loaches will need this(extra oxygen). Also, keep up those water changes! You're doing good by vacuuming from the bottom so keep this up too! This process can take a few weeks like I said. Patience will be your ally. Once you see no symptoms (flashing/spots) keep up the heat for another 7-10 days at least.


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## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

OK.... Temp tonite is at 87 and I will be doing a water change again tomorrow... So far so good as everyone is taking it well. Even the three guppies..... I have been giving them brine shrimp "gumdrops" after I thaw them in water... The loaches are eating away. I also cut up a couple pieces of zucchini but they are just floating at the top of the tank.. I will stay with the brine shrimp for the next few days, along with a few carnivore sinking pellets.. I noticed last night even the bigger loach is starting to come out more.. And, I noticed the other big loach, that I thought was dead and eaten long ago, with the other 3..... I have NO idea where it was hiding... It's amazing that I haven't seen it in several months.. It stayed so hidden, even when moving around the rocks and driftwood when I vacuumed the substrate a few weeks ago... Amazing...


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

You may want to add some aquarium salt, as per directions, as this will assist in the lower oxygen environment and also with the treatment.


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

I don't understand why people are so opposed to using Rid Ich. It is totally safe and will have a much better and quicker result than heat and salt. I had 3 outbreaks of ich in 14 years and 19 fish tanks and each time I used Rid Ich. I never lost a fish to the disease. Some fish can't handle the higher temps and already being sick it might just make them worse and weaken them to the point where they die before the heat and salt will kill the ich. Rid Ich is so easy to use and it will not affect plants or your bio bugs from what I could tell, never had a mini cycle afterwards and all fish pulled through. Aquarium salt, however, used routinely can prevent ick out breaks but I rather treat the rare outbreak than mess with the constant salt measuring.
Lori, in your first post you said you started to treat with Rid Ich. How many doses did you use?


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## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

garfieldnfish said:


> I don't understand why people are so opposed to using Rid Ich. It is totally safe and will have a much better and quicker result than heat and salt. I had 3 outbreaks of ich in 14 years and 19 fish tanks and each time I used Rid Ich. I never lost a fish to the disease. Some fish can't handle the higher temps and already being sick it might just make them worse and weaken them to the point where they die before the heat and salt will kill the ich. Rid Ich is so easy to use and it will not affect plants or your bio bugs from what I could tell, never had a mini cycle afterwards and all fish pulled through. Aquarium salt, however, used routinely can prevent ick out breaks but I rather treat the rare outbreak than mess with the constant salt measuring.
> _Lori, in your first post you said you started to treat with Rid Ich. How many doses did you use_?


Garfieldnfish: I have dosed twice since 4/2. I just finished a complete, top level vacuum of the substrate. I changed out almost 15 GA of water, when completing three passes over the substrate. I just did my API test and ammonia is 0 and nitrates are about 40-60ppm.. That is all I am testing for at the moment.. I was about to add the Rid Ich with the AmQuel.. I figured it would help along with the higher temp.. I haven't added any aquarium salt yet.. I can tell you this, loaches are tricky little devils... I could SWEAR that 2 of the 3 bigger loaches I had, had died and been eaten.. I could NOT find them.. Today while pulling all of the rocks and driftwood, I found them... So, I have 3 that are about 1.5" long and 2 little ones, not even an inch yet. I have not lost any since the very beginning, when one loach died. Everyone seems to be hanging in with the higher temp... Loaches are even a bit more active and I don't see very many white spots now. I do see they are still "flashing" a little, and will continue with the high temp and water changes.. I do have the powerhead keeping the water moving, and two air stones running.. So far so good.. Also, everyone seems to be eating just fine..  :hihi:


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## Okedokey (Sep 2, 2014)

garfieldnfish said:


> I don't understand why people are so opposed to using Rid Ich. It is totally safe and will have a much better and quicker result than heat and salt. I had 3 outbreaks of ich in 14 years and 19 fish tanks and each time I used Rid Ich. I never lost a fish to the disease. Some fish can't handle the higher temps and already being sick it might just make them worse and weaken them to the point where they die before the heat and salt will kill the ich. Rid Ich is so easy to use and it will not affect plants or your bio bugs from what I could tell, never had a mini cycle afterwards and all fish pulled through. Aquarium salt, however, used routinely can prevent ick out breaks but I rather treat the rare outbreak than mess with the constant salt measuring.
> Lori, in your first post you said you started to treat with Rid Ich. How many doses did you use?


Rid Ich is just malachite green, a very nasty chemical. I would much rather add salt (to improve respiration) and heat than malachite green any day.


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## Tribabe2009 (Feb 10, 2014)

So far so good. Spots are pretty much gone now.. Everyone looks okay and eating well. Tank holding at 86.. Even the 3 bigger loaches are more active now and hangin out with the 2 little ones..


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