Help - Starting to doubt Hyposalinity treatment for Ick is working

Wichbeast

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My QT tank is a 40g breeder that is fully cycled with a HOB filter, Air stone, and 40lb of life rock, No sand. I have a pair of Black and White Ocellaris Clowns, a Powder Brown and a Foxface in the tank. Testing happens at least 4 times a day or more Ammonia 0, salinity 1.008- 1.010. PH 8.1 – 8.2, Temp 77, ALK 7- 8dkh. Even with the fully cycled rock I’m fighting the ammonia and performing 25 – 35 gallon water changed about every 3 days as needed. so maybe I should have removed the rock. I wanted to try and reduce the stress on the Powder Brown.
So two weeks in and the Powder Brown has full on ICK for the second time since starting the Hypo Treatment. I’m starting to question if this is really working or is this normal cause I can’t even start the 4 week countdown to bring the salinity back to some kinda normality.
 

Humblefish

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salinity 1.008- 1.010.

^^This is a problem (see in red above & below).

Hyposalinity: Treats Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) only.

How To Treat - Place the fish you wish to treat in a quarantine tank with SG & temperature matching the tank they came from. Over a period of 48 hours, gradually lower the SG down to 1.009. You must use a perfectly calibrated refractometer at all times while doing hypo. Treat for 30 consecutive days, and during that time the SG must always remain at 1.009. If it inches up even slightly, the 30 day clock restarts. For this reason, many people use an auto top off system while performing hyposalinity. Some have even used hypo to successfully rid their display tank of ich, while others have failed. All corals and inverts must be removed beforehand if you wish to try this.

One of the challenges posed by hypo is maintaining a proper pH for the entire duration. While fish aren’t overly sensitive to low pH for short periods of time, anything continuously lower than 7.5 is going to be a problem. So, you will have to constantly test and then buffer the water to raise the pH. This can be accomplished by using supplements (available at most LFS) or you can “bake” your own DIY supplement by using baking soda. Spread baking soda onto a clean baking sheet, and bake at 300F for 1 hour. This process drives off water and carbon dioxide from the baking soda, and the result is an effective pH buffer. You will need to experiment (start with a very small amount) to determine how much is needed to raise your pH to the desired level.

Pros - Chemical free solution to ich, gentle on the fish.

Cons/Side Effects - Difficult to execute properly, and hypo resistant strains of ich have been proven to exist (study done by Yambot in 2003.)
 
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Wichbeast

Wichbeast

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another week passes and I made sure Salinity didn't get any higher than 1.009.The PB Tang shows me daliy(Every morning before I head to work) what looks like its covered with Ichand then by evening its all but cleared up except some white spots on the Pectoral fins. This especially happen what I perform the water changes. None of the other fish in the QT show any signed of Ich. I just ordered another bottle of calibration fluid to verify what I have is accurate. Lets assume I didn't hit 1.010 What should I do next?

ImageUploadedByREEF2REEF1458236284.294301.jpg
 
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aaron23

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@Humblefish I've got my QT all setup i've got all the medication i could ever need... now i'm thinking about doing a 180 and changing my mind............

I've read in several sources that copper being a toxin will decrease the lifespan of the fish... is this something really serious to worry about?

You had given me advice about using copper power blue and i'm wondering how much of an effect will this have on the fish's life? Lastly if i decide to use copper power, while using copper power and keeping a 2.5ppm, how long should this treatment be maintained in the QT?
 

aaron23

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@Humblefish - this article has me not wanting to dose copper - http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa165

"Copper will damage a number of organs and systems, including the gills, liver, kidney, immune system, and nervous system (Cardeilhac and Whitaker 1988). Gills appear to be the most affected organ during acute toxicity, and will become blunt and thickened and lose ability to regulate body fluid ion concentrations. Copper also suppresses immune system function, and can affect the lateral line of fish. Prolonged copper exposure also may result in reduced growth (Wong et al. 1999). During toxicity, in addition to general signs of distress (e.g., increased respiration), fish may display darkening and behavioral abnormalities: lethargy, incoordination, problems with posture and balance, and, eventually, death (Cardeilhac and Whitaker 1988)"
 

aaron23

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@Humblefish thanks humble, i dont know a vet that would be willing to prescribe it. if i am dilligent with hyposalinity, would you suggest that route versus all of these medications?
 

Humblefish

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aaron23

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@Humblefish thanks for the link i've read up on all of your posts already. I live in a 300 sq feet studio and space is a serious issue. i've already got a 40 gal display and now a 20 gal QT i dont have space for another tank. the 40 is loaded with SPS and other corals. catching fish every 3 days lol that seems like a nightmare in my DT
 

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