HELP Can anybody QT my fishes for me?

[dugg]

I have used the hypo treatment before with good results. You just have to go slow and easy, and you need to have a refractometer to insure the salinity is right.

The problem with the copper IMO is the cross contamination. Even trace amounts of copper getting into your display, either from the fish, or a rock or sand or even pumps, can doom you to years of problems that you just can't quite figure out. The copper won't hurt your fish if dosed right, but inverts are extremely sensative to very small amounts. It soaks into sand, rocks, silicone, and pretty much anything else it touches, and never goes away. Then you forget about a piece of equipment that was exposed to the copper a few years down the road, use it on your display, and you might as well throw out your entire system and start over from scratch. I been there, and it isn't any fun, and very expensive. It doesn't kill your corals fast in small trace amounts, it just makes them slowly wither away for no apparent reason over 6 months or so. I will never again even bring a bottle of copper into my house, much less use it on anything fish related ever again.

 

[chrisstie]

Well honestly until a few days ago I never had ich. I only have a 55g tank so I've avoided the species who seem super prone to it (tangs for example) .. .blennies\gobies are pretty resilient to it.

I had some issues in my tank with dinoflagelletes and I think it stressed my fish out and I had an outbreak. Don't know where it came from, was probably dormant in my tank - its out there, in the sea, in our tanks, just gotta manage with it.

Right now I could set up a QT and do it but I don't have a tank large enough that the fish would be comfortable in together to go through treatment. I'm monitoring them carefully though and if it doesn't subside (which it is fading out.. I am guessing it will go into a dormant stage again) I will attempt hypo.

Because I do work at one of our LFS I am going to have a tough time talking about who I know thats done it and that it works but I do know that it can. It's a method that isn't being passed around like the kinds of "snake oils" in this hobby (kick ich for marine fish for example)

It's just tough because throughout day and night you will have water evaoporating from your tank and it will increase your salinity (the fresh goes, the salt stays) so you need to be extremely vigilant to slowly bring it down to where it needs to be and keep it there without shocking your fish.

If I do it to mine I'll probably monitor it every few hours as much as I can with my schedule.

I have to take a test tonight but if you'd like we can do an experiment with my clowns tomorrow. i'll take before and after photos of a fresh water dip. They aren't hard to do and should more than likely kill whatever current ich parasites are present on the clowns. The parasite cannot protect their bodies from extreme changes in osmotic pressure so when they go from salt to fresh they .. "pop" in a sense because of that change.

I have been considering doing it to relieve them of the stuff thats on them and hope it goes back to being dormant. I'd still need to hypo or copper and leave my tank fallow to really beat it. Even then I've heard of cases of it coming back somehow. It's a very annoying affliction

 

[lifesworksataol]

have you ever had ick and then did the hypo? if it works then great - but most people have heard it works from other people. i wish i had the link that was in the ick forum that had a scientist that tried all the different treatments and showed the results of each. ill try and find it again. i have done alot of research on the subject when my brother had it and i tried to stay clear of heresay stuff to find people who have actually had ick and tried the hypo. not trying to fight anyone - just letting you know what i found. which is heresay also :-D haha

 

[chrisstie]

I don't know if these will help but here's a few threads on the discussion and some others claim success with hypo

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1142775&highlight=hyposalinity

Toward the bottom of this one there's some nice advice to clear up a lot of what is said of ich
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1138995&highlight=hyposalinity

And here's a painful thread full of sarcasm, misinformation, and I actually found Marduc's words to be helpful

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1135029&highlight=hyposalinity


I think it really just comes down to the individual and what they decide to do for their fish.

Here's some good wetwebmedia info about ich itself too if it helps

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ichartmar.htm

 

[Freed]

I have done hypo on my fish that had ich when I brought them home. Worked for me. Don't know where you heard it doesn't work but until you do it and do it right then you don't know. Works for me and works well. No issues here with ich.

 

[waterfaller1]

If done PROPERLY, it works well. The link that Dugg posted is the best I have found. The bannerfish could become damaged if copper is used. Copper is something not to be taken lightly, it can kill if not done in the correct proportions, and some fish just cannot handle it and get irrepairably damaged. Witht hypo-salinity, just be certain you are using a calibrated refractometer, keeping SG at 1.009 at all times, do frequent water changes, bring it down and back up in the manner which is in the link, and monitor PH and Ammonia carefully. I would also suggest either a larger tank or new home for the bannerfish, he will always be stressed in that size tank. I would'nt keep one in anything less than a 180, they need the swimming room.

 

[lifesworksataol]

awesome! - hope to hear more from people who have and havent had success with it

 

[cschweitzer]

Freed is awesome...I always love when he shows up in our forum...good to see everything is still going for you freed. That red and green spawn and the pulsing sin are still kicking and doing well.

 

[mwdennis]

Yes, hyposalinity is a proven way to eradicate the Ich parisite. I've done it myself many times with a 100% success rate to date. Whenever you hear of people who have tried hypo and it not worked is because they did not lower the salinity to the required level (~1.010), many times because they were using a cheap hydrometer to measure the salinity (which can be off by up to +/- 0.005). Another reason is because they were impatient and did not keep the hypo for at least 4 weeks in order for the ich life cycle to complete. If done correctly and with patience, hypo can be one of the most effective and least stressful ways to remove ich from a system.

 

[nymotts]

Thanks to everybody that gave me there advise..I'm still a little confused on which treatment i should do but i will have to choose one and wish for the best.

I did manage to get the purple tang and the clown into a 29G and want to know if i do use the copper treatment do i need lights on that tank and how long do i treat them with copper for? Thanks again everybody...

 

[Freed]

How many heads you got on that red and green frog?

 

[cschweitzer]

It's still two, but they are HUGE!!! I'd say the base on each is over an inch...open it spans a good 4-5". I know Marcye(SITC) got one of those from you at the same time...

The pulsing sin is a good 4-5" and has reached the top of the water and started expanding out.


nymotts: the truth is that noone really knows the best method. As are most things in this hobby, it is mainly heresay and speculation. You need to take everyone's advice and create your own solution. I'm sorry to say, but there is EXTREMELY little standardization in the hobby, which makes everything from treatment of diseases, skimming methods, and even the "right" salt to use very open to interpretation. Don't forget, there are many combinations of treatments that work for others...