by Mr. Aquarist

Created on: February 08, 2009

Ich is disease involving a parasite (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) that appear as "salt grains" on the scales of aquatic fish. Ich is the single most common disease in freshwater aquaria. It is both completely treatable and preventable. Prevention starts by simply maintaining good water quality. Keep your nitrogenous compounds like ammonia, nitrites and nitrates at acceptable levels, replace 20-30% of your water at least every two weeks (if not each week), and most importantly, maintain a constant water temperature that is acceptable for the fish that you are keeping.

A common misconception that an amateur aquarist will hear is that the ich parasite is always present in your water. This is false. The ich parasite's lifecycle is shorter in cooler water, but there are no data that suggest that there is a dormant stage in the lifecycle of I. multifiliis. Some common causes of ich include water temperature fluctuations and an improperly balanced water chemistry. Both of these causes stress the fish and temporarily weaken their immune system that would otherwise be healthy to fight off ich. Very similar to how our bodies catch colds if we don't maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Treating ich is simple in this day and age. There are a mulititude of chemicals and doo-dads that may be purchased at almost any pet store. However, the simplest method for treating ich is to dose aquarium salt and raise the temperature of the water. Raising the water temperature above 80F speeds up the lifecycle of the I. multifiliis to about four days total. It is important to speed up the lifecycle because medications and treatments will only kill the free-swimming tomonts and thermonts; not the actual "salt grains" that appear on the fish's scales. But remember, water at a higher temperature will hold less oxygen, so the higher that you increase the temperature the more agitation you will need by an air bubbler.

Dosing four tablespoons of salt per ten gallons will produce a concentration that is great enough to kill the ich parasite. If the natural heat-and-salt method does not resolve the problem within three days, then you may want to consider using a medication that is common for treating ich: malachite green. Malachite green is marketed under many different names, but chances are if you pick up any generic bottle of "ich medication" then it probably contains malachite green. This chemical will stain almost anything, so take care when administering it as it will probably stain the

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