How to Deal With Ick in a Fishtank

The infestation known as Ick, sometimes spelled as "ich," is a protozoan that infects fish tanks and cause irritation to fish. If you notice white grainlike spots on your fish's skin or that your fish is constantly rubbing itself against tank ornaments, it may be the beginning of an ick infection. If you notice the infestation early, you can use ick treatment to eradicate the problem and give your fish a chance to fully recover.

Things You'll Need

  • Ick treatment
  • Tank heater
  • Thermometer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Quarantine all your fish to a safe and habitable location where they can live healthily for three days. Look for white, grain-like spots on the fishes' bodies. If you suspect a fish has ick, separate it from the rest of the fish so they do not become infected.

    • 2

      Raise the water temperature in your fish tank to 80 degrees Fahrenheit for two days (48 hours). Use a tank heating device and a thermometer to monitor the temperature levels. The warm temperature will cause the protozoan capsules that trigger the ick infestation to die off. The capsules, also called tomites, cannot survive temperatures higher than 78 degrees.

    • 3

      Treat your fish tank with ick treatment, which you can purchase from your local pet supply store or through an online retailer. For saltwater tanks, make sure the ick treatment contains the active ingredients formalin and malachite. For freshwater tanks, the treatment should have an active ingredient of copper. Follow the instructions carefully since each treatment will tell you exactly how much of the product to put in. Putting too much treatment into your fish tank can be fatal to your fish.

    • 4

      Return your fish to the fish tank after you have added the ick treatment.

    • 5

      Monitor the fish for several days and see if any more ick appears on the fishes' skin. It is safe to place fish infected with ick back into the tank, since the treatment will cause the ick to disappear. Although the treatment will not kill existing ick in the fish, it will prevent the growth and spread of the parasite.