Fish Medications

API Super Ick Cure

Freshwater & marineWhite spot

API Super Ick Cure is the treatment for Ich, the white spot parasite, and for other highly contagious parasitic diseases. It works in freshwater and saltwater tanks. The parasite burrows into skin and gill tissue before any spots appear, where it drains electrolytes, damages the gills and invites secondary bacterial and fungal infections, so the earlier you start the better. Super Ick Cure comes as a liquid or a powder, each with its own dosing on the pack; Jungle Aquatics supplies the liquid in 50 ml, 118 ml and 473 ml. It contains malachite green and is not for aquariums that house shrimp, snails or corals.

Size: 50 ml

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Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Super Ick Cure to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Liquid treatment dose1 ml per 3 8 litres
Enter a volumeFollow the repeat schedule on the pack until the course is complete

The powder form is dosed differently — follow the directions for the form you have, and remove carbon before the first dose.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Anti-parasite fish remedy
Sizes	50 ml, 118 ml, 473 ml
Treats	50 ml treats 190 litres · 118 ml treats 447 litres · 473 ml treats 1 788 litres
Dose	As directed on the pack; the liquid and the powder version are dosed differently
Suitable for	Freshwater and saltwater aquariums, fish only
Safe with	Fish only. Not for shrimp, snails, crabs, corals or reef aquariums
Key ingredient	Malachite green
Form	Liquid (a powder version is also made)
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Remove activated carbon from the filter before the first dose and keep it out until the course is finished.

Which size of Super Ick Cure do I need?

Pick the bottle by the volume of water you will dose. The 50 ml bottle treats 190 litres, the 118 ml treats 447 litres and the 473 ml treats 1 788 litres, which works out to about 1 ml for every 3.8 litres of water. Ich has a multi-stage life cycle, so a full course takes more than one dose; check the schedule on the pack and make sure the bottle covers every dose for your tank's real water volume. The liquid and the powder are dosed differently, so follow the directions for the form you have, and take activated carbon out of the filter before you start.

Treats white spot and other contagious parasites

Ich is the most common parasite in the hobby and among the fastest to spread, and it is not the only one Super Ick Cure handles. The parasite spends part of its life cycle buried in the skin and gills, out of reach of any medication, so the treatment has to stay in the water for the whole schedule on the pack to catch each stage as it emerges.

Catch it before the spots show

In its early stages Ich is invisible; it is already under the skin and in the gills before a single white spot appears. Watch for fish darting about, flashing or scratching against gravel and ornaments, breathing hard, and hanging at the surface or next to the filter outlet or airstone. If you see that behaviour, treat, because the spots are not always visible.

Not for invertebrates, reef tanks or carbon-filtered water

Super Ick Cure's active ingredient, malachite green, is hard on shrimp, snails, crabs and corals, so API does not recommend it in reef aquariums or in any freshwater or marine tank that houses invertebrates; move the fish to a separate treatment tank instead. Take activated carbon out of the filter for the full course, and dose strictly by the directions on the liquid or powder pack.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Super Ick Cure in a marine tank?

Yes, in a fish-only saltwater aquarium; it is made for both freshwater and saltwater use. It is not for reef tanks, because corals and other invertebrates are sensitive to it.

Is Super Ick Cure safe with shrimp and snails?

No. Malachite green affects invertebrates, and API does not recommend the product in any freshwater or marine aquarium that contains shrimp, snails, crabs or corals. Treat the fish in a separate quarantine tank instead.

My fish are scratching on the gravel but I cannot see any white spots. Should I treat?

Those are the early signs: flashing against decor, darting, laboured breathing and hanging near the surface or the filter outlet usually come before the spots, which do not always show at all. Starting treatment at that stage gives the fish the best chance, because the parasite is already damaging the gills.

Is this the liquid or the powder version?

The 50 ml, 118 ml and 473 ml sizes are the liquid. API also makes a powder version with its own dosing, so always work from the directions on the pack you have rather than from memory.

Do I take the carbon out of my filter for Super Ick Cure?

Yes. Activated carbon and other chemical media pull medication out of the water, so remove them before the first dose and leave them out until the course on the pack is complete. Fit fresh carbon afterwards to clear any remaining medication.

Is API Super Ick Cure available in South Africa?

Yes. The liquid in 50 ml, 118 ml and 473 ml is sold by Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg, with nationwide delivery; see jungleaquatics.com for live pricing and stock.

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