hypo salinity

[blennyluv]

hi
began drip for hypo s. my clown still has a spot on his tail and what looks like a film on him, mostly by his tail. so i started the drip. i am dripping about as fast as i would to acclimate new fish,is this ok?? and i am to take it down to 16 ppt? please hurry with info since i already started :?
thanks!!

[FishinInTheDark]

What kind of spot is on the tail?

[blennyluv]

one large big one, white in color. looks like ich

[FishinInTheDark]

Okay. I was only wondering because the body film is not an external parasite, per se. Hyposalinity will not work on this. It should work on the ich though. Are you treating in a QT tank?

[Doctor_Reef]

Conni she has it in a qt...from chatting with her...the hypo will work on the ich she may need to add some meds…If it is bacterial some anti-biotic....

This is a great web page to help diagnose and give treatment for fish problems...

http://www.fishyfarmacy.com/fish_diseases/skin_disorders.html

[FishinInTheDark]

Great link, Ron. I would agree that some antibiotic needs to be added to the QT water. Someone at my reef club recently posted about similar symptoms, and it was decided that it was a protozoan infection (which is common after ich infestations). The recommended treatment was Nitrofurazone, Quinacrine, Furaltadone, Nifurpirinol or any other antibacterial drug with anti-protozan properties which would cover both bacterial and protozoan issues.

[Doctor_Reef]

Agree...coupled with a broad spectrum anti-biotic you have a great combo for fighting these kinds of problems!!!!

[NaH2O]

Here is some great info on hyposalinity treatment. Be sure to keep an eye on your pH. Treatment of Choice part 2 (http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/Treatment-of-Choice-2.htm) by Terry Bartleme. It says to lower the salinity over 2 days with 4 water changes, and after treatment raise the salinity over one week at 2 points per day.


Hyposalinity therapy consists of keeping the salinity at 14ppt for three weeks or more before returning the salinity to normal levels. Do not confuse salinity with Specific Gravity. The main drawback to using this method verses copper treatment is that hyposalinity is not effective for treating Amlyoodinium infections. I believe Cryptocaryon infection is a much more common occurrence in home aquariums than Amlyoodinium . However, caution must be extended to be relatively certain of the correct diagnosis before treatment. Lowering the salinity delays, but does not prevent infection with Amlyoodinium (Barbaro and Francescon, 1985). Amyloodinium may be able to complete its life cycle in salinities ranging from 3 ppt to 45 ppt (Noga, 1996). Cryptocaryon tomonts do not excyst (hatch) in a specific gravity low enough for treatment with hyposalinity, breaking the cycle of reinfection. Do not expose invertebrates and live rock to salinities low enough to effectively treat Cryptocaryon infections. Elasmobranchs such as sharks and ray fish cannot be treated with hyposalinity, because they have a different osmoregulation strategy than bony fish.

Using hyposalinity therapy is a simple matter of lowering the salinity in fish-only systems without live rock. Since invertebrates, live rock, and live sand should not be exposed to such low specific gravity, the fish must be moved to a conditioned hospital tank for treatment. Filling the quarantine tank with water from the display reduces transfer stress. Begin to lower the salinity the day after the move. The salinity should be adjusted downward using four water changes over two days' time. Each water change should lower the salinity about five points. The salinity should be kept consistently at 14ppt for three weeks or more. Bring the salinity back to normal over a period of about a week at two points per day after completion of therapy. It is important to measure the salinity daily with an accurate hydrometer or other refractometer. Allowing the salinity to rise during therapy can result in reinfection. Many glass and plastic hydrometers can be inaccurate.

Most reef fish tolerate a salinity of 14ppt surprisingly well, appearing to thrive. I have kept a large variety of fish at this salinity, including tangs, angels, butterflies, wrasses, triggers, clownfish, gobies, and more, without a problem. Although the salinity can be lowered indefinitely to 16 ppt or less (Cheung, 1979), I suggest raising it to normal levels after completion of therapy. Some infrequently encountered reactions to hyposalinity are faded colors, hyperactivity, aggression, and difficulty swimming. Although lowering the salinity should not disrupt biological filtration, the ammonia, pH, and salinity should be monitored daily. The pH tends to drop in diluted saltwater so add a buffer as needed.