Fresh Water Dip for Ich

Joe · 05-27-2001, 04:48 AM

Can somebody Please tell me how long to dip for Ich in fresh water???
Thanks

Joe

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"The President is aware of what is going on. That's not to say there is something going on."

**scubadude** · 05-27-2001, 05:57 AM

Hi Joe

I have never done a freshwater dip for anything but from what I have heard its not that long for maybe 30secs...I have heard some doing it longer but I wouldnt IMO....Just remember if you do a FW dip then make sure the temp and PH are the same, FWIW liquid or minced garlic does a GREAT job with ich...HTH [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by scubadude (edited 05-27-2001).]

Penguin · 05-27-2001, 12:31 PM

I would dip for 3 to 5 minutes. Use baking soda to buffer the dip water, and test it to make sure it's the proper pH. You can also dip in hyposaline water (SG ~ 1.009). This is less stressful on the fish, and dip for up to about 20 min. Unfortunately, if you have the ich parasite in your tank, the fish will probably come down with an even worse case of it when you put it back in the infested tank, because the stress of the netting and dipping procedure will make the fish more susceptible. If you are moving the fish to a separate quarantine tank, this may not be a problem.

Bughead · 05-27-2001, 08:21 PM

I've done freshwater dips successfully on several occasions. Make sure the temp and pH are the same in the fresh water as in the tank water. I like to use a plastic breeding cage to contain the fish and dip the cage into the bucket of fresh water. A large net works too, leave the fish in the net instead of releasing it. Watch the fish carefully, it may suddenly become airborne, deciding carpet surfing is a better idea. Or it may lie on its side. This is OK, although I like to encourage it to stay upright. Make sure it is still breathing. It will breath more heavily, but take it out if it gets too stressed.

You can leave the fish in the dip anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes. I like to aim for 7 to 10 minutes. This give enough time for the ich to drop off. Here's where the breeding cage comes in handy. You don't have to catch the fish, just lift it up in the cage. Gently pour a little bit of the dip water over the fish to rinse away any ich that might be in the bottom of the cage, then put the whole thing back in the tank. You can release the fish right away. Sometimes they will hide to recover, sometimes they just swim around like nothing happened.

You may have to repeat the dip in a week or two, depending on how bad a case of ich the fish has. Don't forget you need to treat the tank (Kick-ich or No-ich) if more than one fish is affected.

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05-27-2001, 04:48 AM	#1
Joe Citizen Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Lewisville, TX. Posts: 175	Fresh Water Dip for Ich Can somebody Please tell me how long to dip for Ich in fresh water??? Thanks Joe ------------------ "The President is aware of what is going on. That's not to say there is something going on."

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05-27-2001, 05:57 AM	#2
scubadude Moderator Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Wichita, Kansas Posts: 5,293	Hi Joe I have never done a freshwater dip for anything but from what I have heard its not that long for maybe 30secs...I have heard some doing it longer but I wouldnt IMO....Just remember if you do a FW dip then make sure the temp and PH are the same, FWIW liquid or minced garlic does a GREAT job with ich...HTH [img]/ubb/biggrin.gif[/img] [This message has been edited by scubadude (edited 05-27-2001).]

05-27-2001, 12:31 PM	#3
Penguin Polymath Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cherry Hill, NJ Posts: 526	I would dip for 3 to 5 minutes. Use baking soda to buffer the dip water, and test it to make sure it's the proper pH. You can also dip in hyposaline water (SG ~ 1.009). This is less stressful on the fish, and dip for up to about 20 min. Unfortunately, if you have the ich parasite in your tank, the fish will probably come down with an even worse case of it when you put it back in the infested tank, because the stress of the netting and dipping procedure will make the fish more susceptible. If you are moving the fish to a separate quarantine tank, this may not be a problem.

05-27-2001, 08:21 PM	#4
Bughead Governor Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA Posts: 1,152	I've done freshwater dips successfully on several occasions. Make sure the temp and pH are the same in the fresh water as in the tank water. I like to use a plastic breeding cage to contain the fish and dip the cage into the bucket of fresh water. A large net works too, leave the fish in the net instead of releasing it. Watch the fish carefully, it may suddenly become airborne, deciding carpet surfing is a better idea. Or it may lie on its side. This is OK, although I like to encourage it to stay upright. Make sure it is still breathing. It will breath more heavily, but take it out if it gets too stressed. You can leave the fish in the dip anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes. I like to aim for 7 to 10 minutes. This give enough time for the ich to drop off. Here's where the breeding cage comes in handy. You don't have to catch the fish, just lift it up in the cage. Gently pour a little bit of the dip water over the fish to rinse away any ich that might be in the bottom of the cage, then put the whole thing back in the tank. You can release the fish right away. Sometimes they will hide to recover, sometimes they just swim around like nothing happened. You may have to repeat the dip in a week or two, depending on how bad a case of ich the fish has. Don't forget you need to treat the tank (Kick-ich or No-ich) if more than one fish is affected. ------------------ If it's broke, don't fix it---hide it.

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