hypo not working

[carrie]

I'm into 2 weeks w/hypo. Per the salinity monitor and glass hydrometer my salinity is at 1.008. It flucuates between 1.075 and 1.0085. Depending on how long I keep the lights on. My ph is at 8.0.
Here is my question, since doing hypo, i've had 3 outbrakes. This morning another outbrake. They are not going away. My salinity has never rose above 1.0085 in 11 days. I use to keep it at 1.009 then I got the salinity monitor and it said conversion chart to 1.010. So I dropped salinity to 1.0085 just to be safe. My tank temp is 80.
What am i doing wrong? My salinity is low, temp is ok, ph is ok. Tank temp never rises above 80degrees. I stayed home on Saturday and religiously checked the temp-just to be double sure it never rises. Only rises when the lights are on - 1 degree. Lights are on 4 hours per evening.
I did clean gravel last saturday with mag350, gravel only. No water change. The only time I add water is for evaporation and to adjust salinity.
Can I use quick cure and or formalin with hypo? Do you recommend I use either one of these products? Any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong w/hypo and why they keep regenerating?
PS I'm leaving for vacation in 5 weeks so i've got to get this under control...
tks. Carrie

 

[carrie]

I'm using pinpoint salinity monitor. I double checked my notes. I purchased that last tuesday. For 7 days it's been at 1.0085. Prior to that it was 1.010.
The conversion chart I took from a previous post w/you, pitsons and another person I think it was dated last week sometime. I'm sorry I don't have that paperwork with me at work otherwise I could be percise.
You mentioned 10days it takes for them to attach, fall off and regenerate. That would explain for the outbrake. I must have just missed the last stage when I lowered the salinity.
Q=Is Day 1, when the 1.0085 salinity is reached?
Q=Do you recommend using quick cure or formalin w/hypo?
Tks! Carrie

 

[carrie]

I'm sorry to be confusing. We were using glass hydrometer to measure salinity.
My hubby out of town until end of last week, that's when I saw your conversation chart. We didn't start using the pinpoint until he came back.
Do you think we can use formalin/quick cure in conjunction w/hypo?

 

[beth]

Count day 1 as the first day that you see no ick on the fish.
If the fish had ick when you started using the pinpoint then, hopefully, you will not see a re-emergence of ick once the parasites fall off this time. Hypo salinity has no effect on ick while they are attached to the fish, or while they are lying on the bottom of the tank, substrate, rock, etc. The only time they are effected by hypo is when the parasite is in the free-swimming stage.
Have your fish been clear of ick since using the pinpoint? And then gotten re-infected? This will be the measure of whether or not you are really having a problem or not.

 

[carrie]

I really appreicate everyones input. As we continue to wait it out and see if the "ich" re-appears in my MAIN tank, my inverts are in my 2nd tank that is NOT cycled. Every 2nd day I'm removing water to keep the ammonia down.
Q=Can you cycle a tank w/inverts? I have 2 emerald, 2 blue leg and 1 red leg crabs.
If you CAN cycle a tank w/inverts then I'll be able to go on vacation without having to worry about having someone come to my house and change the water in my 2nd tank.
If the ich returns in my MAIN tank, i'll have to raise the salinity level and put cupramine in.
Q=After putting copper in MAIn tank, can I put inverts back in? Do I wait 2 days, 3 weeks, etc to put inverts back into main tank.
I'm trying to figure out after copper is completed in main tank, if I can put inverts back in at some point. If not, then i'll have to cycle my 2nd tank downstairs to permantely keep my inverts in, and in the future use as a 'quarantine' tank.
TKS! Carrie

 

[carrie]

Based on what Terry B was explaining, since I've begun the lower salinity w/proper tools, I should wait to see if the ich re-appears on my fish. If they do, then i do not have ich. I may have a 'less common parasite that can cause white spots' and hypo will not kill that. Then I'd have to use cupramine.
I'm trying to be pro-active. If the 'ich' re-appears then maybe I don't have ich, I have some other type of parasite that resembles 'ich'. I even checked my 2 fish books and it does look like ich (like someone dusted fish w/salt shaker).
If the hypo doesn't work, then i have to go to next step, cupramine. If I have to use cupramine, i need to know, since I have inverts, if I will ever be able to put inverts back into my main tank.
If I cycle my other tank w/inverts will they still be alive after the cycle is completed. I've only heard using damsels for cycling tanks, not inverts...
I'm really hoping this hypo works.
P.S. as of this morning, I do NOT see copepods