Beth, I read the post about the nemo fish

[saltypatti]

Since Terry B says to treat symptomatic fish for Brooklynella, and my fish store says don't treat them if you do not see signs, then I want to avoid doing formalin now since it is not available and I am not totally sure that is what my nemo had. It is a strong possibility though.
What I want to do now and I have confirmed this with my pet shop is to do hyposalinity on the 6 fish I have to treat for ick. I am going to get a small 25 gallon fish tank and get the floating hydrometer. He said that he wants me to put the salinity at 1.013. He mentioned doing water changes every other day since there is no bio filter.
Should I test the water just like I do my display???
I am going to get a thermometer and acclimate my fish slowly to the new salinity. Then I will keep them in there for three weeks like you said. I will post and keep you up on how they are doing. I will get some items to put in there so they can hide and feel safe.
Do I feed them like I normally do?????
Is this the safest method for this treatment.???
Do the fish usally fare well??? Since I am new to the hobby, the last thing I want to do is mess this up and lose my fish.
The good thing is that I will have a hospital tank now to be used for that, or a QT and a place to aerate new water. Can you use a HT, QT and a place to make water all as the same tank???? After I treat the fish and put them back in, do you need to do a complete water change, or will you be ok to leave as is???
Does a HT or QT ever need to have LR or LS??? I assume no since they could perish with the meds added if you have to hospitalize a fish.
Thanks,
Patti
P.S. Sorry for so many questions, but this is the only way to do this right and keep my fish healthy.

 

[beth]

Originally posted by saltypatti
Patti: Glad to see you finally made it to the BB!
Since Terry B says to treat symptomatic fish for Brooklynella, and my fish store says don't treat them if you do not see signs, then I want to avoid doing formalin now since it is not available and I am not totally sure that is what my nemo had. It is a strong possibility though.
That seems reasonable, Patti, but keep a very close eye out to see if you see signs. This parasite is transmitted via direct contact—fish to fish, so, if you are lucky, your other fish may not have come in direct contact.
What I want to do now and I have confirmed this with my pet shop is to do hyposalinity on the 6 fish I have to treat for ick. I am going to get a small 25 gallon fish tank and get the floating hydrometer. He said that he wants me to put the salinity at 1.013. He mentioned doing water changes every other day since there is no bio filter.
Another fish tank???? What are you doing with all these fish tanks? Ok, now you are going to have to make a decision right here. Follow the advise of the LFS or follow our moderator’s advise, including mine. There is no point to Both of us giving you advise because the advise is going to be different. So, make a decision.
In order for hyposalinity to be effective with ich, you need to:
1.Use a reliable means of measuring salinity/specific gravity. The best instrument is a refractometer. Precision is the name of the game for hyposalinity. You can get a reasonably priced refractometer for like $50 at ----. If a refractometer is out of the question, then go with a good quality GLASS hydrometer that is calibrated for the hobby.
2.The procedure to cure ich is EXACTLY as it is written in the FAQ section. Follow it for effectiveness in the treatment.
As I suggested to you before, it will be better for your fish, and the biofilter issue if you will move what little rock you have and your inverts to the hospital tank, and treat your fish in your main tank. The biofilter will be fine with hyposalinity. Your fish will not have to get stressed from being crammed into a smaller tank.
Should I test the water just like I do my display???
Yes, test for ammonia and nitrite daily. AND TEST FOR pH!! Very important. pH drops as it becomes less saline, thus you really need to test for this daily. Have buffers on hand, to address any drop in pH. If it drops, gradually increase pH slowly. If you are going to set up a hospital tank for your fish, as suggested by the LFS, then go ahead and follow the salinity drop timeframe for the hyposalinity as stated in our FAQ section. I don’t understand the reason with less water changes suggested by your LFS. A new hospital tank is not cycled, thus you need to be sure that it does not go into cycle if you are going to put your animals in it. That is why I am suggesting that you keep your fish in your main tank. If you have inverts, see if the LFS will keep them for you….that is why all you have to do is set up the QT for your rock and then not worry about it. Up to you.
I am going to get a thermometer and acclimate my fish slowly to the new salinity. Then I will keep them in there for three weeks like you said. I will post and keep you up on how they are doing. I will get some items to put in there so they can hide and feel safe.
As I said, leave the fish in the main tank. Get some fake rocks or whatever, while your LR is in the other tank. Believe me, this will be a lot easier for you and your fish. You’re biofilter will be ok.
Do I feed them like I normally do?????
Definitely, in fact, the lesser salinity will result in the fishes’ appetite being stimulated.
Is this the safest method for this treatment.???
Absolutely the safest and healthiest for your fish. However, you must do it as stated in the FAQ section. It is a treatment that requires precision.
Do the fish usually fare well??? Since I am new to the hobby, the last thing I want to do is mess this up and lose my fish.
Very well. Appetite is stimulated, they become more active…….another reason for the need for the larger tank.
Does a HT or QT ever need to have LR or LS??? I assume no since they could perish with the meds added if you have to hospitalize a fish.
No live rock or live sand….except, perhaps a bit of seeded sand or a piece of rubble rock for seeding a raw QT.

 

[saltypatti]

that is going to do the hyposalinity for me. I am going to leave my tank empty for about 6 weeks, with just the rock, ls and inverts. This procedure scares me because it is so precise. We will acclimate the fish and then let her do the hyposalinity for me.
I want someone doing it who has done it before and knows what they are doing. I will be observing, just not doing it. I have two small kids that demand a lot of attention, so I need more time to really research this hobby.
I hope you do not mind. I trust my fish more with someone who is experienced than with myself.
I may be going out of town in the next month and I would not want to miss any part of this important procedure.
Patti

 

[beth]

I don't mind at all. Just don't know why you are going to so much trouble switching tanks when its not necessary. You are going to have to battle the new tank cycling every single day and this is going to be a real problem for the stability of the tank and the well-being of your fish.
Up to you though.

 

[saltypatti]

better hands with this person. This gives me a chance to read up on saltwater and reefs, get better equipment installed and then be ready to reintroduce my fish. Who knows, she may keep my fish and I will start over. It is best to leave it to someone who knows what they are doing. I should have done this in the first place(research), but I did not and jumped in to soon.
By the way, I am not going to get a 125 tank. it is too big for me to handle. The LFS told me that it might bring me more problems than I can handle.
I still want to look into a separate fish tank for QT and to areate new water.
Did I tell you that I am keeping my inverts???? Since they are not affected by ick or anything like that, I am going to keep them. That should keep the cycle going shouldn't it??? I will continue to test and see how things are going.
I need about a month to 2 months to get in a better situation for my fish.
I will post to the equipment and reef board to ask questions about what equipment I need and what inverts I can add to help out my system. Time to take it slow and easy.
Thanks for your help!!!
Patti

 

[beth]

125 too much to handle? Actually, the bigger the better. Bigger tanks are more stable and there is a larger margin for error. In other words, they are more forgiving.
What is your goal? Reef tank?
Don't forget to feed your inverts.
My tank is pretty simple. Basically rely on a natural filtration. As a person who is not in to plumping, etc., I chose to go the easier route, which also happens to be a very good route as well.

 

[saltypatti]

I probably can not take the 55 back to the store. It is past the one month guarantee. Keeping it and forking out the money for a 125 is out of the question right now. I also do not have the room.
I know that I would eventually like to have a much bigger one. I may even go for a 240 if I get brave, but that is in the future when I have a lot more knowledge. This one works for now and is very enjoyable to the kids and I. My husband even loves it and helps with the tests and feeding.
The inverts are very important to me. I will make sure they get fed.
I would like to see a picture of your fish tank. Did you post it somewhere????
I would like to keep it simple too! More equipment can mean more hassle, but I think it depends on the person.
Patti

 

[beth]

I was going to post a pic up for you, so you can see just how simple it can be. However, all my pics right now are a few mos old. I am also going to do a bit of cleanup this weekend. Let me see if I can get something up on the weekend.
I did post up an older pic in the New Hobbyist forum this week though.
NAG ALERT! Did you get the book I suggested yet?

 

[saltypatti]

seems to be the best price. I can get the conscientious aquarist for $28.00. It is a paperback. The hardback is $10 more. I also want to get marine fishes and the natural reef aquaruium. I will get them, but getting on the computer to order is not always easy.
Keep nagging!!!! I need it!!!!
Patti