Re: Worst nightmare

"D&M"  wrote
> I got a silver spotted ancistrus last week, finished quaranteen with no
> visible signs of anything, moved it into the 90g tank.

If you got the fish last week, the quarantine period can't have
been completed. Three weeks is a reasonable time, some
would say four or more.

> To start, I've gradually increased the tank temp to 82, added 1 tbsp per 5g
> salt as prescribed. Change the micron filter daily.
> Anyone had success with just elevated temps and salt, or does it always
> revert back to having to treat the tank?

If you have the fish (and plants) that are okay in high temperatures than you
can try that with some caveats. You may need to add extra aeration as warm
water holds less oxygen than cooler water. Remember that the animals are
under stress as it is and their gills are probably under attack from the parasite,
further reducing their ability to get oxygen. Just increasing the temp a little, say
to 82F will not kill the ich but will speed up it's life cycle. This may or may not
be desirous. To effectively kill ich you need a higher temp, I have found 86F
to be effective although I've read of a strain in Florida fish farms that lived
in temperatures up to 90F.
I have found that ich can easily be treated by heat and daily water changes
in a quarantine tank. No other medication, including salt, is required.
In an established tank, with a mixture of fish and plants, it's more problematical
and one solution most definitely does not fit all, but in most cases, a proprietary
remedy, used properly, will do the trick.

http://www.aquamaniacs.net/ich.html

-- 
Graham Ramsay
    You might be a Bright:
    www.the-brights.net