Below are the procedures for hypo. All fish exposed to ich must be treated whether they are showing symptoms or not. Ich may be deposited on LR or sand, but they will not live there indefinately. In the absense of a fish host, ich will die off within 3-4 wks.
Ich Info and Hypo Proceedure:
Ick has a life cycle of approx. 23 days during which time the parasite undergoes 3 stages. In the tomite [free-swimming] stage [no, you can not see it with the ----- eye], the parasite is infectious to fish. During this stage, the tomite's goal is to find a host fish, or die trying. After they attach to the gills or body of a fish, they develop into the second stage, the parasitic trophont. During this stage they burrow into the fish, feeding on it's tissues, which can cause considerable damage and even result in a secondary bacterial infection on the infected fish. This stage is the only time that you can actually see the parasites [on the fish]. Once well fed the trophonts stop feeding and develop cystic coverings. This becomes the inactive tomont stage and during this final stage the cysts may stay trapped in the tissues of the fish, or fall off and sit on the bottom of the aquarium or on rocks, etc. Within 6 to 10 days hundreds of new tomites emerge looking for fish hosts and the cycle begins all over again, and again and again until something is done about it. Once ick is an active presence in the aquaria, having infested fish, it must be irradiated or it will always pose a threat to fish, and to any new fish introduced. The only time this parasite is vulnerable is during their free swimming stage. Only in the free-swimming stage is any kind of treatments effective.
Hyposalinity is Osmotic Shock Therapy [OST]. No, your fish aren't subjected to the shock, but ick parasites are. Essentially, O.S.T. simply places the infectors [ich] in an environment in which they cannot survive while the host, (or infected fish) can. This remedy WILL NOT work in reef systems or invert tanks as it incorporates lowering the salinity of the entire system to 1.009 SG---this SG/salinity being too low for inverts, LR or LS.
The method of lowering salinity/SG is simple: Over the course of 48-hrs, salt water in the tank is replaced with fresh RO or DI water in small increments until a SG of 1.009 is achieved. Maintain pH, as pH tends to lower in hypo-saline water, and you need to maintain same pH. Watch for pH, especially at night. If you are not using a refractometer which gives the most precise readings, then try using 2-brands of quality hydrometers to make sure that you get an accurate reading. The SG MUST be dropped to 1.009, nothing above that will do. As for the beneficial microbes you are working to establish in your hospital, NOT TO WORRY! The bacteria colony will survive, the fish will be more than fine; but the Ich will not survive. By lowering the salinity, you will also be lowering the osmotic pressure of the water. The parasites NEED high osmotic pressure to convert saline water into freshwater. All marine animals need freshwater as we do [parasites are considered marine animals as well, BTW]. They just convert it differently, usually via their tissues. Reduce this necessary pressure and the ich will die. As a higher life form, the fish will do fine with this treatment. [My preference for this treatment of ick over copper is toxicity. Hypo has no ill effects on fish during or after treatment, whereas copper is a toxin, and could have enduring negative effects on fish even following a successful treatment.
Maintain the 1.009 SG in the tank for 3 wks AFTER no visible signs of ick are present with your fish. After that time, you can slowly, over the course of several days, raise the SG back to normal levels in the hospital. Take longer raising then you did lowering the SG. Leave the fish in the hospital for 4-5 days after returning the SG to normal levels before moving them back home.
In the meantime, feed your fish garlic soaked food several times a week, and, if you can get either Zoe or Zoecon, alternate feeding your fish with these excellent vitamin supplements. No need to feed with vits and the garlic at same time. MORE is not better either with fish meds, additives or supplements. Garlic is a natural parasite repellent for ick. It also has mild antibiotic qualities as well as being an immune booster. No, don't add tabs to water. use fresh crushed garlic or garlic extract to soak the food--don't add the garlic to the water!
In the absence of any fish in your main tank, the ick will die off there. Ick must have a host fish to survive. So don't add new fish to your main tank while you're treating your sick fish
