Beth,Terry B,anthem goin with hypo

[mr.flameangel]

Thank you all for the advise about the last ordeal i was not thinking. well as to take it i am new to marine. i was in fresh raisin discus so this is different. just to say (but I dont want to!!) i overdosed and will never use them again. the yellow tang passed and the flame angel made it through but he is covered in ick and 1 eye looks as it is cloudy. i did a 10 gal. water change and put 4 carbon filters in my emporer. the tank cleared up and i ended up freezin the tang cause he was suffering but the angel pulled out. but he is not eating.
here is what i want to do. i want to do the hypo but i am confused. can i treat them with that if i have bio wheels on the filter and i also have a 3inch bottom of crushed corel. i also have 2 rocks with hair algea (but i dont care about that) what do i keep the temp at and is 4 weeks long enough at 1.009? also with a 55 gal how many gallons a day should a take out to reach 1.009. i have looked at other entries but i am very confused thanks for the time and thoughts.
mike <img src="graemlins//confused2.gif" border="0" alt="[confused2]" />

 

[mr.flameangel]

sorry also do i keep the fish in there. cause i dont have a hospital tank and dont have room for 1. thanks again mike

 

[beth]

It looks like you are planning to treat in tank, which is perfectly fine as long as you have a fish-only tank. This means no inverts, crabs, live rock, live sand. Only fish. And, from the sound of it, it looks like that is what you have.
Here is the procedure for hyposalinity:
Hyposalinity is Osmotic Shock Therapy [OST]. No, your fish aren't subjected to the shock, but ick parasites are. Essentially, O.S.T. simply places the infectors [ick] in an environment in which they cannot hope to survive while the host, (or infected fish) can. This remedy WILL NOT work in reef systems or invert tanks as it incorporates lowering the salinity of the entire system to 1.009 SG---this SG/salinity being too low for inverts, LR or LS.
The method of lowering salinity/SG is simple: Over the course of 48-hrs, salt water in the tank is replaced with fresh RO or DI water in small increments until a SG of 1.009 is achieved. Use your judgement on this. Several small increments of replacing salt water with fresh, is better than large changes. Observe fish reaction to the changes to measure the speed in which to change-out the water. Maintain pH, as pH tends to lower in hypo-saline water, and you need to maintain same pH. Watch for pH, especially at night. If you are not using a salinity monitor which gives more precise readings, then try using 2-brands of hydrometers to make sure that you get an accurate reading. In theses, glass floating hydrometers are better than the swing-arm types. The specific gravity/salinity MUST be dropped to 1.009, nothing above that will do. The beneficial microbes in your substrate bed will be fine so you should not need to worry about depletion of your biological filtration. Ich, however, will not survive. By lowering the salinity, you will also be lowering the osmotic pressure of the water. The parasites NEED high osmotic pressure to convert saline water into freshwater. All marine animals need freshwater as we do They convert it differently, usually via their tissues. Reduce this necessary pressure and the ick will die. As a higher life form, the fish will do fine with this treatment. Hypo has no ill effects on fish during or after treatment.
Maintain the 1.009 SG in the tank for 4 wks AFTER no visible signs of ick are present with your fish. After that time, you can slowly, over the course of several days, raise the SG back to normal levels in the hospital. Take longer raising then you did lowering the SG. Leave the fish in the hospital for 5-7 days after returning the SG to normal levels before moving it/them back home.
In the meantime, feed your fish garlic soaked food several times a week, and, if you can get either Zoe or Zoecon, alternate feeding your fish with these excellent vitamin supplements. Garlic is a natural parasite repellent for ick. It also has mild antibiotic qualities as well as being an immune booster. Use fresh crushed garlic, garlic extract or a hobby brand garlic medication to soak the food--don't add the garlic to the water!
Good Luck!

 

[mr.flameangel]

Well just thought that I would let you all know that I am on my 2nd day of hypo. The Flame Angel has pulled out of the overdose. He is now eating. <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" /> Well I do have 1 Q for you all. I went to the local pet stores to find the food that I have read about that I should feed. but could not find any. I have also read that you soak the food in garlic? Could any of you please explain this process to me and what to use.
Right now they eat flakes, shrimp and romane let. Thanks again, Mike

 

[beth]

Just that, you soak the food in garlic. You can crush fresh garlic then let the food soak in it, or you can get garlic extract from the grocery store. Be sure to read the ingredient label to be sure that all it has in it is garlic. There is also a hobby product now that has garlic.
Soak the food for at least 1 hour in the refrid. then offer it to the fish.

 

[musipilot]

about the garlic..head over to the supermarket, they have jars of fresh chopped garlic in the produce section. Be sure to get one WITHOUT oil, they have it in just water. I have been using this with my hyposalinity treatment, and the fish don't mind it at all. I put their food in a shot glass with tank water, add a little of the water from the garlic jar, and a few pieces of chopped garlic. Good luck!