Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) in goldfish is one of the most common types of fish parasites found in aquariums. Most aquarium owners will need to deal with ich in goldfish at some point, and must be quick, as leaving ich untreated can kill your goldfish. Ich in goldfish is also known as white spot disease, because one of the key symptoms of ich is white patches all over the goldfish's body. Fortunately, there are natural and professional remedies you can use to help your goldfish look shiny and golden orange again.
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Method 1 of 3: Recognizing Ich Symptoms in Gold Fish
Step 1. Check for small white spots on the goldfish
The ich parasite may not be very visible when it begins to form. However, when these parasites start consuming bodily fluids on the skin and fins of fish, they will stay and look like small specks or white patches. Your goldfish will look as if they have been sprinkled with salt or sugar, but in fact, they have ich.
If you don't treat ich early, it can develop into large white patches on fish scales and fins. This is a sign that more ich parasites have settled on your goldfish
Step 2. Notice if your goldfish rubs its body against objects or the sides of the tank
Ich on goldfish will cause your fish to itch. The fish will rub against objects or sides of the tank in an attempt to stop the itching.
Step 3. Pay attention to the goldfish's gills
Because your goldfish is suffering, the fish may not be getting enough oxygen in the tank. This will cause the gills to work to exhaustion and lead to heavy, rapid gill movement as the fish tries to breathe.
Method 2 of 3: Using Bath Salts
Step 1. Raise the temperature of the aquarium to 30 degrees Celsius
Raise the water temperature slowly over a period of 48 hours in very small increments, about 1 degree Celsius every hour. This will give your goldfish time to acclimate to the increased temperature and prevent startling it.
- The heat will prevent the ich from developing into more parasites once it's released from your fish. The high temperature will effectively neutralize the parasite and prevent it from reproducing.
- Do not mix two ich treatments, do only one treatment at a time.
Step 2. Keep the oxygen level in the water high
You need to compensate for the increase in water temperature by providing more oxygen in the water for your fish. Do it this way:
- Reduce the water level in the aquarium.
- Directs the air to the surface of the aquarium water.
- Place additional aeration stones, or decorate with aeration stones in the aquarium.
Step 3. Add salt to the aquarium
Some aquarium owners think that increasing the water temperature slowly is enough to release and kill the ich. However, a salt bath can help the fish create a slime coat, which can prevent the ich from re-adhering. The combination of salt and heat will attack any free-swimming ich in the tank until they all die.
- Use fish salt made specifically for freshwater fish, not table salt. You can buy fish salt online or at your local pet store.
- Add one tablespoon or three teaspoons of fish salt for every 19 liters of aquarium water. If you want to try using less fish salt, you can use 1 tsp for every 3.8 liters of water instead.
- If you have fish or other invertebrates in the tank with infected goldfish, make sure they are not salt sensitive before adding salt to the water. Some types of water do not tolerate large doses of salt.
Step 4. Keep the water temperature high and change the water every few days
Keep the water temperature at 30 degrees Celsius for 10 days. At the start of treatment, when the symptoms of ich are very noticeable in your fish, change 25% of the water every other day. This will ensure the water remains properly oxidized and help get rid of any excess parasites. Add the right amount of fish salt after each water change.
After 10 days, the signs of ich in the fish should decrease and the aquarium water will slowly clear of ich. Continue keeping the temperature high and adding doses of fish salt three to five days after the last sign of ich has gone to ensure all parasites have died
Step 5. Lower the water temperature back to 18 degrees Celsius
After 15 days of natural remedies, your goldfish should be swimming normally and free of white spots in the tank. Now is the time to return the water temperature to normal gradually with a decrease of 1 degree Celsius every hour for a period of 48 hours.
Perform the last 25% water change at the end of the natural treatment and continue with weekly water changes as usual
Method 3 of 3: Using Ich Medicine on Gold Fish
Step 1. Change 25% of the aquarium water and remove any debris in the tank
Use a water siphon to suck up the gravel. Then, remove any activated carbon in the water filter. Reducing the water level will increase the agitation of the water surface and help circulate the ich medication if you add it to the water.
You should also check to make sure the water filter in the tank is producing a strong, steady flow of water into the tank
Step 2. Raise the temperature of the aquarium water to 30 degrees Celsius
Slowly increase the temperature of the water over a period of 48 hours in increments of 1 degree Celsius every hour. This will give your goldfish time to acclimate to the increased temperature and prevent startling it.
Unlike natural remedies, the purpose of increasing the temperature of the water is not to kill the ich with heat, but to speed up the ich's life cycle. You will try to force any parasites to progress to the free-swimming stage so quickly that the ich medication can kill them without harming your fish
Step 3. Use the ich remedy
There are several commercial ich medications available online or at your local pet store. Some ich remedies are made of copper, so they won't stain like other medications. However, copper-based ich remedies can be harmful to other invertebrate animals or plants in the infected aquarium. Always read the medication label to make sure the medication won't harm your other pets in the aquarium.
Follow the dosing instructions on the label for adding the ich medication to the water
Step 4. Add salt to the aquarium water
If you wish, also add salt to the water to increase your goldfish's slime coat and speed up killing the ich. You can do it after adding the ich remedy.
Make sure the fish and other invertebrates in the tank are not sensitive to salt treatments. If you're worried that salt might harm other fish in the tank, don't use it. Use only ich drugs
Step 5. Wait for a few weeks until the ich disappears
It may take some time for the ich medication to remove the ich from the tank, as any ich parasites need to be in the free-swimming stage before they can be killed. After a few weeks, the white patches on your fish should be gone and the tank should be ich-free.
Step 6. Lower the water temperature back to 18 degrees celsius
After a few weeks of professional treatment, your goldfish should be swimming normally and free of white spots in the tank. Now it's time to return the aquarium temperature to normal with a decrease of 1 degree Celsius every hour for a period of 48 hours.
