Question about treating diseased fish

[yosh]

Has anyone ever used hyposalinity treatment (lowering the salinity) to treat saltwater ich, if so could you please tell me if you were successful. I lowered the salinity of my tank about a month ago when one of my fish died and another fish was extremely ill. I saved the fishes life, but after a month the orange tail damsel that almost died still scrathes periodically. I have a yellow tang and a humu humu trigger, which have never showed signs of sickness. My salinity is still lowered to about 1.010. If someone has knowledge on lowering the salinity to treat ich could you please respond thanks.

[hr]
72 gallons
crushed coral substate
coral skeletons and lava rocks
biological filter
large yellow tang, baby humu humu picasso trigger,and an orangetail damsel.

 

[jagnmeg99]

i was told to lower my salinty to 1.016 by the lfs about a month ago when my fish got ich and i asked the same queation as u did, and feedback was that was not a good idea--
I am no expert, just what i was told with the same question--the answer is a hosp. tank...you'll get the info you need in a matter of hours....good luck

 

[musipilot]

There are great replies to this in the disease and treatment forum...here's a summary. You must make sure there is no live rock, live sand, or inverts in the tank you're lowering the salinity in...they won't survive. Sometimes its easier to do it in a separate hospital tank. The salinity should be gradually lowered to 1.009 over the course of 48 hours, 72 if you want to be very cautious. After the last sign of ich has dissappeared, leave the salinity lowered for 10 more days. You can then SLOWLY (taking much more time then you did to lower it) RAISE the salinity back to 1.023. I am in the final phase of this treatment, and it has worked wonderfully, thanks to the advice I got here. We didn't lose anything, thankfully. Be PATIENT, take your TIME, and be sure you can test accurately for 1.009, higher then that will NOT do the trick.