well, all the threads going to pay off...

renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
I got a bicolor blenny and a royal gramma on sunday. this morning, the gramma has what looks like ich. so... going to start hypo and see for myself. only issue i have is the reducing salinity over 48 hrs. if i'm at work, how do i do this slowly? should i wait till the weekend?
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
this is as clear as i can get it. it's right under his top fin. sad thing is, the blenny doesn't show anything but is in with the gramma so they both will get treated.


 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
Hmmmn. You might be able to slowly drip water out as you slowly drip water in. Just a thought. But I don't see anything wrong with dropping it in the morning and evening over 48 hrs.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
found some nice instructions:
Your starting point should be between 1.025 and 1.027. Replace about one fifth of the volume with RO, RO/DI or aged freshwater that has been well aerated. Repeat this 12, 24 and 36 hours later, monitoring the specific gravity along the way. After the fourth water change the specific gravity should be 1.010 or pretty close. Wait a few hours to make the final adjustment to get down to 1.009.
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
48 hours is just a good measure target. You can take longer. Just changing out the water will reduce some ich while you get down to where you need to be. You can also do it a tad faster, if you fish seems to be coping with that.
Maintaining a stable pH is key with this.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
i got some buffer today on my way home to help out with the pH. do i buffer the RO water, or add it and check the tanks pH?
 
earlybird

earlybird

Active Member
I buffered my top off water which was constantly mixing next to a mixing bucket of make up water just in case.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
kk.
last question before i start this: i have a zebra hermit crab i keep in there to keep the bioload going and eat excess food. i know he can't stay in there, but can the parasite hitch a ride on his shell?
 
wattsupdoc

wattsupdoc

Active Member
Buffer and temp match the RO before adding it. Then test after adding it. Typically, the ph will be lower in the RO so matching it and then testing again after its been added will be helpful. Yes the hermit can carry ich on it's shell.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
changed out my first 4gal of water. i'm doubting my test kit... it says my RO water has a pH of about 8.4. i thought it was supposed to be really low?
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
reno, i have found that consistantly, more than pH , alkalinty drops out VERY fast once the salinity is low. so i would get a buffer like kent superbuffer DkH which buffs both pH and Alk. and watch them both often and early. after the first week of buffing, everything usually stabilizes. then i usually do 5 gallon water changes ( in a 29) once a week because of the loss of / lack of the normal fixing bacteria. if that is sand on the bottom of your QT, vaccuum that out with the water changes.
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
reno, i have found that consistantly, more than pH , alkalinty drops out VERY fast once the salinity is low. so i would get a buffer like kent superbuffer DkH which buffs both pH and Alk. and watch them both often and early. after the first week of buffing, everything usually stabilizes. then i usually do 5 gallon water changes ( in a 29) once a week because of the loss of / lack of the normal fixing bacteria. if that is sand on the bottom of your QT, vaccuum that out with the water changes.

yea, its left over sand and such from when i had my fish in there while chaning my tank. i had put a lot of live rock in the tank to help out with the bioload. I have some ALK buffer (i think by seachem), plus i got some pH buffer yesterday. of course, i used up my last pH packet this morning so it's off to the lfs again.
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
i think i somehow introduced an evil predator into my QT when i was cycling some LR in there. something unseen has eaten 2 of the 3 fish i just put in my QT ; ;
hopefully i removed it's hiding spot and the survivor will make it to the DT...
 
renogaw

renogaw

Active Member
Originally Posted by saltn00b
i think i somehow introduced an evil predator into my QT when i was cycling some LR in there. something unseen has eaten 2 of the 3 fish i just put in my QT ; ;
hopefully i removed it's hiding spot and the survivor will make it to the DT...

hypersaline dip on the rock coming?
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
i have been through 2 hypo cycles since and it is currently in hypo. so whatever it was, it either was not an invert or was somehow able to withstand hypo conditions...
 
saltn00b

saltn00b

Active Member
oh that rock has been in my DT for months now, whatever it is, it must have been a lone ranger and stayed inside my faux coral in the QT, otherwise i would have lost a bunch of easy prey in my DT by now.
 
C

christian07

Guest
Originally Posted by saltn00b
oh that rock has been in my DT for months now, whatever it is, it must have been a lone ranger and stayed inside my faux coral in the QT, otherwise i would have lost a bunch of easy prey in my DT by now.
Mike ????
 
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