Beginning ich outbreak with low salinity in reef tank

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

Hello,
So I recently ran an icp test and came to find out that my refractometer was giving me the wrong salinity and the calibration fluid was off. I’m sitting at around 22ppt salinity in my reef which explains why my corals are having a hard time. Recently I noticed white spots on my purple tang and for the next few days I saw other fish having white spots aswell. (They are larger spots so I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s not marine velvet)

Im torn in this situation since I hear lower salinity slows down ich and could potentially kill it but obviously since it’s still spreading that’s not really working out for me. But I’m afraid to raise salinity to 35ppt since this would be the optimal parameters for ich and then it would spread like crazy. I am running a 55w Uv sterilizer and will be putting in a new bulb o help aid in combating ich. Along with a water change I have done.

Don’t think it’s worth stressing out my fish even more trying to catch them with a net and treating them with copper.

what would you guys recommend for me to do in this situation.

personally I like the approach of controlling ich rather than eradicating it from my system but all ears open.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,
So I recently ran an icp test and came to find out that my refractometer was giving me the wrong salinity and the calibration fluid was off. I’m sitting at around 22ppt salinity in my reef which explains why my corals are having a hard time. Recently I noticed white spots on my purple tang and for the next few days I saw other fish having white spots aswell. (They are larger spots so I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s not marine velvet)

Im torn in this situation since I hear lower salinity slows down ich and could potentially kill it but obviously since it’s still spreading that’s not really working out for me. But I’m afraid to raise salinity to 35ppt since this would be the optimal parameters for ich and then it would spread like crazy. I am running a 55w Uv sterilizer and will be putting in a new bulb o help aid in combating ich. Along with a water change I have done.

Don’t think it’s worth stressing out my fish even more trying to catch them with a net and treating them with copper.

what would you guys recommend for me to do in this situation.

personally I like the approach of controlling ich rather than eradicating it from my system but all ears open.

Likely ich but can be lympho or velvet
Can you post pics under white lights?
What troubles me is that you are in essence running hypo salinity (low salinity) which is a noted treatment for determent of ich
Before recommending treatment, let’s look at pics
You might want to consider purchase of a starter tank kit from Walmart as a quarantine unit in advance
It comes with necessities for a successful setup

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

Likely ich but can be lympho or velvet
Can you post pics under white lights?
What troubles me is that you are in essence running hypo salinity (low salinity) which is a noted treatment for determent of ich
Before recommending treatment, let’s look at pics
You might want to consider purchase of a starter tank kit from Walmart as a quarantine unit in advance
It comes with necessities for a successful setup

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

Here a bit better pic you can see small white spots towards the end of the body

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here a bit better pic you can see small white spots towards the end of the body

Thank you for nice clear pics. I dont see ich but more possibility of Lymphocystis which is viral and often associated with water quality and/or diet.
Water quality can be as simple as elevated ammonia-ph-nitrates. Diet can be insufficient foods that contain fats and aminos.

What test kits are you using?
What foods are you feeding ?
Are you using RODI water or tap water from faucet ?

Recommended foods:

-Spirulina brine shrimp
- LRS Herbivore diet
- mysis shrimp
- small plankton
- Nori seaweed basted with garlic extract
- Hikari Marine cuisine
- Formula 2 flake and frozen
- Hikari veggie marine

Add selcon vitamins to the foods 2-3X per week and on alternating days, garlic extract for stamina and immunity health

 

[Uncle99]

If you think ick, you could consider Hyposalinity as a treatment.
1.009 results in ick “exploding” as the super low salt screws with the parasites ability to process water.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello,
So I recently ran an icp test and came to find out that my refractometer was giving me the wrong salinity and the calibration fluid was off. I’m sitting at around 22ppt salinity in my reef which explains why my corals are having a hard time. Recently I noticed white spots on my purple tang and for the next few days I saw other fish having white spots aswell. (They are larger spots so I’m pretty confident in saying that it’s not marine velvet)

Im torn in this situation since I hear lower salinity slows down ich and could potentially kill it but obviously since it’s still spreading that’s not really working out for me. But I’m afraid to raise salinity to 35ppt since this would be the optimal parameters for ich and then it would spread like crazy. I am running a 55w Uv sterilizer and will be putting in a new bulb o help aid in combating ich. Along with a water change I have done.

Don’t think it’s worth stressing out my fish even more trying to catch them with a net and treating them with copper.

what would you guys recommend for me to do in this situation.

personally I like the approach of controlling ich rather than eradicating it from my system but all ears open.

22 ppt isn’t really low enough to slow ich down, so slowly raising the salinity back to normal won’t accelerate ich, but of course, ich is quite capable of accelerating on its own!
That said, I don’t see definitive ich in these photos - doesn’t mean it isn’t there, just that it isn’t really apparent - yet.
Jay

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

22 ppt isn’t really low enough to slow ich down, so slowly raising the salinity back to normal won’t accelerate ich, but of course, ich is quite capable of accelerating on its own!
That said, I don’t see definitive ich in these photos - doesn’t mean it isn’t there, just that it isn’t really apparent - yet.
Jay

Thank you for answering my question about the salinity issue and of whether or not raising it will change anything. I agree on the photos its really hard to see anything but in person I see there to be white spots on the fish that were not there before.

 

[frizzayyyyreef]

I have yet to lose a fish to ich since my first year getting it especially tangs ….very simple cure feed ALOT of different foods make them belly’s pop out they’ll beat it with proper nutrition forget the salinity crap the temperature crap I’ve tried everything…end of the day I noticed in the beginning that all these chemicals especially for reef tank suck the only way for them in the end to beat it is either qt or over feeding bc once they stop eating they’re goners ….edit - I also noticed wc make symptoms worse but have no evidence to back this up just from what I’ve witnessed

 

[Suesea]

I have yet to lose a fish to ich since my first year getting it especially tangs ….very simple cure feed ALOT of different foods make them belly’s pop out they’ll beat it with proper nutrition forget the salinity crap the temperature crap I’ve tried everything…end of the day I noticed in the beginning that all these chemicals especially for reef tank suck the only way for them in the end to beat it is either qt or over feeding bc once they stop eating they’re goners ….edit - I also noticed wc make symptoms worse but have no evidence to back this up just from what I’ve witnessed

Just now before reading this I just lost a new powder Brown tang. As soon as he stopped wanting to eat. He pigged out for 3 days, this morning he has spots every where and his color looks eaten away won't eat.... 2hrs later now death. I can't seem to be able to add any new fish. My old crew must be immune.

 

[Suesea]

I have yet to lose a fish to ich since my first year getting it especially tangs ….very simple cure feed ALOT of different foods make them belly’s pop out they’ll beat it with proper nutrition forget the salinity crap the temperature crap I’ve tried everything…end of the day I noticed in the beginning that all these chemicals especially for reef tank suck the only way for them in the end to beat it is either qt or over feeding bc once they stop eating they’re goners ….edit - I also noticed wc make symptoms worse but have no evidence to back this up just from what I’ve witnessed

Also what is wc? Water change? I don't partake.