Comment of Hyposalinity... use by itself, with copper, for treating crypt Hello, <Hi there> I have been reading many posts and responses on different ways of treating marine ich.  I would just like to share my success with several different treatments with others on how to treat it.  Over the years I have read MANY articles from marine biologists to the common person on how to treat it with variable success.  There have been 2 that I have found that work the best. And when used in combination the ich is gone in under a week and hasn't returned.  The first that I found to be very useful and with very good success is copper. Of course with any medication you need to follow the instructions to the letter.  I have found that for most people when it doesn't work its because the copper level isn't high enough.  Many times this is because they have left carbon in the tank which will dwindle the effect and get rid of the copper.  And in some cases they use too much and kill the fish. <Yes... free copper needs to be monitored... a few times a day tested for... and kept at a physiological dose/concentration> The other treatment (the one that I recommend) is Hyposalinity.  I found that around 1011-1013 seems to do the trick wonderfully.  Using this method I have found that lowering the salinity a little faster has a better affect on killing the ich.  The reason is because inverts are much more sensitive to salinity changes than fish are.  However, this cant always be done because some fish are very sensitive themselves.  So when treating less hardy fish you do have to lower it slower.  Everyone should know what lowering the salinity does to a fish.  One thing it does is makes it easier for the fish to filter out the salt in the water for them to drink since fish drink continuously.  This helps the fish by giving them more energy to fight off the ich.  HOWEVER, hyposalinity is to be used for a short period of time, no longer than about a month.  The reason is because the low salinity over a prolonged period of time will make the fishes kidneys fail which of course will kill them.  Also, when using these treatments its always good to turn of the heat to around 82-85.  This actually helps the fish as well because it helps their immune system as well as making the life cycle of the ich shorter. NOW, to let everyone know that both of these techniques are to be used strictly on fish in preferably a quarantine tank.  However, they can be used in a main tank if the tank is FISH ONLY. But again the quarantine tank is by far preferable.  As far as what people should have their salinity in their main tank as, that all depends.  In a fish only tank, a salinity of 1018 seems to work best. This benefits the fish in the same way I said above but keeps the salinity at a safe level for long-term.  However, in reef tanks the salinity has to be higher. In my opinion about 1024-1025 seems to work well.  Now there is one BIG thing that EVERYONE needs to know. ALWAYS quarantine your fish before you put them in your display tank.  Watch them closely for 3-4weeks. I know its a pain to have a separate tank and costs a little more. BUT I guarantee that in the long run it will be WELL worth the cost of having one.  Because you will spend a lot more money buying new fish that die all the time when you could have spent a little more money up front and saved you all the trouble.  Also in my opinion, if you are starting out, do a fish only aquarium for a little while.  Then if you want to go towards a reef tank do so.  Reef tanks are far more expensive and require much better water quality and are FAR LESS forgiving than fish are when it comes to screw ups.  I know this was a lot to read but I hope it helps a few people out there because trust me I have seen it all. If you are thinking about starting up a tank, please realize that the initial investment is gonna be quite high. However, once the tank is setup and is established assuming nothing more is added.  Marine tanks are actually quite easy to take care of. You really don't have to mess with them much. I have found that many people do MORE harm than good when adding all these additional chemicals and doing water changes more than needed.  When you do these things you tend to screw up the whole ecosystem.  A monthly 20-25% water change along with the few correct amount of trace elements does the trick. <Thank you for sharing your thoughts, experiences. Bob Fenner> A few points for everyone! 1.) Don't buy fish at Wal-Mart 2.) Be skeptical when getting advise from people at Petco and PetSmart (they usually don't know what they are talking about which is why most of their fish have ich.) 3.) Always quarantine your fish before putting them in your main tank 4.) Read the first 3! ;) Martouf

Treating ich/itch... Having read all I can about itch treatment on your site, I have decided to try hyposalinity first and fallow my tank for a 8 weeks. I would however like to know why bob, you don't seem to favour hyposalinity <Doesn't often "work", too hard on many species, impugned specimens... that is, more stress than it's worth...> and if so, what then is your preferred method for treating itch in general? <... this is posted... on WWM. BobF>

Mac's Good Advice re: Hyposalinity and Ich Hello MacL , <Hi Mike, MacL here with you.>  I was in Tony's Just Fish the other day with the saltwater ich hyposalinity tank??  <I definitely remember, it was a pleasure.> The Thera and garlic you recommended was great for the fish. They are holding steady at .009-.010 and are totally spot free and look unaffected by the water chemistry, in fact they are as energetic as ever.  <Wonderful, you did a great job taking the water down slowly.>  I wonder if they have a boost energy production from the lack of osmotic activity through the gills?  <I think they have more a boost of energy from not having the parasites all over them.> Just wanted to say thanks. <Its great to hear that it worked so well for you.>  I'll come see you guys at the store sometime soon for some specimens.