Water temp during ich treatment

[madrefkepr]

One thing I have not seen on this board is raising the water temp during ich treatment. I have had a lot of success with bringing water temp up to 84 degrees in freshwater tanks. Is there a reason why it is not done in saltwater? Is it too much for fish and/or corals? Or, does it just not work?

 

[_range_]

Well, as I understand it, raising the water temp will only increase the reprodction rates of the parasites. Wouldn't it make more sense to lower the temp? But then again it is probably more important to just keep a stable temperature to reduce fish stress.

 

[Anonymous]

raising the temp will not kill cryptocaryon, or oodinium, to the best of my knowledge

the fw ich is ichthyopthirius multifillis, which cannot tolerate a temp above 86 farenheit

ich, either sw, or fw, strangles a fish by coating its gill fiaments, which it uses as the means to access the fish's bloodstream for food

water holds less O2 as it get's warmer.(or more CO2 in relation to the O2)

raising the temp also speeds up the reproductive rate of the parasite, and the metabolic rate of the fish.

so-by raising the water temp-you are basically favoring the reproduction of the parasite, and making it even more difficult for a sw fish to get oxygen from the water, when it's already having trouble breathing :wink:

hth

 

[madrefkepr]

Makes sense! Thanks!

 

[john f]

FWIW,

I used to advocate raising the temp ( even in a reef tank ) to 86+ degrees and holding it there for 2 weeks as treatment for cyptocaryon.
This worked for me on more than one occasion. However, after a few successes the temp method failed to work on two occasions.
I think the reason is that by raising the temp I was selecting for a high temperature resistant strain of cryptocaryon.

So I no longer use or advocate the high temp method.

Quarantine of ALL fish BEFORE they enter the reef tank has worked fantastically for me. I also quarantine the corals and live rock if I am not sure they were held for at least 2 weeks in fishless systems.

That said, when I quarantine the fish, I do keep the temps high ( 82-86 ) as speeding along the parasite life cycle is desirable in the QT. I also use hyposalinity on ALL fish in the QT whether they show signs of ick or not.



John

 

[O P Ing]

hi.
I am not very familiar with saltwater ich, but for FW, almost all medication recommand a raise in temperature to speed up the life cycle of the organism so that it can be killed off during the only stage of the life cycle that it can be treated.