Steven -
First, I want to thank you for your two-part series discussing Cryptocaryon irritans and its treatment. Very informative and objective.
I have been and still am a freshwater hobbyist, most recently (and presently) keeping several tropheus and petrochromis variants as well as "Zaire Blue" frontosa. I've had some success and feel reasonably capable.
About five months ago I moved to expand my range into the marine hobby, converting a 90-gallon (slowly becoming a reef tank) and adding a 300, which is FOWLR.
The experience thus far has been humbling. I'll skip the history and move to my current challenge and question. The 300 (two semilarvatus butterflyfishes, a chocolate tang, a kole tang, a midas blenny, a dragon goby and a group of ocellaris clowns, plus clean-up crew invertebrates) is infested with marine ich. The infestation is moderate-to-severe on the butterflyfishes and mild on all others. (The cause appears to have been a Naso tang I acquired "pre-QTed" who promptly exhibited the infection and died. I will assume, if I may, that you do not believe there is such a thing as a "pre-QTed" fish.)
Because of the size of the fishes and the size of the tank to which they have become accustomed, I concluded that my 29-gal. QT tank would be too small to move the whole group into, so I'm treating the display tank with 5-Nitroimidazoles ("Kick-Ich").
Here's the question. I was advised also to drop the salinity level to 1.016 and did so, though I know from your work that the prescribed end-point salinity is closer to 1.010. If I go that far, however, I'll kill all of the invertebrates and likely the live rock and sand as well. Do you see any value to the (mild) hyposalinity in combination with the 5-Nitroimidazoles? Do you see any downside?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have.
BTW, ammonia 0; nitrite 0; nitrate 0; phosphate 0; pH 8.3; kH hardness 7; temp 77.8 F.
First, I want to thank you for your two-part series discussing Cryptocaryon irritans and its treatment. Very informative and objective.
I have been and still am a freshwater hobbyist, most recently (and presently) keeping several tropheus and petrochromis variants as well as "Zaire Blue" frontosa. I've had some success and feel reasonably capable.
About five months ago I moved to expand my range into the marine hobby, converting a 90-gallon (slowly becoming a reef tank) and adding a 300, which is FOWLR.
The experience thus far has been humbling. I'll skip the history and move to my current challenge and question. The 300 (two semilarvatus butterflyfishes, a chocolate tang, a kole tang, a midas blenny, a dragon goby and a group of ocellaris clowns, plus clean-up crew invertebrates) is infested with marine ich. The infestation is moderate-to-severe on the butterflyfishes and mild on all others. (The cause appears to have been a Naso tang I acquired "pre-QTed" who promptly exhibited the infection and died. I will assume, if I may, that you do not believe there is such a thing as a "pre-QTed" fish.)
Because of the size of the fishes and the size of the tank to which they have become accustomed, I concluded that my 29-gal. QT tank would be too small to move the whole group into, so I'm treating the display tank with 5-Nitroimidazoles ("Kick-Ich").
Here's the question. I was advised also to drop the salinity level to 1.016 and did so, though I know from your work that the prescribed end-point salinity is closer to 1.010. If I go that far, however, I'll kill all of the invertebrates and likely the live rock and sand as well. Do you see any value to the (mild) hyposalinity in combination with the 5-Nitroimidazoles? Do you see any downside?
Thanks in advance for any thoughts you may have.
BTW, ammonia 0; nitrite 0; nitrate 0; phosphate 0; pH 8.3; kH hardness 7; temp 77.8 F.
