Ich and the total distruction of my 220gal tank

drtash

drtash

Member
I broke down today my 220 gal fowlr tank. I have been battling ich for over 1 1/2 months. Did the rid-ich....did nothing.......tried the hyposaline for 1 month...just raised it back to 1.020 last week. Today I noticed again Ich "white spots" all over my harliquin wrasse, spiny box fish, emperor angel and stars and stripe puffer. My eel, trigger and tang are free of ich.
Today I said what the hell.....I took all of my Live Rock out, put it in a 120 gal saltwater tankalready up and running, Took out most all of my live sand and put in into a large bucket with a powerhead................Day 1 of Hyposalinity...spc grav down to 1.013.....tommorrow will take it down to 1.009....
UGG!!!
I never wanted to have a 220gal QT tank

Just sharing you guys my frustration
I must have to say thanks to my wife for being so understanding.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
The SG should be brought down over 48 hours, not 24. What are you using to measure SG?
Did you use Rid Ich in the tank with live rock in there? That contains both Malachite green and formalin, both of which kill inverts. How did you perform hyposalinity before? Did you watch the SG every single day? Evaporation will cause the SG to raise. If it does then ich can reproduce.
You put the rock from this tank, which has ich, into another display with fish in it? If so then you just introduced ich into that tank. I am so sorry.
 
drtash

drtash

Member
the 125 gal tank i put the live rock into was empty and up and running. I forget the name of that ich solution....If rid ick was with malachite...than it was not rid ick....the stuff I used was more like kick ich.
I am using a refractometer and I will be bringing the salinity down over 48 hours. I may have gone done a tad fast the first day.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
What did you bring the salinity and specific gravity down to? You could have left the live sand if you are doing hypo in your main tank.
 
drtash

drtash

Member
Beth
according to your article you mentioned not to use a deep sand bed. I was not sure how many inches was considered deep so i took most out.
 
drtash

drtash

Member
i am using a refractometer....salinity is 1.013 today... i will start to bring it to 1.009 today and tomorrow
 
ret talbot

ret talbot

Member
If the tank is fallow for 30 days (no hosts), the life cycle of the Cryptocaryon irritans will be interuped and you will be ****** free (marine fishes don't get ich--ich is a freshwater thang) in the tank. You don't need hypo to accomplish this.
In terms of the fishes, I like removing them to a BB QT tank and treating for 30 days with dips (with formalin and malachite green) and water changes in the QT tank. I would use hypo in the QT tank. You have to stick with it for 30 days--no exceptions.
When it's gone, ramp up your husbandry so you never introduce ****** to your tank again!
Ret

www.SaltwaterSense.com
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
A deep sand bed is more a type of ecosystem usually ranging between 4"-6". Unless you were cultivating your sand bed as a DSB it would have likely been fine to leave it. But that's water under the bridge.
Once the fish are in hypo, start counting down 3 weeks in hypo after no more spots appear on the fish. You can go for 30 days if feel more comfortable, but the life cycle of the parasite is broken approximately 2 weeks into hypo. Be sure to use a magnifying glass and give your fish a good look daily to note when the parasite is no longer present on the fish.
When you finish the process and are ready to put your tank back in order, I'd suggest moving your fish to stable QT. It can be a larger rubbermaid with your tank water.
 
ret talbot

ret talbot

Member
Originally Posted by Beth
http:///forum/post/2883207
Once the fish are in hypo, start counting down 3 weeks in hypo after no more spots appear on the fish. You can go for 30 days if feel more comfortable, but the life cycle of the parasite is broken approximately 2 weeks into hypo.
I agree that three weeks is a safe bet in a normal tropical aquarium, but I usually suggest thirty days simply because encysted tomonts can survive up to 28 days in some conditions based on my reading of the literature. Then you have perhaps as long as 48 hours as free-swimming tomites looking for a host. I mean once you've gone to all the trouble, you might as well make it last, right? lol
Beth, have you any experience with chloroquine phosphate for treating ******?
 
drtash

drtash

Member
i did a fresh water dip today with my harliquen wrase.. It looked like i killed him. When i put him back into the tank he was swimming upside down. He is currently rightside up and hidding under a phony rock. Scary thing. He is my prize posession.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
FW dips need to be done carefully and only as a last resort because they are very stressful to the fish.
Ich spots generally fall off within a week of reaching 1.009. It can take a little longer sometimes, but not usually.
 
ret talbot

ret talbot

Member
Originally Posted by drtash
http:///forum/post/2883570
i did a fresh water dip today with my harliquen wrase.. It looked like i killed him. When i put him back into the tank he was swimming upside down. He is currently rightside up and hidding under a phony rock. Scary thing. He is my prize posession.
What procedure are you using for your dip? While stressful for the fish, a well-performed freshwater dip should not pose any promblem. This is a very standard procedure. Make sure the water is heated and buffered to match the tank water. Plan on five minutes, but remove the fish earlier if they exhibit extreme distress. Are you using anything in the dip?
 
ret talbot

ret talbot

Member
Originally Posted by drtash
http:///forum/post/2883566
how soon after hypo would you start seeing the white spots disappear? two weeks?
Remember that the lack of white spots does not mean you are in the clear--you need to treat for the entire treatment period, and, more importantly, the display tank must remain fallow for a month.
 
ret talbot

ret talbot

Member
Originally Posted by drtash
http:///forum/post/2883581
how long do you recommend quarantining new live rock and sand?
What do yo mean by quarantine new live rock? New live rock must be cured, of course, but are you worried about importing ****** with newly acquired live rock?
 
drtash

drtash

Member
My case of ich began about a week after purchasing LR from my local p--c- store. They had a major outbreak in there store. The tank I purchased the cured rock was in a separate tank. I thought I was ok. That piece of rock was the only new investment into my dt. I would assume it came from the lr.
Now i am paying to price.
 
drtash

drtash

Member
I do relize that the absent of white spots does not mean its gone. I just want to know that what i am doing is starting to work.
 
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