Hypo Question

[leewish]

I think I have ich just starting in my tank. No dots on the fish yet but see a few twitching and rock rubbing that were not doing it before.

My tank is 180 and FOWLR except for 2 cheap corals for color, 2 anenomes and some snails and hermits.

Could I pull the rock, anenomes, snails and hermits to a holding tank (40B) and hypo the 180 with some PVC or flower pots? Current stock is Emperor Angel, Flame Angel, Hippo Tang, Yellow Tang, OC clown, foxface and a pair of gold striped maroon clowns. My thought was doing this would be less stress than putting all fish into a 40B for 72 days. I would bring them back up slowly but keep all the rock in holding for 72 days giving any ich in that water a chance to die off and not reintroduced to the tank.

Thoughts?

 

[Spar]

That plan would work. Just keep a close eye out for ammonia creeping up since removing so much bio media (rock mainly). You can buy Seachem Stability or the like to assist.

Just make sure you know the downsides to Hypo, namely that there are hypo-resistant strains of Ich that will make it through your treatment... how common I do not know. Make sure you are using an auto-topoff to keep salinity consistent as well.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Just make sure you know the downsides to Hypo, namely that there are hypo-resistant strains of Ich that will make it through your treatment... how common I do not know. Make sure you are using an auto-topoff to keep salinity consistent as well.

I think Snorvich mentioned in one of the threads or stickies that hypo resistant ich strains are very rare.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

It will probably work. Is your tank bare bottom or with live sand?

 

[Spar]

I think Snorvich mentioned in one of the threads or stickies that hypo resistant ich strains are very rare.

i'd assume that as well. and then, how do you really know it was the strain or if it was procedure fail (common enough).

 

[CoralsAddiction]

i'd assume that as well. and then, how do you really know it was the strain or if it was procedure fail (common enough).

It's hard to tell but a good refractometer is a good start I guess just like a good copper test kit for copper treatments.

 

[leewish]

My tank has a minimal sand bed...really just to coat the bottom of it. I have an ATO on there already so I would drain out water and let the fresh pump in to lower it and maintain the salinity. I tried hypo awhile ago when I didn't have an ATO and that was my downfall. I also have a refractometer and calibration fluid to verify accurate levels to maintain at 1.009.

OK...I'm feeling good about my plan unless anyone else jumps in.

 

[Spar]

if you are calibrating to 35ppt solution, your reading will be off a little at lower levels (1-2ppt). you may be better off calibrating with RO/DI water when aiming for 1.009.

i used to use 35ppt calibration solution, but would aim for 1.008 instead of 1.009 to account for the skewed difference.