[brooke]

When quarantining fish for Ich, how low do you lower the salinity for it to be effective, and how long do you keep it lowered. Also, what should you raise the temp to in the q-tank to hurry along the life process of the Ich. Should I raise the temp in the display also?

Thanks

[Boostable]

The goal is to granularly reduce the salinity of the water to between 12 and 14ppt and leave it at that salinity for at least 4 weeks but preferably 6 weeks. Basically continue the treatment for at least 4 weeks after the last spots disappeared.
The salinity must be lowered gradually to give the fish time to adjust to the lower salinity and more importantly ensures the bacteria in the biological filter can adjust. It should take around 2 days to get from 35ppt to 14ppt.


Refrence from this site...


http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...osalinity.html


Good Luck


JW

[CSeaSee]

I'd leave the temp alone and just work on the SG. Around 1.015, from what I remember... and the fish I quarantined were subjected to a much faster drop in SG, too. and yes, I still have them!

[Ninong]

brooke,

Just follow the instructions given by Andrew Trevor-Jones (ATJ) in the article linked by Boostable.

The specific gravity has to be taken all the way down to 1.009 (12-14 PSU). That article will give you all the details.

[charlesr1958]

Since I have yet to see a all in one encompassing "ich" page, I tried to accomplish that myself. Hopefully it will be of use or at the least, one more page of reading to plow through...lol

MARINE ICH

Chuck

[Ninong]

We've discussed ich on Reefland so many times that I got to the point where I just started posting a stock reply over the past few years. The only reason I didn't put that in this thread was because Boostable's answer with the link to ATJ's article seemed sufficient.

However, here is what we usually post:

I think I will just start posting these links to all the ich threads instead of trying to field all the questions that come up each time someone has this problem.

ATJ's ich explanation: http://www.petsforum.com/personal/tr...marineich.html

Terry B's ich article, Part I: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2003/mini1.htm

Part II: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2003/mini2.htm

Part III: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2004/mini3.htm

Part IV: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2004/mini4.htm

Part V: http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...2004/mini5.htm

Anyone who thinks they may have marine ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) should read ALL of those articles.

[Boostable]

I like your approach Ninong.. LOL

This comes up a TON I know
(as I have been reading alot myself on the issue) and the only true way to combat the issue is education.

JW

[rayjay]

FWIW, I treat at 1.0075 and have still occasionally had problems when all fish had been at this level for at least six weeks.
I think I saw somewhere a remark by Terry B stating that some strains have evolved to survive even that level of s.g..

[bguile]

I've read references that have said that hypo doesn't necessarily kill ich tomites and that it just doesn't allow them to reproduce in that SG. It went on to say that if the SG was raised while they were still in the tank that they could become reproductive again. I believe this was in Joyce Wilkerson's clownfishes book in the diseases section. This confuses me because how the heck are you supposed to acclimate the fish back to normal SG if you risk having the fish reinfested by raising the SG?

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by bguile

I've read references that have said that hypo doesn't necessarily kill ich tomites and that it just doesn't allow them to reproduce in that SG. It went on to say that if the SG was raised while they were still in the tank that they could become reproductive again. I believe this was in Joyce Wilkerson's clownfishes book in the diseases section. This confuses me because how the heck are you supposed to acclimate the fish back to normal SG if you risk having the fish reinfested by raising the SG?

Your questions would be answered in detail if you would just read the articles linked above.

"Unlike most other forms of treatment for cryptocaryonosis, hyposalinity does not target the "free-swimming" or theront stage. Hyposalinity therapy works by interrupting the life cycle at the tomont stage. Tomonts are destroyed by hyposaline conditions, thus preventing re-infection." From Part III of Terry B's article.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by rayjay

I think I saw somewhere a remark by Terry B stating that some strains have evolved to survive even that level of s.g..

Yes, this is discussed in detail in Terry B.'s articles linked above.

[Ninong]

Originally Posted by Boostable

I like your approach Ninong.. LOL

Yes, but it doesn't work because most people don't follow links. So the same questions get posted anyway.