Hi guys,
I just wanted to make sure you all had this method at hand if you have to face treatment of cryptocaryon irritans, known as white spot disease (ICH).
Hyposalinity is for fish ONLY tanks, or Q-tanks with only fish in them. The low salinity WONT harm the biofiltration.
The step by step is here, please let me know if there are any questions or doubts, after reading the link below [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

http://www.wyx.com/iheo/tank/hyposalinity.htm

copper is BAD for a number of reasons, hyposalinity is MUCH safer and it works. Not a new method, but many never heard about it before.
Questions, comments?

Joaco

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Joaco's saltwater webpage Updated 1st June 2000


[This message has been edited by Joaco (edited 06-04-2000).]

Some really good information there regarding hypo. Have you ver had to use the method, and if so, what are your experiences?

Yes, I used it once, it worked out excellent. Since I have a FO tank, I used it directly in the main tank. The fish didn't have to be moved to a Q-tank, they didn't even notice the change in salinity and were happy as ever.
As you can read at that link, the lower salinity helps them with osmoregulation, this makes that they save energy and to have a better oxygen absorbtion, helping them to recover faster and with less stress. The low salinity level kills the parasites by osmotic pressure difference, that's with this method is also known as O.S.T. (Osmotic Shock Therapy... shock for the parasite, not the fish [img]/ubb/wink.gif[/img]).
According to Dr. Colorni, considered by many the World leading authority in the subject, hyposalinity will kill all parasites in the tank. Cryptocaryon irritans has been shown to survive at 1.011 and hyposalinity involves keeping the level at 1.009 for at least 4 weeks (see link for details)
I know a person (Heinrich, posts at AL) that treated 483 fish with hyposalinity already (yup, almost 500 fish), with only 3 loses: 2 were already way to sick to make it and were hopeless and the third one seemed to be wrongly diagnosticated.
Fish WON'T die from hyposalinity treatments, they don't even die from ICH, since cryptocaryon irritans is a parasite, and parasites don't kill their hosts. It's bacterial secondary infections what kills your fish, because of the low immune system of the fish while fighting back the parasites. The lower immune system due to stress is what causes the lower mucus production on the fish skin, and the parasite is then able to attach to the fish, causing it more stress. The fish gets weaker, bacterial infections make the rest.

Questions, comments? [img]/ubb/smile.gif[/img]

Joaco

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Joaco's saltwater webpage Updated 1st June 2000


[This message has been edited by Joaco (edited 06-04-2000).]

I've been waiting for a chance to try this at work, nothing has come in with ICH in six months.Thanks for posting the details.

I think my fish has velvet. She looks like a glazed donut.

Will hyposalinity work for this?

One more question: I've noticed little white flea-like "bugs" crawling around on the glass (inside the tank...): terrifying! are they dinospores? what should I do??

please help.

Hyposalinity will not work for velvet and the white bugs are probably copepods - a good sign of a healthy tank. Some fish will eat the copepods which is a good way to provide them with food.

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Shelly