"ICH FREE TANK" Quest Begins

[water`bug]

Happy to report no ich in my main tank and my chromis are getting better in the QT tank not sure how good melafix is but they seem to be improving now on the last 12ml dose they have there colour back and are feeding better at last.Hows everyone else doing?

That is AWESOME news markcasto!!! So far so good here after the full 6 weeks of hyposalinity. We're pushing three weeks back in the main display but I'm sure TJay will give yall an update this weekend with all the details.

I need to take a video of Betty B., our Blonde Naso doing tricks with the current and show yall... it's too funny. One example of them *appearing* to be happy.

<keeping my fingers crossed in New Orleans>

donna

 

[AquAsylum]

Update: More spots appeared yesterday!

I think we're far past the point where these would have been from the initial life cycle, so some must have managed to get through a new cycle in the hypo.

I want to get the exact figure for hypo straight. As I recall, the recommended hypo treatment was 16ppt and then it was said to maintain 14ppt to be sure you don't go over 16. Is that correct? I have been at 14 ppt faithfully for 2 weeks now, test 2x a day, and add fresh RO every other day to keep it low. Should I drop it even more?

I also noticed this morning that one of the pink skunk's lips are puffy. Our cichlids do that when they are breeding but I know that isn't the case here. Anyone know what could do that? I wonder if he was in lip lock fighting with some of the chromis.... I have still been treating with paraguard and figure I will continue to do so until the bottle runs out in another few days.

Our tank will probably be fallow over 12 weeks before these guys go "home."

 

[Triggerfish]

that's good news mark

ich seems to be under control in the QT with the copper treatment. i have already begun to worry about my blenny though. he already removed the algae that was in the QT. if he does not take to any type of added algae, seaweed, then he will not make it for the 2 months.. i have a large sheet of seaweed selects in there now. my angel picks at it but not all that much so i do not have to worry about another fish eating it.

in the main tank i never noticed him have interest in anything besides what was growing in the tank. although at one time i had a seaweed sheet in there and it was gone overnight, but i cannot be sure it was him that ate it..perhaps though.

i have some macro that i could put in there as well..but dont think he would go for that...
for some reason,,i am truly liking this fish,,,more than perhaps all other fish i have kept besides my Naso. i think it is just the way the fish perches up and just stares at you..damn commical. great fish.
after copper treatement is over,,and no signs of ich on the fish,,although i have never noticed anything on him anyway..perhaps someone local could keep him in their fuge untill i can get him back. i will do anything for this fish...

 

[markcasto]

On my refractometer the reading I used was 1.009 sg the ppt setting of 14ppt on the other side matched the 1.010 sg mark.I would go at 1.009 sg and hold it at that for 6 weeks after seeing the last spot.

It might also help to fit a UV sterilizer to your QT tank while doing the hypo treatment.I have one on my main tank although it is a bit on the small side as it was the size for a 52 gallon tank not a 130.But I belive that a UV sterilizer is a good thing to have as an extra ich killer on your QT tank.

Not sure about the puffy lip though.My chromis are now recovering from the brown blotches and I am using Melafix to treat them if it is a fungal infection mybe that would be worth a try.Just a suggestion.

 

[markcasto]

Trigger-I had an alga blenny as well they are very cool fish the way they perch on a rock and look at you is very amusing.I liked the little bits above his eyes like big eye brows.

He would just pick at the rock and suck the alga off the glass never saw him eating any seaweed sheets but its worth a try.

I first saw a blenny when I was keeping tropicals in my local fish store, I was facinated by it.I swear if it had a pipe and slippers it could have been Sherlock Holmes!

 

[AquAsylum]

Trigger- we have a lawnmower blenny and he is eating whatever I put in the QT. He has become quite fond of frozen brine, actually. Hopefully voraciousness is a trait of the breed...

 

[water`bug]

I want to get the exact figure for hypo straight. As I recall, the recommended hypo treatment was 16ppt and then it was said to maintain 14ppt to be sure you don't go over 16. Is that correct? I have been at 14 ppt faithfully for 2 weeks now, test 2x a day, and add fresh RO every other day to keep it low. Should I drop it even more?

From the research TJay did regarding hyposalinity, the suggested mark was 1.09 for 6 weeks. We held it at 1.09 for the suggested time frame and (cross my fingers) we're approaching the 3 week mark back in the main tank and all is good, no spots thus far.

Hope this helps!

 

[tjay]

Yup, when I did all the reading I determined that the entire key for success with Hypo was the salinity level being strictly monitored.
The day I set up my tank I went and bought a refractometer because all I had was a swing arm.
As suspected the swing arm was way off. I checked my salinity at least daily and it never over 1.09 If it varied at all it went lower.
Just my opinion but unless your equipped and ready to do daily changes to maintain water quality and enforce that number strictly your wasting your time with hypo.

 

[AquAsylum]

Tjay, if you reread my posts, you'll see that I am equipped and committed.

 

[tjay]

please dont take my post wrong. It was not directed at anyone in general, but for anyone who might be considering low salinity treatment

 

[tjay]

Well folks, Tomorrow marks another week. It may be a bit premature but I am proclaiming victory here and signing off. Unless something developes, it it does I will let you all know.
Thanks for all the help and advise this is a great thread

 

[Triggerfish]

I want to get the exact figure for hypo straight. As I recall, the recommended hypo treatment was 16ppt and then it was said to maintain 14ppt to be sure you don't go over 16. Is that correct?

i believe we were keeping it at the recommended 12ppt. i even dropped a notch below that.

tjay,,that's good news, it's been 4 weeks so far? hope all stays well and perhaps you could chime in with a 3 month update.

 

[AquAsylum]

12, huh? I think that's probably a good idea. It seems too hit or miss with evaporation. I can sometimes go for 3 days without needing to add any freshwater, but sometimes there is a sudden spike in salinity that seems to come from nowhere. Maintaining a lower level would allow a slight margin of error where the ppt would still be in the safe hypo range.

Good luck tjay and donna, and I suppose we should hope to NOT hear from you again in this thread!

 

[water`bug]

i believe we were keeping it at the recommended 12ppt. i even dropped a notch below that.

Mr. Trigger,

We used the *sg* reading (specific gravity) as the ppg was too difficult to read to obtain an accurate reading.

We kept the SG rating at 1.009 for a full 6 weeks after any visible sign of the parasite.

Hope this helps!

 

[leebca]

I've had the privilege to go behind the scenes of several public and private aquariums. My procedures come from their actual practice (both for quarantine and treatments). Their quarantine procedure is very similar to:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-10/sp/feature/index.htm
with the notable exception of usually going a full 6 weeks in quarantine.

Their hypo treatment is often done at 11ppt (1.008 sp. gr.):
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2004/short.htm

tjay points out probably the greatest challenge and single most likely failure point to hobbyists performing the hyposalinity treatment --- lack of control. Those who claim to have a 'new strain' of Cryptocaryon irritans are those who have let the salinity creep up when they weren't looking; allowed for contamination or cross-contamination of the tank; or introduced a water change of the wrong salinity.

A check on salinity twice a day is needed during the summer time, with the appropriate adjustment done every 12 hours. Absolutely no excursions above the 11ppt should be allowed. If you go above the target hypo salinity, assume you need to start over! With this great of an investment in time and attention, don't leave anything to luck or chance.

 

[tjay]

Lee the only remaining concern I have is that one spot that was on the Blonde Nasso for over two weeks after return to the main. There is a picture earlier in the thread.
What the heck was that?
Thanks to you and all those who made the resources available to make our quest possible.

 

[leebca]

tjay,

Not likely MI for sure. The time is wrong.

Remember that a hyposalinity treatment targets only a small group of troublesome microbes. It doesn't affect several dozen others! So the 'spot' could be nothing (minor injury; left-over trophont damage) or an infection/disease/fluke of some other sort. Any chance it looks like a bit of lymph?

That is why quarantine is so important. Hobbyists focus so much on MI and Marine Velvet they forget the reason for the QT is much broader.

I'd just keep an eye on it and see if it makes any change. Make sure your fish is getting the proper nutrition and best water you can provide.
You're welcome! :beer:

 

[tjay]

Not sure what lymph is?
I sort of figured it was an abrasion from moving it back to the main tank. They hate being messed with.

Our yellow tang was in real bad shape after all that time in Hypo. It was loosing color and getting brown around it's head. It seems to be recovering fine with the exception of lumps in the belly but they are getting better too. It has regained it's color and swims around pretty happy.

I now have my QT lit by my old T5s since I just added MH to the main.
Now I can QT just about anything and meet the lighting requirements for most things now in there too.

 

[plaz]

Hi Tjay,
I don't know if it is the same thing as your brown spots - but my Yellow Tang had reddish splotches that were from a bad bacterial infection while in quarantine. Her lips were reddish and swollen and she couldn't eat (very unusual for this fish). I added caulerpa to her quarantine and it cleared it up in about 3 days and it never came back. Some people don't like the stuff because it can crash (has to stay lit in sump) and if it gets in the main tank it attaches to rocks. However, it is a natural anitbiotic that is 100% reef safe (unless it turns white and dies - then you need to remove). I am sure it saved her (her belly had even sunk in - she was in bad shape - now she is round and healthy as can be).

 

[plaz]

PS Caulerpa can be added to the sump and be effective (they don't have to eat it for the antibiotic properties to work, and mine did not). If you try it, keep it lit 24/7 to keep it from going sexual and turning white/dead (low wattage is fine - mine is lit by an 18 watt PC).