The treatment for brook and uronema is similar. See this. Uronema is almost always initially associated with chromis.
Marine velvet - near wipeout
- Thread starter karimwassef
- Start date
The treatment for brook and uronema is similar. See this. Uronema is almost always initially associated with chromis.
karimwassef
Active member
I've been reading ... Freshwater dips for 3mins with formaldehyde?? Really?
karimwassef
Active member
Too late. The male died too.
The few fish left in the DT don't show symptoms.
The few fish left in the DT don't show symptoms.
joseph.lucketta
New member
I'm so sorry to hear your story. I'm currently going through something similar, but with ich. So far I've lost two beautiful Picasso clowns and a coral beauty angel, and now trying to save my Randall goby. Unfortunately, had to learn the hard way to always qt new additions. I sincerely hope that your clown pulls through, and again, sorry you've had to bear so much loss.
karimwassef
Active member
Thanks. Both clowns are gone.
I'll just watch the surviving tangs for now.
I'll just watch the surviving tangs for now.
ThRoewer
New member
Actually the opposite is true. Teleost reef fish have an internal salinity of 11 to 12ppt and need to invest a significant amount of their energy into osmoregulation. Lowering the salinity of their surrounding water reduces the energy they have to spend on maintaining their internal fluids and therefore reduces stress:
"Reducing the gradient between the internal fluids of fish and the surrounding ambient water alleviates water and ion disturbance ((Wedemeyer, 1996). Energy that would otherwise be consumed in osmoregulation is conserved making more available for other normal bodily functions such as maintaining normal homeostasis." http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/3/mini#section-4
slapshot
Active member
I'm with you when it comes to most parasites including ich but not odinium. It will have no affect.
ThRoewer
New member
I feel you don't understand what I'm trying to say.
Lowering the salinity isn't meant to have any effect on the odinium parasite.
The idea here is to make it easier for the fish to stay alive while you try to eradicate the infection with whatever medication is needed.
Saltwater fish must drink saltwater frequently to replenish the water they loose by osmosis through their gills and skin to the surrounding saltwater (the fish's internal salinity is between 11 and 12 ppt, saltwater has 35 ppt - that's a big difference).
But the water the fish has to drink contains a lot of salt the fish needs to get rid of through glands in the gills and skin and through its kidneys. This "desalination process" consumes a considerable amount of energy the fish has to bring up.
Often fish with odinium stop eating so they need to take the required energy for osmoregulation from their reserves. At the same time their immune system needs a lot of energy to fight the parasite and the usually accompanying bacterial secondary infections. And don't forget that the fish still needs to maintain its normal internal function, has to swim, breath...
It's a massive drain on its resources and one of the reasons why fish with odinium waste away so fast.
But if you bring the salinity of the surrounding water close to the internal salinity of the fish he doesn't need to spend much energy on osmoregulation.
Another benefit of water with lower salinity is that it can take up more oxygen. This again makes it easier for the fish to breathe. This is important because most parasites like odinium and cryptocaryon attack especially the gills.
So if you want to give you fish a fighting chance it is a very good idea to lower the salinity.
