Caesars wrote:Rising the temperature doesn't cure ich. It speeds its life cycle, so that the adults move quicker in the water to lay eggs and the eggs can be killed off quicker by the medication.Therefore it speeds up the amount needed for treatment
If the temperature is above 32 celsius it will kill the buggers
Water temperature has a tremendous influence on how fast the life cycle for "Ich" is completed. At warm temperatures (75-79°F), the life cycle is completed in about 48 hours, which means that chemical treatments should be applied every other day. At cooler temperatures the life cycle is prolonged and treatments should be spaced further apart. For example, at a water temperature of 60°F, treatments should be spaced 4 or 5 days apart. In warm water, a minimum of three treatments applied 2 to 3 days apart is required. In cooler water, a minimum of five treatments should be applied 3 to 5 days apart. Treatments should never be discontinued until all mortality from "Ich" has stopped. Fish should be closely watched during recovery; the weakened fish may be susceptible to a secondary bacterial infection. The choice of chemical used to treat "Ich" will be based upon water quality conditions, species of fish to be treated, and the type of system fish are housed in. In general, copper sulfate, formalin, and potassium permanganate are all effective against "Ich" when applied at the correct concentration in a repetitive manner as described above. A number of commercial preparations are available from pet stores which contain one or several of these agents
Special Considerations for Treatment of Pet Fish
Temperature manipulation is also an effective way to control "Ich" in home aquariums. This technique is often not practical for commercial fish farms, but is advantageous for the hobbyist because expensive products do not have to be purchased and it is safer for some of the delicate species which are popular in community tanks. Water temperature can be gradually raised to 90°F, maintained there for 24 hours, and then gradually dropped to 70°F for 48 hours. The infective juveniles (tomites) will be killed while the water temperature is at 90°. When the temperature is dropped the adult organisms will fall off the fish and begin to reproduce. As the young begin to emerge 48 hours later, the temperature is again raised to 90°F, causing them to die. Repeating this process continuously (24 hours at 90° F followed by 48 hours at 70° F) for two weeks should control the disease. Cleaning the tank every second day will help remove cysts before they rupture and therefore help to prevent completion of the life cycle. If you decide to use temperature to control "Ich" in your home aquarium be sure that the type of fish in your tank can tolerate the temperature extremes involved.
Footnotes
1. This document is CIR920, one of a series of the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date March, 1991. Reviewed July, 2002. Visit the EDIS Web Site at
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.Please visit the FAIRS Web site at
http://hammock.ifas.ufl.edu.
2. Ruth Francis-Floyd, IFAS ExtensionVeterinarian, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, and Peggy Reed, Biological Scientist, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences and Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences; Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.