Hyposalinity and You

[Depth]

I've read a lot about Hyposalinity being one of the most reliable - and non-toxic - treatments for Ich. But do people really use it? The few LFS saltwater people that I've mentioned it to, act surprised and don't seem to know how it works.
Have you used Hyposalinity?
For more than a week now, I am employing Hyposalinity treatment in my QT for 4 Ich-ridden fish.
Although they say that the parasites will burst and die at salinity as low as SG = 1.009, I still see the Ich attached to the fish. I am supposed to keep this salinity for up to 6 weeks - but am i doing the right thing?
What is the place of Hypo in your life?
Let me and the world know.

 

[SlamaJama]

hyposalinity Ive used on my clams often, when or if i detect any pinched mantle....works great..also tried hyposalinity on SPS coloniy that has acro eating flatworms, and that had little or no effect on AEFW...Ive never used it for ich, dont have any,TG.

 

[marrone]

I have used it and it does work some times. First you need to make sure you have ich, otherwise it wouldn't work. You should also bring your level down lower than 1.009 as if it goes slightly higher the ich cyst will hatch and you'll have to start all over again. In a small tank, because of evaporation, this can easily happen.

The ich still needs to go through it's normal cycle, working it way through the fish, showing on the body and then falling off. So since it can take 7 - 10 days for an ich spore, to work it's way through a fish body, you will still see ich on the fish for some time into the treatment. The same also goes whn using copper.

Because of the low SG some cyst will burst and other will not but more important they will not hatch. After a # of weeks the cyst will die.


Here is a good link of Hyposalinity.
http://www.petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/hyposalinity.html

 

[clownfishking]

I have used this method before but it seems to stress the fish too much, so I only use copper treatment now.

 

[qy7400]

Used a few time and took care of ich each time. I followed the directions in the link Marrone listed, hypo and fallow tanks for 6 weeks and haven't had any new outbreaks since.

 

[Depth]

Marrone, I've read the article you recommend. How much lower do you have to bring the SG? I've read 1.009 is the lowest, under that fish can die.
One of my filefish (the large one, 4 inch long orange-tail file) has completely stopped eating but has no other symptoms whatsoever - swims calmly, normal behavior, just does not eat. It ate some of the foods I could offer before, then it started eating only live brine, now it has not eaten anything for a week. No signs of Ich anymore, no secondary infection, nothing. Looks healthy, swims cool and slow, but won't eat. At first I thought it is a finicky eater that had to be weaned to prepared foods. But now I think it must have lost appetite for another reason (the Ich? the low salinity?) and that's why only responded to brine for a while. Than lost even that. I guess the fish is doomed - but i wanna know why.

 

[Depth]

One of the Damsels (who never contracted Ich!) has white stringy poo-poo - but again, no other symptoms whatsoever. All eat voraciously (exception of the file above mentioned) and behave normally. Could the stress of the low salinity alone produce the white string?

 

[Babe88]

How are the fish now?

 

[Depth]

HYPOSALINITY works!!

Thank you for your interest. Ich was completely cured after my hyposalinity treatment. I have to say that is the best non-toxic treatment available. Not all fish made it from the QT to the main tank but that was for different reasons. What matters is, the fish who did make it did not bring the Ich with them!