Terry B

[737mech]

Terry, I've read a couple times you refered to a 3rd method of curing ich called"hypo-trans method". I did a search here and didn't come up with any more info on this procedure. Could you elaberate some on this method?
Thanks as usual....

 

[737mech]

Wow holy cow that was great reading but sounds complicated to me. I can see why you said there could be some misunderstandings. Pretty cool idea to keep the parasites on the run.
As always you da man!

 

[elfdoctors]

Originally posted by Terry B
Eventually, all the trophonts on the fish mature and fall off the fish.
Great reading! I'm looking forward to the article. It sounds like this technique should stop reproduction of the parasite.
Is 12 days enough to ensure that all trophonts have fallen off the fish? I thought I've read that trophonts can stay on much longer.
How low do you bring the salinity?
Besides curing the fish slightly quicker are there any other advantages to this technique? I can see that this probably is not a treatment for newbies as there would be more stress with the transfers.

 

[elfdoctors]

Originally posted by Terry B
The primary advantages that this treatment offers over other methods are no chemicals are required and low salinity variants of CI are not resistant.
Thanks Terry
Can ich go through most filtration units? Could the same filters be used? (perhaps in-line with a UV unit?) Otherwise I could also see that another problem with this technique is that you are always using uncycled tanks.
How common are low salinity variants of CI? I have seen a few posts that brought this up but you appear to confirm their existense. Is this why you and Beth seem to tend to recommend copper only after hypo has apparently failed? I am glad that hypo worked for my tank.
On a side note I have been wondering if there is a lab test to detect whether a particular fish is infected with CI? This could go a long way to decrease the incidence of the disease.
I always seem to be learning more from this forum. Thanks again!

 

[jlem]

Originally posted by elfdoctors
Thanks Terry
Can ich go through most filtration units? Could the same filters be used? (perhaps in-line with a UV unit?) Otherwise I could also see that another problem with this technique is that you are always using uncycled tanks.

Would a fish create an ammonia spike in three days if not overfed? Replacing a couple gallons of salt water everyday with the same parameters as the treatment tanks should help with any ammonia spike I would think.

 

[elfdoctors]

Does anyone know how do the low salinity variants survive hyposalinity? I would have expected the organism would have adapted in the wild as there have to be fish that go from normal salinity to hyposalinity conditions (e.g salmon). CI could be self-treated by sick fish which would only have to swim up a freshwater stream to get healed.
Do people understand the evolutionary pressure which would support such variants. As an end-user of fish any fish treated in my tanks stay in my tank. Unless there are a lot of treated fish being swapped from tank to tank, any CI variants formed in hobbyists tanks would not be able to multiply. Are fish shipped in hyposalinity conditions from the wild to decrease shipping stress? This would certainly be a possible way that CI variants could emerge.
Medicine is also facing the emergence of resistant strains of microbes. Physicians are being taught not to overprescribe to slow this resistance. I am wondering if your article will have any recommendations that the industry can do to prevent this from spreading? A cheap rapid test (e.g. ELISA) would be quite helpful.
Thanks for your answers so far on this esoteric topic (but potentially important in the future).

 

[elfdoctors]

Terry, Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I've learned a lot.
Sorry if I hijacked your thread 737mech!