My first bout with ick

[ESaputo]

So I was feeding my gouramis some brine and making sure everything was in top shape and i notice white spots on 2 of my 3 gouramis. On gourami has 2 spots and another has only 1. I cranked the heat up to 84. Is this good enough? Im going to add salt tomorrow hopefully. Ive never really dealt with ich. How nasty is it? Does it completely kill fish quickly?

Thanks guys...im really worried.

[gm72]

Ich can kill, yes, but caught soon enough you should be okay.

Are there other tankmates? If so it may alter your available treatments.

Raise your temp to more like 86 degrees.
Add salt.
Large water changes daily.

[Blue Ram]

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/aquariumforum/showthread.php?t=15562

This may help!

[jbeining75]

cranking the heat is most important... it speeds the life cycle of the ick. The only time the ick can be dealt with is it is tromite stage where it is free swimming..... if it is attached to the fish it cant be treated... ich happens like this bacterial bed / substrate they form... became free swimming and attach onto a host (your fish) 2-3 days later fall from the fish and lay in the substrate where they respawn numerous times and continue the cycle.... if salt and heat doesn't work, use a treatment with malchette green in it. It needs dosed for a good two-three weeks though..... the medication cycle would be this::

heat up to around 85 degrees (blast an airstone as less o2 in water with added heat)
dose tank with malchette green (herein ick med)
wait 24 hours dose tank with ick med
wait 24 hours dose tank with ick med
wait 24 hours do a 30% water change
wait 48 hours dose tank with ick med
wait 24 hours do a 30% water change
then keep dosing every three days with a water change the day after dosing for two-three weeks. You want to dose a full week after there are no signs of ick on any fish..... warning malchette green will tint tank decor and sillicone a slight bluish color..... try the salt bathes first with increased heat to rid the ick.... if that doesn't work the malchette green cycle will.....