[weez1959]

Can maracyn two be added to a gravity of 1.011? In a QT of course...
louise

[leebca]

Most medications put into a hyposaline solution change. Most become more pronounced; others become ineffective or dangerous to the marine life.

In the case of Maracyn Two for Saltwater fishes, it becomes more pronounced. Yes. It can be used in a hyposaline QT, but it should be used at the recommended dosage on the container (rather than what I usually recommend for this medication -- which is twice that dose).

[weez1959]

So would I be correct in assuming that if I am using Maracyn Two with hypo, 1.009-1.011, that I could be battling ich, velvet and infection at the same time?

[leebca]

No. Marine Velvet (Amyloodinium ocellatum) is not affected/killed by hyposalinity.

[weez1959]

No. Marine Velvet (Amyloodinium ocellatum) is not affected/killed by hyposalinity.

oops, yes I forgot about that one.
One last question: ( I could be lying )
Once the fish have been in QT for 8 weeks (with proper treatment) and the tank has been fallow (inverts only) for just as long, what are the odds of fish coming down with something again, is this an almost perfect treatment or does it have some degree of failure?
I really don't want to have to do water changes in 3 QTs everyday for another 8 weeks....

[leebca]

The key to your question is lies hidden in the word "proper."

When things go wrong, it is because there's been some cross-contamination by the use of nets, equipment, splashing, etc. When everything is done perfectly, the aquarium and fishes are perfectly free of Marine Ich.

There have been some reports of exceptional situations where the cycle can be as long as 72 days. So the 8-week fallow; proper treatment; has about a 99.99% chance of success. The fallow and treatment period would need to be extended to over 10 weeks for a 100% guarantee.

[goblin072]

I spoke with a person on MI. He said that the long period which some strains stay dormant can be reduced by tricking them out. How this is accomplished is by adding some water from a tank that have fish in them. He said that the water contains chemical indicators that only fish produce. the MI will come out of hiding and go into the free swimming stage where they can be killed.

[leebca]

And the published study that shows this to be true?

So sick fish don't give off these chemical indicators?

For the statement to be true, the Marine Ich parasite would have to be reactive to a chemical, whether or not the fish were there. No such chemical has been reported. However, the tests can be done to prove the statement. Have the tests been performed? It would be fairly easy to prove and then have it independently proved.

[goblin072]

No I have not tested it and do not know if it is true. Only second hand which as you know can be false.

He was talking about letting a tank go without fish, basically letting the MI die off without a host. A FO w inverts tank for example. Take the fish out and treat in QT but leave the inverts in with the MI, being hostless it will burn itself out.

He seemed to think that the cyst stage can be decreased. If this were true it could mean that cyst do not hatch at a magic number of say 200 free swimmers. Maybe they hit 200 and for what ever reason do not hatch right away. Maybe they sit there for a week before releasing the free swimmers.

I have not read the studies but do you know if they were conducted with fish in the tanks the entire time? I read sometimes the cycle can be as long as 60 days but its rare. I wonder if that was without fish in the system.

I would like to know what the cyst is made of and what chemicals can penetrate it. From what I have read its pretty indestructable in this stage.
But maybe its membrane is permeable to certain chemicals, that would be the only way it could react to something.

I am still learning on MI. For something so common there seems to be much mis information about it. I did not mean to spread more

[leebca]

If you had meant that by letting the tank go fishless the Marine Ich would die out, then that IS true. We know that letting an infected tank go fishless for 8 weeks means that the Marine Ich dies off. Corals, inverts, and non-fish marine life can remain in the tank and system and still the Marine Ich will die out. This is true.

The cyst stage has been 'clocked' by renown scientists to last up to 6 weeks without reproducing/releasing their free-swimming Theronts (with fish in the system). We do know some reasons why this happens, but we don't know everything about why the delay.

We know that copper will kill the cyst and the free-swimming Theronts.

Wondering is good. But that needs to be translated into action that can be verified. When we 'wonder out loud' on the Internet, others pick it up as a fact and that is one reason why you find so much mis-information.

I think another reason you find so much mis-information on this subject is because hobbyists are involved. MI has been studied for about 100 years now because it has an impact on food fish farming. There is still things we don't know. But these studies were by scientists and their studies have been duplicated by others. Hobbyists just mention things that don't come from such studies.

You might be interested in reading this post to learn some of the things that have been verified: Marine Ich - Myths and Facts

Thanks for posting goblin072!

[goblin072]

Thanks for the MI information!

Getting back the Maracyn II topic. I have a C. Clown that has Popeye. Its been sick for sometime it won't die and will not get better. Well a few days ago its eyes poped out. Looks like a bulgie eye goldfish now.

The treatment says two packs per 10 gallons then 1 pack per day for 5 days. It does not say anything about doing water changes.

I was wondering where the maracyn II goes? In humans we have a liver and kidneys to help detoxify things we eat. The fish is swimming in the minicycline. By the 5th day I would have poured 6 packs into the 10 gallon QT. I wonder is the minicycline concentration is going up or is it being converted by something other than the one fish.

I am sure they tested this dosing, I am just wondering the mechanism.

[leebca]

This antibiotic is absorbed through the fish's skin and into the fish's blood stream. It acts to interfere with the RNA of the bacteria, preventing the bacteria from being able to reproduce.

Some of the antibiotic is 'used' some is 'wasted' in other chemical reactions. It requires replenishment during the treatment course because of these losses.

Water changes aren't necessary unless there are water quality issues that a water change will fix. In that case, the new water coming in must be properly medicated.

[goblin072]

So the amount being put in every day is hopefully being use up. Otherwise the concentration of the ab would grow to toxic levels.

[leebca]

That's the way it works.