Can Aquarium Plants Carry Ich? (How To Treat Plants With Ich?)

Can Aquarium Plants Carry Ich? (How To Treat Plants With Ich?)

Image of aquarium plants with ich

Aquarium plants usually carry ich on their leaves, roots, and other surfaces. Aquarium plants catch ich from contaminated water and then transfer it to existing fish in the tank. They also introduce ich into a new fish tank when they are transplanted in the tank.

Although ich is a widespread and common problem affecting freshwater fish, you cannot take it lightly. Unless you take suitable steps to combat its spread, it can wipe out the entire fish population in a tank. To understand how to effectively control this problem, let us look at this disease in closer detail.

How To Prevent Ich From Taking Over An Aquarium?

We already saw that the ich protozoa are hardy and resilient.

Since it is easily transmitted through water, ich is very contagious.

Ich grows and matures in the body of the fish, causing significant damage during the process.

Once the parasite reaches maturity, it leaves the body of the fish and finds a spot in the tank where it produces thousands of offspring.

The new ich will float around in the water, looking for a host to attach.

It can survive in water for forty-eight hours, which is plenty of time to find a fish.

The vicious cycle continues, and all the fish in the aquarium are in danger.

Once ich appears in a tank, you must assume that all the surfaces and inhabitants have been contaminated.

So, getting rid of it can be tiresome.

Diligent fish owners will be able to spot the infection before it spreads.

In this case, it is easier to tackle ich by quarantining the infected fish and disinfecting the tank.

But even before that, you can prevent the possibility of ich to a great extent by controlling anything added to an existing tank.

The chances of ich appearing in the tank are high if you have introduced any new inmates like plants, snails, shrimp, or even other fish.

It can also come through gravel, soil, or rock added to a tank.

To reduce the possibility of it happening, quarantine any new plant, fish, or invertebrate for ten to fourteen days before adding it to the tank.

You should also make sure that you buy them from reliable and hygienic places.

How To Treat Plants With Ich?

When you buy new plants for your aquarium, always buy them from plant-only tanks.

This reduces the chances of the plants carrying the ich parasite.

Nevertheless, it is better to treat the plant before introducing it to a fish tank to avoid any risk of infection.

When you bring the new plant home, inspect all its surfaces to get rid of any hitchhiker pests.

Thoroughly rinse all parts of the plant to wash away any pests from the surfaces.

Take care to clean the roots and undersides of the leaves thoroughly where pests may lurk.

Experienced hobbyists use strong disinfectants like bleach and hydrogen peroxide for disinfecting plants.

However, avoid using them if you do not know how to handle them correctly.

You can use a potassium permanganate dip for your plants.

Put the plant in the dip for ten minutes. This should dislodge any ich parasites.

Keep the plant in quarantine for a few days before introducing it to the main tank.

Freely swimming ich cannot survive for too long without a host.

So, quarantining the plants reduces the risk of ich transmission.

How To Treat Ich In A Tank?

Despite your best efforts, if ich appears in your aquarium, you should promptly take measures to eliminate it.

Here are the different things to do to get rid of ich.

1. Increase the tank temperature.

Freely floating ich parasites are killed by heat. However, you cannot raise the temperature of the tank without affecting the fish.

So, move all the fish from the tank and then increase the water temperature to 80°F.

Without a host to attach, the freely swimming parasites will die in three to four days.

2. Treat the infected fish.

By increasing the temperature, you can kill the ich which is present in the water or attached to surfaces.

However, it will not kill the parasites on the fish.

You will need medications that do not harm the fish. Some medications can produce adverse effects in certain species.

So, you should pay attention to this factor when choosing medicine.

Commonly used medicines include copper, aldehyde-based formulas, and herbal extracts like garlic juice.

3. Use aquarium salt.

Aquarium salt is an effective remedy for ich that is not so serious.

When you add aquarium salt to an infected aquarium, it will kill many freely floating parasites by the process of osmosis.

This gives your fish a better chance of recovery.

Another benefit of aquarium salt is that it encourages the fish to recover their natural slime coat.

The mucous covering improves their resistance to infections and enhances their overall health.

About The Author

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *