How much salt do I add to my aquarium to treat Ich (ick)?

Question

I have a 46 gallon tank, all of my fish but my Plec and 1 Silver dollar have died off, I tried the medication treatment for it, it hasn't seemed to help. I was told to use aquarium salt to kill off the ich, I was just wondering how much I should use. I plan on taking the gravel out and leaving a bare tank until I get the Ich under control because I was also told it can live in the gravel. I'm just sick of my little fishys dying! Help me!

Answer 1

1 spoonful per 5 or 10 gallons of water  

Answer 2

How long have you been treating?  Did you remove the activated carbon from your filter?  What temperature is the water?  Ich's life cycle tanks time-- you won't see real results in less than 3-4 days.  Activated carbon removes the medication from the water, so if left in the tank, the medication won't spend more than a few minutes in contact with the fish.  Ich's life cycle speeds up with temperature-- the warmer the water, the more rapidly it will reach a stage where medications can kill it.  Lastly, make sure you use a half dose, as the two fish you listed are scaleless and VERY sensitive to medications and salt.

If you use salt, you'll need about 4 grams per gallon-- volume (teaspoons) is not effective as the grain size is variable.

EDIT: Very good.  And how long have you been treating?  What medication are you using, and at what dose?

Answer 3

i would use API aquarium salt. just add 1 teaspoon per 10 gallons. then heat the water to 82 -85 degress farenhight. after you have to wait a while until you see the spots come off

Answer 4

A little more info would help but, here goes.  

First, make sure that it actually is Ich.  Velvet can look like Ich.  It could also be Fungus, especially if it is eating away at fins or tails.  The worst part of Ich & other fish diseases is that they attack the inside of gills and go unseen before it is too late.  The fish actually Suffocate as they cannot get enough air.  Aquarium Salt aids in Gill Protection and breathing.  Please, leave the light on but, for less time, as if it were winter outside.

Aquarium Salt alone will not cure ANY Fish Diseases. Plecos are Very Tough so he has survived.  If both the Pleco and the Silver Dollar are showing ich spots or not, I would move them to a 'Quarantine' Tank... 10 gallons is a good size.  Treat them in the small tank for 2 Full Weeks with API Super Ick Cure. (Only use this with Scaled Fishes as it can Kill Smooth Skinned Fishes such as Plecos, Eels, Knives, etc.)  For these fishes it is Best to fight Ich with "CopperSafe" as it will help the Scaled Fishes as well as the Smooth Skinned Fishes without any harm.  It works on all sorts of external parasitic infections and it is colorless in the water.  It will work in Salt or Fresh water as well.  Aquarium Salt helps speed up the recovery process and you must keep the temperature between 80 to 86 degrees F. You MUST still filter the 'Quarantine' Tank.  Use just floss and NO CARBON as Carbon will filter out the Meds. Floss will only catch food and excrement.  You can cut one end of a pre-made filter and dump out the activated carbon to use the floss still attached to the frame.  A BioWheel will be fine with the meds as well.

Since you only have 2 Fish still living you should take this opportunity to reset your 46 gallon tank.  Drain it, remove and clean gravel, with boiling water if possible, as well as any fake plants and all features (rocks, logs, etc.), and scrub the glass down with an unused, new sponge made for tank cleaning.  TOP FIN makes a nice one with a squeegee, interchangeable songes & scrubbers and a plant holder on the handle end.  You will also want to clean your BioFilter with the hottest water that won't harm it.  If you are using a BioWheel type filter, I would suggest buying a replacement wheel and starting fresh.  I don't like to take unnecessary risks with fish that are worth a lot more than the price of a filter part, you know?

You will have a freshly set up tank ready to start a new Cycle.  When you set it up it will help you to prep the water with API Stress Coat, API Stress Zyme, Aquarium Salt (Necessary for all tanks as a regular additive for good health.),  API Ammo Lock & API Leaf Zone will help rid the Live Plants of the disease when added in with Meds.  I use an API Freshwater Master Test Kit for complete testing at any time.  Runs about $ 30.00 at most retailers and it is a must have.

API Stress Zyme contains good bacteria that are vital to tank health and API Stress Coat has just enough AloeVera in it for natural slime coat protection on your fish.  ALWAYS use Aquarium Salt as directed when Setting up, doing Water Changes or Adding Fish to your tank.

Keep the 'Quarantine Tank set up and use it for every Fish that you want to introduce into your Main Tank.  2 weeks in Quarantine with Preventative Meds can save you Hundreds of dollars in Fish, not to mention the Loss of some really lovable family members... thats what my fish are and I bet yours are too.

I hope this really helped you.  Feel free to e-mail with any other questions.