Hyposalinity to treat ich, how low and what species?

[Luis]

A simple question: How low the specific gravity has to be ? and I wonder if all fish species can handle low salinity.

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

UV... was my remedy.

 

[GSchiemer]

The recommended range is 1.010 - 1.014 for a period of 30 days. I'd try for 1.012. Make sure that the alkalinity and pH remain at NSW levels or better. This is a very effective way to deal with ectoparasites. Most marine fish can tolerate this drop in salinity very well; sharks and rays cannot. UV is NOT a very effective way to deal with ectoparsites.

Greg

 

[Nautilus1]

A little off topic but Maroon clowns can handle freshwater dips very well. I treated one with 2-3 minutes dips. He did not appear stressed until the end started working the gills heavily.

 

[Omni2226]

Ich is attached to the fish, not just in the water so to kill all the ich you would have to run the fish itself through UV....hyposalinity in a QT and a fallow system to control an ich outbreak.

 

[Anonymous]

IMO the swing-arm hydrometers are not precise enough for treating with hypo. I just thought I'd mention that since you reference S.G. instead of Salinity. If you're using a refractometer or a TDS meter then shoot for a Salinity of 14ppt which would be a S.G. of about 1.009 if you're hellbent on using a hydrometer.

All fish I have heard of will do fine at this Salinity for at least 4 weeks. Lower Salinity gradually over about 2 days though and longer on the way back up.

 

[Luis]

Ok... you've been very helpful.

I'm using a UV (it used to be enough but now my tank it's a little oversized and can not handle it)... The affected are 2 Tomato Clownfish and they just had a fresh water dip for 5 minutes (They were swimming as they were in the ocean 8O...hard fish, no doubt)... and now they are waitting to be released in a Quarantine tank where I will drop the salinity little by little.

Yes, I'm using a refractometer.

Thanks

 

[Luis]

What NSW means? (New South Whales ??? :lol: )

Sorry I'm not american

 

[Luis]

I almost forgot! In the system where I'm planning to treat the fish; there's some chaetomorpha, live sand and a filter with some foam that came from my display tank (with beneficial bacteria) the question is; can the live sand and the bacteria in the filter handle the hiposalinity?

 

[highwayman]

Working with a freshwater tank I have had ich after not adding a maintence dose of salt (a minimum amount, a couple table spoons full in a 50 gal tank). I used a product called copper safe, I don't have the bottle anymore so I don't know the ingrediants.

UV... was my remedy.

What bulbs did you use? Were they the florecent tubes for the hood?

 

[Manofathousandpolyps]

What NSW means? (New South Whales ??? :lol: )

Sorry I'm not american

Near Sea Water

 

[Anonymous]

The recommended range is 1.010 - 1.014 for a period of 30 days. I'd try for 1.012. Make sure that the alkalinity and pH remain at NSW levels or better. This is a very effective way to deal with ectoparasites. Most marine fish can tolerate this drop in salinity very well; sharks and rays cannot. UV is NOT a very effective way to deal with ectoparsites.

Greg

Have you tried it?

 

[Anonymous]

Ich is attached to the fish, not just in the water so to kill all the ich you would have to run the fish itself through UV....hyposalinity in a QT and a fallow system to control an ich outbreak.

Totally not true. If you learn the concept of crypto, there is a free swim stage. It works... from experience too.

 

[ChrisRD]

I think Greg has been around the reef hobby for a couple of decades or so...

I'm gunna guess he's got some experience with using a UV unit. :wink:

FWIW, I have used them and I agree with him. IMO they help but are not a total solution.

 

[Anonymous]

I think Greg has been around the reef hobby for a couple of decades or so...

I'm gunna guess he's got some experience with using a UV unit. :wink:

FWIW, I have used them and I agree with him. IMO they help but are not a total solution.

To say that it's not effective is wrong in my experience. I've got the live fish to prove it. There's got to be a reason why my NYC whole saler uses them on his 1000's of gallons of tanks, and spends the cash on them. They're business men... above all.

 

[ChrisRD]

In holding systems where fish are just "passing through" it makes sense to help keep infections from spreading, but having a UV unit is not equal to hyposalinity or copper treatment IMO/IME.

Keep in mind that otherwise healthy, unstressed fish can often get past a bout with ich with or without the UV. That doesn't mean the parasite has been eliminated from the system.

 

[GSchiemer]

Chris addressed the question of UV and ich very well. I would not count on UV sterilizers as a cure for ich or other ectoparasites. They are marginally useful in preventing the spread of bacteria between systems and reducing phytoplankton blooms, but the units sold to hobbyists are typically under-powered and under-maintained.

Also, you can go as low as 1.009 with the hypo-salinity treatment. I just get nervous recommending that level because the instruments we use to measure salinity are typically not that accurate and I like to leave a margin for error.

NSW = Natural SeaWater

 

[GSchiemer]

Oh, the low salinity WILL kill the bacteria, live sand, and chaetomorpha algae. New bacteria will develop, but you have to watch ammonia levels very carefully and change water frequently.

 

[Luis]

I had ich in different tanks sometime and I had cured with a UV unit but this time I got it in a 120 gallon tank and the unit is for about 50 gallon tank so it controlled the parasite infestation but it can not erradicate it, the other fish look ok but this two clowns have ich since a month ago and they look weak that's why I transfered to another system where I will try the hyposalinity method BTW they look fine by now.

I know there's a lot of controversy in UV units but I think they work perfect when they can handle the size of the tank. They just zap the parasite when it comes the swimming phase, they can not get the fish because the uv unit kills them when the @#$% are swimming trying to find a fish to kill 8O . In my experience they had worked.

 

[Anonymous]

I had ich in different tanks sometime and I had cured with a UV unit but this time I got it in a 120 gallon tank and the unit is for about 50 gallon tank so it controlled the parasite infestation but it can not erradicate it, the other fish look ok but this two clowns have ich since a month ago and they look weak that's why I transfered to another system where I will try the hyposalinity method BTW they look fine by now.

I know there's a lot of controversy in UV units but I think they work perfect when they can handle the size of the tank. They just zap the parasite when it comes the swimming phase, they can not get the fish because the uv unit kills them when the @#$% are swimming trying to find a fish to kill 8O . In my experience they had worked.

I've got a 55g. I used a 25w UV. Issue is now fixed. I think you're right, if you use a lower end UV, it's not going to work.