How to Treat Ick

Ick is a parasitic disease that affects fish and can decimate the population of your tank in a matter of days. Also known as Ich or white spot disease, Ick can infect both freshwater and saltwater fish. Ick is usually first detected by the presence of small white spots on your fish. The treatment for this common fish disease involves treating the entire tank, as even one infected fish exposes all the fish in the tank to the parasite.

Things You'll Need

  • Aquarium tank heater
  • Air pump
  • Ick medication containing either formalin or malachite green
  • Fresh filter carbon
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove the carbon from the tank filter and dispose of it.

    • 2

      Turn off any UV sterilizers and protein skimmers that you are using in the fish tank, as they will prevent the Ick medication from working properly.

    • 3

      Remove 20 percent of the tank's water and replace it with fresh (treated, if your water supply has chlorine) water.

    • 4

      Increase the temperature, over a period of two days, of the water in the fish tank until it is 78° to 80°F. Warmer tank temperatures speed up the life cycle of the parasite, enabling the medication to kill it quicker.

    • 5

      Provide extra aeration of the tank by increasing the air supply, or adding another air pump, if needed. The warmer temperature of the water decreases available oxygen.

    • 6

      Treat the tank with an Ick medication containing either formalin or malachite green. Follow the medication directions for treatment guidelines, and continue the treatment for as long as the directions direct.

    • 7

      Wash any nets, heaters or other items that have come in contact with the fish or tank water during treatment, and do not use them again for 48 hours. Ick is not airborne, and cannot survive more than 48 hours without a host fish.

    • 8

      Place fresh carbon in the filter after treatment is complete. Put any UV sterilizers and protein skimmers, if used, back into the tank.