Hyposalinity

[dmitri]

Hi,

I've few queries abt how to carry out a proper hyposalinity.

Recently, all my fish have been infected by the ich. Read the thread abt hyposalinity, but not sure how it would affect the following scenerios. Appreciate fellow reefers advice.

1. Can i still use my main tank "infected" water to perform hyposalinity for the QT or must i mix with new salt and water?

2. Can i perform hyposalinity on the main tank without removing the fish and invert (invert: 2 cleaner shrimps, 1 starfish & 1 fire shrimp, coral: No).

3. Can hyposalinity be performed with the LR and LS in it. Does it kills all the beneficial or good bacterials.

4. Can i reduce the salinity to 25ppt on the first day and reduce again to 14ppt on the second day without stressing the fish?

I've took leave this afternoon to carry out the hyposalinity. If not the fish cannot tahan liao

[weileong]

1. Can i still use my main tank "infected" water to perform hyposalinity for the QT or must i mix with new salt and water?

You can use your main tank water, just drain the water from the main tank and replace the same amount with kH buffered fresh water. Meaning to add kH buffer till the fresh water kH is around 10. This is to prevent the pH in the low salinity water from crashing hence killing your lifestock.

2. Can i perform hyposalinity on the main tank without removing the fish and invert (invert: 2 cleaner shrimps, 1 starfish & 1 fire shrimp, coral: No).

You will need to remove your inverts else they will say bye bye to you.

3. Can hyposalinity be performed with the LR and LS in it. Does it kills all the beneficial or good bacterials.

Your beneficial bacterials will survive the hyposalinity treatment.

4. Can i reduce the salinity to 25ppt on the first day and reduce again to 14ppt on the second day without stressing the fish?

Do a 20% water change with freshwater each time 2 times a day for 2 days will drop your salinity to 14ppt.

I've took leave this afternoon to carry out the hyposalinity. If not the fish cannot tahan liao

All the best, keep us updated. You'll need to keep the low salinity for at least 6 weeks. Meanwhile you'll have to monitor the salinity level carefully so that it does not exceed 16ppt else you'll have to start the 6 weeks countdown all over again. If you need to top up the water that is evaporated then you need to add kH buffered freshwater with kH ard 10.

A refractometer will be best to check the salinity as they are most accurate.

[Gouldian]

Tried Hyp recently based on Weileong reccomendations. Now fishes are super happy.

But as he has mentioned the key is to buffer your KH, if not you will be doing more damage.

[TerryB]

If you follow this link you will find a comprehensive series of articles on ich.

http://www.marineaquariumadvice.com/aquarium_fish_1.html

HTH,

Terry B

[dmitri]

Thanks reefers, Weileong, Gouldian and TerryB. I really appreciated your respond to my query.

Following is the update.

I've moved all my fish to a 3 feet QT. The QT is filled with abt 80 litres of water so that frequent change of water is much easier. The main tank is now left with few inverts; 3 shrimps, 2 slugs, 1 starfish, LR and LS. I am using an overhead filter to remove the fish waste and excess food.

Sofar, the fish does not show any stress. Ph level is stable at 8.3. Salinity is approx 25ppt. By tomorrow, the salinity will be lowered to 14ppt and, will continue to monitor the KH and PH for the next 8 weeks.

Bro Weileong, how often do i need to change the water. I've 1 sohal, 1 yellow tang, 1 flame angel, 1 PBT and 1 nemo in the QT.

[madmac]

Hi, there is very good coverage on hyposalinity Treatment on this webpage : Hyposalinity Treatment.

Among the points highlighted therein, one advises you to bring the salinity down in two days...< "It should take around 2 days to get from 35ppt to 14ppt".... Your starting point should be between 1.025 and 1.027. Replace about one fifth of the volume with RO, RO/DI or aged freshwater that has been well aerated. Repeat this 12, 24 and 36 hours later, monitoring the specific gravity along the way. After the fourth water change the specific gravity should be 1.010 or pretty close. Wait a few hours to make the final adjustment to get down to 1.009. Note that you can estimate the resulting specific gravity. If you are changing one fifth of the water and the current specific gravity is 1.025 the result will be:

((1.025*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.020 approx.

Then, after 12 hours:

((1.020*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.016 approx.

After 24 hours:

((1.016*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.013 approx.

After the 4th change:

((1.013*4)+1.000)/5 = 1.010 approx.>

[dmitri]

Hi madmac,

Noted every steps of it.

Now my salinity is hovering around 1.010, going for the final drop in a few hours time. Can see that sohal is a bit stressed.

[dmitri]

Hi,

Can fellow reefers help to answers.

1. Can I add PH buffer to increase the ph level in the QT. KH buffer is used for fresh water change only right?

2. Does aeration of water means getting air bubble into the water or just circulation of water using power head.

[weileong]

1. Can I add PH buffer to increase the ph level in the QT. KH buffer is used for fresh water change only right?

Just keep the kH around 10 in your quarantine tank will prevent the pH will crashing. Don't meddle too much by adding all sorts of chemicals

2. Does aeration of water means getting air bubble into the water or just circulation of water using power head.

Use a powerhead for circulation will do the job. Too much bubbles will stress the fishes also.

[dmitri]

Noted, weileong.

3 Days:

All fish dont seemed to be stressed, eating well with pellets, nori, mesis shoaked with garlic extreme.

However, observed that the tangs are covered with more ich. Hope, to see all ich gone within the next few days.

Salinity: 1.009, PH: 8.2

cheers

[weileong]

What did you used to measure your salinity?

Please monitor the next 2 days if the ich are gone or not.

Maybe what you're seeing is not ich

[dmitri]

Weileong, I am using the floating glass hydrometer. Read the article provided by madmac, it said that floating type should be good enough. Below is the extract from the article. Price of a reflactometer is ex.

"It is very important that you can accurately measure the salinity or specific gravity of the water. Cheap hydrometers, especially the swinging arm variety, do not have enough accuracy. If the salinity is too low, it is possible the health of the fish will be compromised. If the salinity is too high, it may have no affect on the parasites, as discussed above. A refractometer is the safest method for measuring salinity. If you don't have access to a refractometer, a lab grade floating glass hydrometer should suffice."

[lightningstrike]

disadvantage of hydrometer:

mini bubbles get caught beneath the swing arm

no ATC (temperature compensation)

no calibration functionability

etc.

all of the above give cause to inaccurate readings.

if u r really that concern abt the salinity in ur tank, shld go for a refractometer with ATC.

[Gouldian]

Weileong, I am using the floating glass hydrometer. Read the article provided by madmac, it said that floating type should be good enough. Below is the extract from the article. Price of a reflactometer is ex.

"It is very important that you can accurately measure the salinity or specific gravity of the water. Cheap hydrometers, especially the swinging arm variety, do not have enough accuracy. If the salinity is too low, it is possible the health of the fish will be compromised. If the salinity is too high, it may have no affect on the parasites, as discussed above. A refractometer is the safest method for measuring salinity. If you don't have access to a refractometer, a lab grade floating glass hydrometer should suffice."

Yup Floating glass is the next best after refractometer plus it is even cheaper than swing arms type.

For me I just add baking soda as KH buffer to safe cost. 1 teaspoon to about 2l of dechorinated fresh water.

Wish you good luck bro.

[dmitri]

4th Day:

Wow, all ich gone liao, so nice to see PBT so pretty and vibrant. All fish are eating well. Sh*ts, wrong timing leh, going oversea for a week from next week. Backup plan, Dad will take over the monitoring, HP switches to 24 hrs mode in case of emergency.

[iori_del]

4th Day:

Wow, all ich gone liao, so nice to see PBT so pretty and vibrant. All fish are eating well. Sh*ts, wrong timing leh, going oversea for a week from next week. Backup plan, Dad will take over the monitoring, HP switches to 24 hrs mode in case of emergency.

woh tat is great, bro i will give it a try too liao, Bro weileong also tell me to do it but i was so lazy.

hah must do it to kill all the damn itch once and for all, pls keep posting to see if Itch come back from cycle or die off totally

[weileong]

My foxface (new arrival one never post photo before) kanna ich while during quarantine in my tub. I drop the salinity for almost a month. Now I raised the salinity 2 weeks and no sign of ich yet.

Once another week no ich I will pass this ich free foxface to another brother here already.

Don't be lazy lah.. get rid of those ich once and for all then you'll enjoy keeping & feeding your fishes rather than everyday praying with all those garlic and other funny stuffs.

[dmitri]

Totally agreed with weileong, looking forward to complete the 8 weeks and put all LS back to main tank. Can sleep better liao, no worry abt ich attack.

On the other hand weileong, i was thinking.. if the fish are happy and less stressful in hyposalinity water condition, why dont we maintain the water at this level forever? Guarantee no ich right?

How abt adding copper in QT to kill the ich. Would it be faster and easy, no need to wait for 6-8 wks, constant checking of salinity & PH, etc. Once the fish are free of ich than put it back to main tank.

Pls note, i'm talking abt FOWLR setup only.

Any comments from fellow reefers.

[weileong]

I am not sure of the long term effects of keeping the fish in hyposalinity conditions. I've thought about it but dare not try More over at those salinity you cannot keep any inverts, like cleaner shrimps etc, quite boring tank right?

For 8 weeks only you complain of needing to check for pH & salinity. Then if you keep them at low salinity for long term then you'll still need to check for pH and salinity as well. Actually by just keeping the kH ard 10, the pH should remain pretty stable. As for the salinity just make sure the water level don't drop below a certain level will do the trick.

Copper is unstable in saltwater so you'll need a copper test kit to monitor the copper concentration, too high you'll kill the fish, too low you won't kill the parasites.

[dmitri]

Ok, see your points. will stick to hyposalinity for QT in future.

5th Days:

Fish fighting for every drop of food I put in. big appetite, all fish fat fat in no time liao. wonderful sight to see.

Salinity: 1.009-1.010

KH: 8

PH: 8.3-8.4

Water volumn: 80 litres

20% water change every 3-4 days

[dmitri]

Just came back from oversea.

Day 10th update.

Went to get a refractometer, discovered that the floating glass hydrometer was way out of accuracy, different of abt 0.004. i.e. previously measured reading using floating glass of 1.010 were wrong. Refractometer read 1.014. No choice but to go back to day one again.

All fish showed no sign of ich and eating well.

[dmitri]

tomorrow will be exactly one month of hypo treatment liao.

all fish show no sign of ich, eating well.

but can see tangs and angels are not too happy in the small QT. very ichie to put fish back in the main tank, however will tahan for any 2 weeks to ensure total ich free.

[dmitri]

oh yes, observed also, tangs fighting for space

two big bully, esp PBT and Sohal... YT yelling for help liao.

[weileong]

2 days more to go before my whitecheek complete it's course of 8 weeks of hyposalinity treatment

Will be raising the salinity by 5ppm per day from Thur onwards.

[dmitri]

must tahan