Hyposalinty for Ick: How low and how long?

[R. Rinaldi]

How low and for how long for effective hyposalinty for treatment of marine ick in quarantine (clownfish)? I am at 1.010 and was going to keep it there for 14 days, then raise it back up with the fish remaining in that tank for the 5-6 weeks while the reef sits empty.

How Low?
Some materials say 1.009. Joyce Wilkerson's book says 1.011. She cautions about 1.008. Seems like a fine line to maintain, especially in a 10g.

How long?
Most say to keep it low for 14 days. Wilkerson's book says at least six days. My understanding was low salinity for 14 days and the you could raise it back to normal slowly.

The 5-6 weeks is just for the empty display tank right. Does anyone advocate keeping teh salinity so low for the full 5-6 weeks?

Thanks -

 

[kraze3]

Your gonna want to go to 1.009 or 11ppt. Your going to want to keep it there for 6-8 weeks. I did mine for the full 8 weeks, Its actually ending next week.
I would keep your main display fishless for the full 8 weeks also. IMO if your gonna do 5-6 you might as well go 8 just to be on the safe side

Heres a link
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

 

[kraze3]

One more thing, Dont attempt Hypo unless you have a refractometer.

 

[leebca]

When I use the hyposalinity treatment I:

hold the water at 11ppt using a refractometer. I check the water salinity two or three times a day

keep the fish in the hyposalinity water 4 weeks AFTER I no longer can see any Marine Ich on the fish. The time varies and is related to when you last see the last white spot go away.

check the pH two or three times a day. Holding the pH in the right place can be a challenge.

check nitrites and ammonia no less than twice a day, especially 1 hour after feeding the fish.

after the treatment I slowly raise the salinity over a 7 day period. I then hold the fish in the QT tank another 5 weeks to verify that my treatment was successful.

Good luck! :rollface:

 

[R. Rinaldi]

Leebca, Kraze 3 - Thanks

Based on the pictures, I doubt that it is Black Ich. She has more of a darker, "sooty" discoloration.

She has classic Ich symptoms as described as in the Bartelme article (part 2) referenced in this Forum. The white spots are gone, the erractic behavior is mostly gone, and the rapid breathing is decreased. But lack of appetite continues and she generally looks worse as she is thinning out. Hyposalinty is at ten days, hovering at or below 1.010, 78F, and PH at about 8.2.

To top it off, her lower lip is damaged (white) as I think the other clown in treatment is using this opportunity to claim dominance. She also has three pin holes in a triangle shape on her forehead.

Any thoughts on the pin holes?

 

[R. Rinaldi]

Oops ... The Reply above was for a related thread.

Thanks for your tips here as well!