Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Just think of it this way Jamie, pre salted tomatoes and fish.

Besides, we can tell from your avatar you're really a chicken man (or is that a turkey? It's pretty big)

Once the ich has gone you can decrease the salt by degrees changing out a little water at a time so you don't feel so guilty using so much water at once in Queensland.

Mangroves will actually sweat pure salt, now how do we get them to de-medicate our tanks....

And a quote from a fish farmer/scientist friend - "You're not a real fish farmer till you've killed a million fish."

Hey Steve, why do you say you can only raise the temps if you add salt??
From my experience of itch it can be treated by raising the temps alone. If the water temp is at 27c the parasites lifecycle can be complete in 4 days compared to taking approx 5 weeks at temps around 10c. By raising temps to 30c (Silver Perch can handle this) the parastie is destroyed - salt not necessarily required. Its important to add extra aeration to the system when raising water temps for obvious reasons.

How much luck have you guys had in controlling ich by just adding 3ppt of salt to your systems??
We have always treated fish in salt baths (in a separate tub) at around 15ppt for 30-60 min 3 times a week whilst also raising the tank temp and changing around half the tank water. This method has worked well for both trout and Silver Perch.
I would be interested to know the ammonia and nitrite levels in Jamies tank as most of the occurences of itch I have experienced have occurred whilst the system is cycling.

Interesting T'man, my system had cycled with 10 goldies, then I added over 20 SP (some on the largish size) - I suppose this would initially cause a spike but would it be large enough to encourage ICH in the SP?

Thanks Guys - I'll add the salt very slowly - all 30kg of it!
T'man my ammonia is still not registering but I guess there is some there because my nitrate level is just beginning to slightly "pink" up - ie less than 5ppm.
Don't know how fast this Ich stuff spreads - as I said I have only seen it on a couple of the bigger ones (50mm) - mind you they move bloody fast (and are feeding well) - and no deaths.

I'll have to rely on using salt alone - I haven't got the facilities to heat up the water.

Cheers
Jamie

Trout man,

I said that abount only raising temps if you use salt becasue below 30C - 32C, ich will not be destroyed, so what you are doing is breeding new ich every four days and hastening the demise of your fish. If you medicate while maintaining 24C then with i a few 4 day cycled you've killed all your ich. You are correct about the 30C+ temps, (although there have been reports of ich surviving to 32C) Its just that in everything except a very small BAP system raising the temp to 30C+ with out it dropping will use a LOT of energy, and i'd rather make a blanket statement than have some one control temp at 30C when it frequently dips to 29C.

Also while perch can tolerate 30C its the upper limit, i'd not like to keep them there for a week, and you know well the effects of a few degrees on DO above the high 20's

Very interesting about the salt baths, all the reading that i have done indicates that pretty much the only part of their life cycle that they are vulnerable, even to mal. green is during their "free floating" stage (between rupturing from cyst and burrowing into another host).

But if the baths work for you COOL!

practical data ALWAYS welcome

Steve

Aquaddict - what are you doing to that sheep
The birds a turkey - hopefully have fish next christmas.

Salt works partly because of the fairly rapid change in salt concentration. Therefore adding it slowly will have less effect.

Steve - do you want to explain the effect the change in salt concentration has on the Ich cells. Is it like osmosis threw a semipermiable membrane and shit . Sorry that is the only thing I remember from science class and I thought I'd quote it here

alright, if instead you put in a quarantine tank of 1000L, how much salt do you add, how long do you keep the fish in there, do you feed them?

VB & Jaymie

thanks, but for how long do I quarantine new fish?

Mon I think keep a bad case (solo) larger fish isolated for about a week I think.

I did 2 weeks to be safe. No probs feeding them during this time Jaymie. Would want to have cycled and planted grow-bed hooked up or at least a cycled biofilter (with water changes).

Actually, depending on how many fish you have and their size when you get them, may not need to worry about removing the nitrate, but would definitelly want to be converting the ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate to be safe. I wouldn't just cross fingers and hope the volume could cope with it for the 2 weeks. Keep the test kit handy and watch what is happening.

Jaymie, this is not supposed to be a rev up in any way, but I take it that you haven't got your fish yet. Do you have an eta??

Who'd you get them off and what's the explanation for the saga??

I put my sick fella in 5 parts for a few days, no improvement 28 degs c, upped it to 10 parts, fixed him in 4 days. He is now fully healthy and feeding and will be my inside aquarium friend. We are too close now for me to eat him LOL. p.s all salt was added in minimal water (disolved,) not gradually.