Hypo- Explain How To!! Need Help Ick!

[saltwatergal]

I have been going through the last month of discussion as well as disease and treatment threads.
Could someone please explain how to HYPO- your tank.
I have ick in my tank!
I need to know do you do water changes every day for a week lowering the salinity down a little each time to you reach 1.009!
Do you use carbon in the filters!
I have been treating with medicine nothing seems to work!!
I have been losing my fish right and left.
I am concerned about my tangs in my two tanks that have ick.
When can I get a resonable refractometer. Should I start lowering the salinity now, before I lose all of my fish?
Please respond about HYPO.
Can the live rock be left in the tank with the fish?
Thanks!
saltwatergal

 

[carrie1429]

If you have LR, LS, or inverts in your main tank then you cannot do hypo in there, you need a hostpital tank, because the low salinity level will cause anything living in the tank (except fish) to die. Yes you do slowly lower the salinity level by doing water changes for one week until the salt level is 1.009.
Once you have the sainity lowered then you must keep it that way for I think 4 weeks, not too sure of how long. Then once there is no sign of ich you slowly raise the salinity. You should then leave the fish in the hospital tank for at least a couple more weeks to insure that they no longer have ich and that the ich in the main tank has died off.

 

[virginia reef]

It's my understanding that ich can take as long as 3 weeks to cycle through its various life stages. For this reason, a 3 week regimen is needed. Ich does not survive without a fish host. If you remove all fish from your display tank for 3 weeks you destroy all ich in the tank. Likewise, a 3 week treatment with hyposalinity will ensure that the ich parasites are killed on the fish in the QT tank.
I did this this in a 20g tank with some LR and a few hermits as well as various other creatures (pods, feather dusters on the LR, etc). Lowered salinity to 1.010. Visible ich disappeared within a couple of days. Left the fish in for 3+ weeks. No problems since then. The other life in the tank did not appear to suffer from hypo.
Good Luck.

 

[saltwatergal]

It is impossible to take out all of the live sand in the 55 gal.
It would cause the biological cycle to be messed up.
What would happen if you leave the live sand in the tank. If everything dies what is in live sand after 4 months anyway!
Can the sand be restored after 4 weeks when the salinity is returned to normal again. Will the tank have to go through its cycle again?
I will have to put 4 tangs in a 55 gal without the live rock!
I have a few pieces of base rock for cover.
If I buy a hospital tank it will have to be a large one to hold 4 tangs and 2 damels. Wouldn't the hospital tank go through it cycle within the 4 weeks it is set up, which will cause the fish alot of stress due to the ammonia and nitrites increasing.
Please explain about the sand. Can it be left in the tank!
I would like to use my 55 gal tank with the sand if that is possible.
Can I continue to run the protein skimmer.
Can I add carbon to the filters.
Right now I am still treating the two tanks with kick ick.
Which doesn't seem to be doing anything.
I don't know how much longer my sailfin etc can survive.
I would appreciate anymore information on this matter.
Thanks.
saltwatergal

 

[a&m aggie 04']

First of all if you have you shouldnt have 2 tangs in a 55 gallon. Do you have (2) 55 gallons w/ 2 tangs in each.
If you try to use hypo with your sand in the tank, you will have all "dead" sand. you would be able to reseed it later to make it live again, but it would take a while to become alive again. Not a good idea. I dont know how 4 tangs would last in a 20 gallon, they'd prob kill each other.
Ich will not kill anything but the fish, invertebrates cannot get it.
Im not really sure what to tell you as far as the 4 tangs, i dont know what size tank they will need to be together for hypo. Hope you find some help.
Mark

 

[saltwatergal]

All of my fish are into my 55 gal along with the base rock and sand that was in there.
Since there isn't that much sand in the tank, it will die with hypo.
I have started hypo the last two days. The salinity was at 1.021 when I started. Now it is down to 1.016. I take out a small amount of water every 4 to 5 hours and replace with fresh. Without no salt. I purchased a refractometer on line which I now have. I will get it down to 1.009 which I need.
My problem is my sailfin tang which had ick the worst fins are degrenerating. It looks like their are deteriorating. Could it be from the salinity being dropped so fast for hypo?
My tangs are all getting along in the tank. I had a salfin and a yellow tang in my 46 gal. I had a hippo tang and a purple in the 55 gal. All of my live rocks and inverts. have been moved to the 46 bow.
Please tell me if I need to medicate with something for the sailfin, or just leave him alone. I am still treating the tank every two days with kick ick. Which doesn't seem to matter. I just feel sorry for my tang. I do not have a hospital tank at this time.
I would appreciate any help on this matter.
Remember I am fairly new at the saltwater hobby. I had fresh water cichlids for a number of years.
I guess you learn what you should and should not do as you go along.
Thanks for reading my long thread!
saltwatergal

 

[a&m aggie 04']

im not sure how fast you are supposed to lower it, can anyone help with this???

 

[dsa_mom]

Beth (Shark) had previously recommended lowering the salinity over 48 hours. We are currently treating in this manner, the fish seem unaffected by the drop in salinity.
good luck!

 

[saltwatergal]

I Appreciate All Of The Help On My Problem With Hypo.
I Am Now Reading ON My Refractometer 1.013. Just A Few More Water Changes To 1.009.
I Treated My Sailfin With Metifix For His Fins Problem.
I WIll Let You Know How The Fish Do Once The Salinity Is Reading 1.009. I Know They Are Still Showing Some Ick On The Hippo And The Poor Sailfin. Well They All Ate Tonight.
Thanks.
Saltwatergal

 

[saltwatergal]

I wasn't aware of secondary infections with ick.
I will keep an eye on the sailfin since he has it the worst.
I have been treating with metifix. Along with doing water changes the last few days to bring the salinity down to 1.009.
I am now at 1.010. I noticed that the P.H. had dropped to 7.8 so I added buffer to put it back to 8.2.
I guess you have to watch the p.h. when you take out that much water in 48 hours without adding more salt.
I am learning as I go along.
Thanks!!!
Saltwatergal