ICK hypo treament in FOWLR display

[scott11]

Ok, I know this is not the preferred method, but it is what I have decided to attempt. I have read all sorts of threads and just looking for some input on my situation.

I recently moved a few fish from my smaller tank to a 150. I also added about 8 fish at that time. (No QT - no lectures, I know it was wrong). I am now seeing signs of ick on a few fish, and 1 fish is missing.

I need to treat in the DT for several reasons not relevant to the input I am seeking. The sandbed is new, not much life, if any. About half the rock is live rock from the other tank, the rest was dry. I am going to do hypo.

What do I need to watch for? I will likely run the skimmer, just for oxygenation. I will keep an eye on PH. Temp is constant, and I have an ATO so SG will stay constant. I will do several water changes. No mechanical filters at this time

Fish include several tangs, several damsels, a few gobies, a puffer, clowns and 2 eels. Everyone is eating well right now.

On a side note, after thinking about it for a while, I think the ick may have been in the tank for some time. About a year ago I lost some fish suddenly. I though it was aggression from a bully wrasse I traded away, but I did notice a few white spots on my puffer around that time. Also around that time I swore 1 tang was covered in spots when I looked late at night, but there was nothing the next morning. I never though it was ick, since all cases I have dealt with have been much more invasive, covering any fish. I am now thinking the ick has been in the tank for over a year, and my puffer, tang, eels, clowns are all immune. The new fish all came from reputable sources or other tanks. I know its not a guarantee, just a presumption. Anyway, I would like to hear about your experiences with long term situations where ick is present.

 

[sleepydoc]

First - you'll need to find the missing fish. If it crawled under a rock an died, you may end up with a toxic ammonia bloom.

Does the live rock have any crustaceans, snails or other inverts? They won't survive the hypo and the die-off from these can also cause issues.

The SG will likely drift up as higher SG water diffuses up from the sand bed (and out of the live rock, to a certain extent.) If the SG drifts up, you'll have to re-start the clock.

I don't know how well the eels will tolerate Hypo - perhaps someone else can chime in on that.

Calibrate your refractometer to DI water - it's closer to the SG of hypo than the calibration solution.

 

[MrTuskfish]

How do you plan on handling the ich cysts that can probably survive hypo and wait for up to 12 weeks to release their offspring?

 

[scott11]

I have searched the tank and found no sign of the missing fish. Since he disappeared suddenly, it may have been an eel and not the ick that did him in, although i doubt that given how docile the eels are. It has been a few days and no water quality issues.

I have very few if any inverts other than 1 large hermit, so die off should be minimal.

Is there a minimal time frame that would ensure all the ick was gone? 12 weeks? What would be the downside for extended hypo?

 

[GoTRiCe19]

I would do what you are planing. Hypo the dt. Make sure you have an ato to keep it at 1.008-1.009. Keep them in hypo for 2 1/2 to 3 months. Change the water every 3 days for the first 2 weeks. I would do 20%. After the 2 weeks do it once a week til the end. Take your time raising it back up. A week should be fine. Dont worry about ph. Your live rock and sand plus surface arrogation should be enough to keep ph in check. Good luck.

 

[scott11]

What is the primary purpose for the high water changes, to deal with die off, of to remove the bacteria from the water column?

I have been reading about filter floss also, and will likely add that to the sump.

 

[sleepydoc]

IME, pH can be an issue with hypo. Normally the natural buffers in salt water keep it in check. With hypo, the concentration of those buffers drops the point that you can have larger swings in pH. I've had to use Sodium Bicarbonate to adjust the pH from time to time when I've used hypo.

The Hypo shouldn't affect the biofilter, so the main concern would be increased NH4 production from invert die off. After you reach your target SG, you shouldn't need to do water changes more often than normal, except for issues that arise with ammonia, etc.

 

[scott11]

Thanks all. I did some water changes with fresh water yesterday, but still well above target SG. I should have it down to proper SG this week.

Aside from losing 1 tang and a few damsels, the remaining fish are looking better and still eating well.