Symptoms:
The first symptoms is often the fish rubbing itself up against rocks or gravel, in order to remove the parasites. Small white dots that resemble grains of salt are also visible. At first there may only be one or two white spots, but as the ich parasites multiply many more soon appear.
Cure:
Ich is rarely life threatening as is easy to treat. Most commercial treatments will do the job, however these are often harsh and can damage the fish's protective slime layer. Often simply turning the aquarium light off for 7-14 days, and blocking most light out of the tank will do the trick. You can do this by taping paper to the sides of the aquarium, however lets some light in for the fish's benefit, and don't forget to regularly check the state of the fish. This process can damage the plants slightly, but not so much that they can't recover. The generally harsh chemicals from commercial treatments are worse for the plants in most cases killing them completely.
If the no-light approach does not work after about 2-3 weeks, the chemical approach can then be used. When using the chemicals, it is best to use them when the fish appears to have the least amount of spots on it, as this is the parasite's free swimming stage. The chemicals work best at this time, as they are not very effective in killing the parasite when it is attached to the fish. The chemicals may have to be used a number of times before the ich is completely gone.
Another thing to note when using the chemical approach is the benefit of raising the water temperature a few degrees. This causes the parasites live cycle to speed up so treatment can occur more quickly and cause less harm to the fish and plants.
Remember, water quality is always extremely important- so always check that first as it is often the cause of disease in aquarium fish. When treating sick fish, try to put the least amount of stress on them as possible, as stress will hinder the heeling process. Another thing is to remember is that generally, a healthy fish is a happy fish.
