Hyposalinity Unsuccessful!?!

[seaguru]

Well Beth, Terry, Ed(if you're still around),
since June of this year I stocked a 125. Without going into much detail I put all the fish I intended to put in the tank in seperate quarantine tanks for 6 wks of hypo measured with refractometer while the display tank was empty of fish... (in retrospect I added macroalgae to the refug. a few times which may have been a mistake). A few weeks after adding the fish to the display tank, I noted an ich breakout. So I took the few inverts and live rock I had out of the system put them in seperate tank and proceeded to do hypo on my main system for 5-6 weeks. (bye-bye LSB!) This time I thought I had certainly achieved successs at last. Well, sadly the same thing happened again. A few weeks after coming out of hypo my system shows up with ich again!!! Believe me I was meticulous about measuring the salinity daily, replaciing evaporated water, and keeping my pH up... I am truely at a loss and am going to try hypo a third time after stupidly dosing with GREENEX for a week. (I read so many posts against it that I changed my mind in favor of hypo for a third time) This time I will keep my fish in hypo conditions at least 2 if not 3 months. Do you think that will do it?
Any feedback out there? Please??? Thanks, Joe.

 

[bang guy]

I simply provide my fish with as little stress as possible. I'm sure there is Ick in my tank, but the fish seen to be able to fight it off.

 

[beth]

What refractometer are you using? Are you sure you are getting the SG down to 1.009? Are you sure the problem is ich?

 

[seaguru]

Thanks for the feedback thus far,
Beth I purchased my Refractometer from Premium Aquatics... I think it is made in China tho... I calibrated it with distilled water... before using it. And, I am sure it is ich... been at this awhile. I think I just may have not waited at least 3 weeks after the last evidence of same because the fish were definitely healthy and happy... Will let you know how its going in a few months, Joe.

 

[shoer]

Hope my exp with ich can help. I lower my spg down to 1.009 or so and turn up the heat.... as high as i can and off the lights feed every few days and water change to make sure everything is 0. this has helped me in the past hope it helps you

 

[seaguru]

Thanks for all the replys,
I still have faith in hypo... I really do think there was a flaw in my method somewhere along the way, so this time I will do hypo extra long and not add/change anything in my tank. Joe.
*Beth, by the way do you know what happenned to Ed? I really liked reading his advice, even tho he had a gestapo flare!
Thanks, Joe.

 

[seaguru]

Terry, Beth...
I have questions about live rock/sand. If I take out my crabs, sand sifting stars, and live rock, put them in separate Q-tank w/ filter etc., during this 3 month hypo period I plan to do on the display tank, will they carry/hold any parasites in a dormant state? Furthermore if I add more live rock/sand and crabs etc. to the Q-tank and wait 3 months will all possible parasite introductions die out without fish as hosts? Or, will I be chancing re-introduction to my display system later? I really hoped I could re-seed my sand bed in my refugium after the hypo period... can you shed any light/advice on this? Thanks, Joe.