Hypo My DT for Ich

[kmbyrnes]

Arrgh! Stupid me.
I believed the writings and placed a newly purchased mate for my Mandarin directly into my 350 FOWLR.
This tank was previously ich free. It was started with dry rock and only TTM fish have gone in for the last 2 years. No new fish added to the DT in over a year and never saw a spot on anyone. So the only explanation is the Mandarin.

LESSON LEARNED.

I lost my Declivis and Dot-Dash Butterflies and a Potter's Angel.
Everyone else is swimming and eating fine. All but the Coris Wrasse and the 2 mandarins are showing ich.
That said, I have no place to TTM/QT the large fish in the tank so my only option is to hypo the DT.
I assume my fire shrimp who is too deep in the rocks to dig out will die and the Mandarins will have to eat frozen or starve.

Over the last 6 days I have slowly lowered the salinity from 1.026 to the current 1.010. Tonite will be the final lowering to 1.009.

My questions to the group:

1. How long to stay at 1.009? I've read 40 days after last parasite seen.
2. Will my live rock survive without huge ammonia spikes
3. How slowly to raise the salinity back once hypo is complete?
4. WILL IT WORK ?

[Dmorty217]

1. 30 days is typically sufficient but 40 won't hurt anything.
2. Depends on how "alive" the rock is. Algae like coralline will survive typically but if the rock is full of sponge and other small organisms they will not and could cause a ammonia spike, but not likely.
3. I would raise salinity up over several days to a week
4. There are hypo resistant ich strains out there (I believe there is only one that is but don't quote me on that) so yes it should work. Typically chloroquine phosphate should be used in conjunction with hypo for the best results.

Sorry to hear about this. I have been in your shoes and it really sucks to see all of your hard work vanish in a instant because of a short cut.

[kmbyrnes]

Thanks for the info and sympathy.
Rock is just rock with coralline. Anything else gets eaten, so I hope I'll be OK as far as ammonia goes. Mostly concerned the biofilter keeps working.
I've not used CP before so I'll do some research.
I've been so careful for so long that this really does suck. NEVER AGAIN.

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by kmbyrnes

Thanks for the info and sympathy.
Rock is just rock with coralline. Anything else gets eaten, so I hope I'll be OK as far as ammonia goes. Mostly concerned the biofilter keeps working.
I've not used CP before so I'll do some research.
I've been so careful for so long that this really does suck. NEVER AGAIN.

Hypo won't hurt the bio filter. Last November I used hypo on Prazi resistant flukes that made it in my DT despite my best efforts. I used it with CP just for good measure on other disease, ich mainly. (CP does nothing for flukes) Long story short my bio filtration wasn't affected at all. CP does kill ALL algae though

[nereefpat]

Darnit.

I have used hypo successfully in a display without hurting the biofilter as well.

[kmbyrnes]

Thanks for the encouragement.

[kmbyrnes]

It turned out that my medical skills are poor and I mis-diagnosed velvet as ich.
In addition, the weakened condition of the fish made them susceptible to brooklynella, also courtesy of the mandarin.

So between me and 'Typhoid Mandy', my 350 is almost completely wiped out. Tangs, angels and butterflies all gone.

Survivors as of this AM are a Sergeant Major Damsel, Yellow Watchman Goby and Red Coris Wrasse. These are now being treated with CP in a hospital tank, following a round of Acriflavin.

My wife and I are devastated or course. These fish were our pets, and on prominent display in our living area. Every day is a reminder of our loss.
The tank has been torn down and is in process of disinfection. Rocks will by acid washed and left to dry. New substrate of course.

This hurt to write, but hopefully it starts the healing.
We will rebuild, but we will NEVER, EVER let ANYTHING, including inverts, into the DT again without a thorough QT.

[caribfan]

Man, I am so so sorry. Please know that you have helped others though.

I was so close to adding some fish that hadn’t gone through my full quarantine protocol and your experience has helped me see that is just not an option.

Best wishes and here’s to rebuilding.

[kmbyrnes]

Thanks for the condolences.
Don't ever take any shortcuts, no matter how innocent it may seem.
I would never have considered this, except it was a Mandarin.
From now on, no exceptions, ever.