Three weeks into hypo and ich returns

[afm32607]

Have a black tang in hypo that has ich again. I've had him in hypo ich free for about two weeks. Went on vacation and when I came back salinity was about 1.011-1.012. I have fixed that in the past two weeks. But ich has returned and is persisting. Not a significant infection maybe a half dozen individual spots that are not going away.

30 gal tank
Temp 81f
Sg 1.009
Ammo 0
Nitrates 5 ppm salifert
No sand
No live rock
Biological filter is the puramedia bio balls and use Eheim bio filter
Puramedia (?) filter pads with carbon floss and GFO - changed every three days
30-50% water change every 2-4 days (size changes with frequency)

What do I do next?

Did the increase in salinity allow the infection to return?

If I toss the bio balls, if the parasite can live there in hypo, do I destroy the filter?

Do I just wait longer? Does that happen until the ich all actually dies?

Should I use copper or give a formalin dip? Would both require me to normalize the salinity again?

 

[snorvich]

What do I do next?

Tank transfer.

 

[afm32607]

Handling the fish that much seems extreme. I will look into it.

 

[snorvich]

Handling the fish that much seems extreme. I will look into it.

Not if done properly.

 

[Jeff4777]

Its not extreme at all. So far i have 0 deaths that I can blame on TTM.

 

[Deinonych]

Its not extreme at all. So far i have 0 deaths that I can blame on TTM.

Likewise.

 

[afm32607]

As a follow up. I went with the copper, the fish took it hard but lived. One month later I transferred back to main display. Everyone seems happy and healthy and fins are growing back and his color is returning. I used sea Chems copper and a salifert copper test kit for two weeks as directed before removing copper with GAC and pura filter pads.

In hindsight I would have done a better job on hypo. Copper is too tough on sick fish.

 

[ThRoewer]

Even when I do hyposalinity I also do at least 2 tank transfers: the first when moving the fish into the treatment tank and the second before ramping up the salinity.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[jam.jo]

It sounds like you are seeing different stages of ich. When you first quarantined the fish.. the ich was attached... then it fed on it for 3-7 days and became full.. dislodged itself and reproduced essentially and it sounds like the reproduced forms are what you are seeing. You must keep them in quarantine for 8-12weeks. 12 weeks is best. But keep the salinity in check and the parasites will eventually burst. 2 weeks is not enough time for this to occur. Just be sure to use a pH buffer or keep the pH in control. Dont need to do anything else. Before you increase the salinity to adjust the fish to your DT salinity level... like previously mentioned.. a tank transfer to another QT tank wouldnt be a bad idea.

 

[scooter31707]

Its not extreme at all. So far i have 0 deaths that I can blame on TTM.

Way better than cooper and hyposalinity.