Ick and Hyposalinity

[TangsRLife]

So I am at 4 weeks after the last spot was seen on my fish. I have a 40 gal QT set up with a chainlink eel, yellow and blue tang, blue velvet damsel, and a foxface. No other fish throughout this qt period has had spots on them except the yellow tang. It’s been 4 weeks since he has had any spots. I use hypo just because I have an eel and I can’t use chloroquine because I read that the blue tang has a hard time with it. Currently I am keeping them at 1.007 because I read that it’s more likely to kill strains of crypto that could possibly be hypo resistant. I also dose a aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate to maintain pH. The past weeks the yellow tang went through a bacterial infection which I presume was caused by the ick tearing up its flesh and slime coat. His fins have all healed but he is still breathing heavily. It becomes reduced when I do a water change but doesn’t change too much when I’m in the room. Is this a sign of the ick still present or could the low salinity be taking a toll? Or is this just stress from the ordeal? I’m not letting up on the hypo till I know for sure what’s causing it.

 

[CC13]

So I am at 4 weeks after the last spot was seen on my fish. I have a 40 gal QT set up with a chainlink eel, yellow and blue tang, blue velvet damsel, and a foxface. No other fish throughout this qt period has had spots on them except the yellow tang. It’s been 4 weeks since he has had any spots. I use hypo just because I have an eel and I can’t use chloroquine because I read that the blue tang has a hard time with it. Currently I am keeping them at 1.007 because I read that it’s more likely to kill strains of crypto that could possibly be hypo resistant. I also dose a aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate to maintain pH. The past weeks the yellow tang went through a bacterial infection which I presume was caused by the ick tearing up its flesh and slime coat. His fins have all healed but he is still breathing heavily. It becomes reduced when I do a water change but doesn’t change too much when I’m in the room. Is this a sign of the ick still present or could the low salinity be taking a toll? Or is this just stress from the ordeal? I’m not letting up on the hypo till I know for sure what’s causing it.

I have used hypo a few times and I usually maintain 1.009 - 1.008 salinity but I have gone down to 1.007. You need to make sure whatever your measuring salinity with is pinpoint accurate because you might be lower than 1.007 and this is basically the line at which point our reef fish can survive.

I would also not stop after 4 weeks. Run the full 3 months to be sure so you don't have to do this again. Regardless about your fish in QT, your display tank will need to be fallow for 3 months time anyways. Lower salinity usually means there is more oxygen available in the water for the fish to breathe, but I also always use an airstone to ensure that the water is oxygenated enough if I am running hypo in a smaller QT and not my main display.

 

[Humblefish]

I think the only way to know whether or not being in hypo is causing the heavy breathing is to start raising the SG back up.

 

[CC13]

I think the only way to know whether or not being in hypo is causing the heavy breathing is to start raising the SG back up.

I agree. Do this SLOWLY do not shoot back up to 1.010 quickly.

I would raise salinity to 1.010 maybe over the next 2-3 days. You don't want to stress your fish out and if one is already breathing heavily you want to increase slowly.