I have ICH YAY!!!

[JohnVH]

I am currently battling a bout of ICH. I want to take the Hyposalinity route as I think it is easier on the fish. I know that this is not an easy approach but treating with Copper will not be easy either. I only have a 20 gallon tank to use as a quarantine tank, so I was thinking that I would quarantine my inverts and the few small frags that I have along with my most thriving live rock. I think trying to catch or trap the fish will stress them out even more, and housing them together in a smaller tank with less places to hide will be hard on them. I would like to treat them via Hyposalinity because I believe it will be easier on the fish (not on me). I know that controlling the PH will be challenging and I will be using Sodium Carbonate, I will not be using any PH buffers from the LFS. I know that this sounds like a backwards approach. One of the reasons I want to treat in the DT is that I want to make sure that I eradicate it in my DT as well as my auto top off should make it easier to maintain a SG of 1.008 –1.009 (I have a refractometer) when I safely get it down to that. The fish are all still very active and eating very well. I could wait and see if they pull through but I know that the ICH will eventually return. I do not quarantine new additions but I will now that I have an extra tank to do so. My Parameters are all fine.
Ammo=0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=0 - Trace - API Color Test
PH=8.1
Phos=0 – Trace

Current stock fish:
2 Clown fish 1.5” ea.
1 Coral Beauty 2.5”
1 Flame Angel 2”
1 Yellow Tang 2” (Tang Police please don’t charge me)
1 Lawnmower Blenny 2.5”

Current stock Corals and Inverts:
2 Cleaner Shrimp
1 Serpent Star
6 Blue legged Hermits
4 Scarlet Hermits
12 Nassarius Snails
4 Cerith Snails
2 Bumble Bee Snails
2 Red Banded Turbo Snails
Several Small colonies of GSP’s
2 Small Candy Canes
Several Small Mushrooms
2 Small Xenias
1 Small colony Button Polyps
1 Small colony Clove Polyps

There is no aggression between my Angel fish they get along fine as a matter of fact all the fish get along very well they all graze along side of each other with out fighting.
My tank has been cycled for 4 months. So what do you think about the approach I would like to take (Am I high for wanting to do it this way)

 

[Bifferwine]

Have you read this?

https://www.livingreefs.com/hyposalinity-treatment-ich-t29672.html

I think it's fine if you want to treat the display, as long as you save as much live rock as possible. Any rock or sand left in the tank won't make it. Since rock is the main source of biological filtration, you will have to do a good job of keeping up with water changes to keep your parameters from spiking.

 

[JohnVH]

Thanks Biffer
Yes I have read that article it is the basis of my decision. I will be trying to save as much of my live rock as possible and I will be constantly monitoring my parameters and I will be doing many water changes.

 

[Bifferwine]

Then I don't see a problem. :) Good luck!

 

[chichimom79]

Good luck, John! Sounds like a pretty good plan.

 

[FishyReef]

For your frags, do you have an adequate light that you can put on the 20g? I only ask because I tried to move a coral to a small tank to QT it and I practically killed it in a few days due to inadequate lighting. If you don't have an adequate fixture for the 20g, then I'd suggest either finding a local reefer who can house your corals temporarily, or maybe finding a deal on CL for a decent used light. And good luck!!!

 

[JohnVH]

Yes I have a 36" T5 dual. Coralife just replaced my T5 quad that 1 ballast stopped working on so I have the working half on the quarantine tank and the new one on the DT. Coralife really came through for me on that fixture.