Hypo not workin what do I do now

[Blondek727]

I have two purcula clownfish that got infected with ick many months ago and I mean many iv probably been doing hypo for 8 months now it has decreased the ick and the fish are not dying but they both still have spots hear and there iv Reyes some theriputic treatment along with the hypo and also Reyes resently a product called no- ick with no results I really don't want to give up on them o and please don't try to tell me I'm doing hypo treatment wrong cuz I'm not the salinity in the tank is at a constant 1.009 nuthin more nuthin less. I just can't seam to kick the ick so to speak anybody got an idea I'm considering freshwater dips but have fitting mixed reviews on it some say it kills there fish and some say it works every time anyways please help me!

 

[Tank2379]

Are you using a Refractometer?

 

[Blondek727]

Yes and I calabrated it with ro water every time I use it to make sure it's right and it always it but it won't work

 

[roka64]

Something doesn't sound right...are you sure it's ich?

 

[Blondek727]

White spots that look like salt grains I'm about 99% positive it's ich Its just a very resistant strain

 

[Tank2379]

How many did you see? Are they all over it? Is the fish eating? If it's eating an is healthy could just dead scales that looks like Ick buts it not. I have yet to hear anyone say they had issue with Hypo Salinity being unsuccessful.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

If the fish have been in true hypo for 8 months, and you're still seeing spots, then it's most likely not ich you're battling. Can you post a picture?

 

[Blondek727]

there are about 10 or more spots on each fish. most of the spots are on around the dorsal fin and one on the head of the female one the little male seams to have more then the female. they dont flash at all it dosent seem to bother them. they eat like wolfs lol. but i just did a drastic water change of 100%. when i placed the fish in the new water all the spots fell off of them its been about an hour now and the fish have adjusted fine to the brand new water. ill be installing a uz starilizer in a couple days to see if that will help a little. just waiting for the pump and tuding to arrive in the mail other then that i cant think of anything else i could do. the only thing in afraid of is do to the lenghth in time they have been in low salinity i hope there kidneys are ok but anyother sugestion one what else i can do please post thanks for all the help so far

 

[Innovator]

Get us a clear picture.

 

[Blondek727]

these are the best pics i could get there kinda shy when they see the camera but sinse the 100% water change i did yesterday they still have no spots

 

[Blondek727]

these are some pix of about 6 months ago when it got really bad

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

To me, that doesn't look like ich. Looks a lot like it, but it looks more like issues with the slime coat of the fish. Almost looks like tiny bubbles in the slime coat.

But I'm no disease expert... I'll be interested in seeing what Innovator thinks! Thanks for the pics, by the way. Nice looking pair of fish. Hope they get over whatever it is.

 

[Innovator]

Is hypo affective, yes. Does it work for every instance, no. Ich are hardy lil buggers that are gradually accepting near fw conditions these days. 8 months of hypo is extreme and it does look to be ich since Brook or velvet should have wiped them out from the beginning if all you've done is hypo or no-ich. If hypo isn't working you have two choices against ich, either copper (Cupramine) or Chloroquine (expensive but best medication even over hypo). Are you bleaching/net dipping your equipment once submerged in the tank? How are the fish behaving? Are they eating, breathing rapidly, etc?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Innovator... do you think that the sand in the bottom of the QT is helping harbor ich, even in hypo conditions? I've heard the parasites drop off at night when the fish "bed down", and when the next wave of parasites emerge, they conveniently find the fish close by since they were deposited right where the fish normally sleep. For that reason, I've always heard that bare bottom is best for QT so you can siphon out the bottom every couple days. I know hypo is hypo... but could the sand be helping them survive somehow?

 

[Innovator]

Always a possibility. You are correct in most qt having barebottom and keeping the tank more sterile that way. If not bleaching equipment after submerging and using a net dip for nets that is also possible recontamination/cross-contamination. It is just odd that there would still be remnants of ich after such a long period in hypo unless recontamination issues are at play. Then again, I'm surprised the fish "haven't suffered" in such an extreme hypo. state...Chloroquine ftw.

 

[thincat]

I'm curious, are these tank raise Clowns?

 

[Blondek727]

ok to answer all the questions ill start with innovator. do i bleach my equipment? no i do not i rinse with freshwater and let dry in the sun. how are the fish behaving? there great never been happyer and they eat like pigs. the on thing i am concerned about is the long period of time that they have been in hypo. but this is what i was thinkin and it might be stupid but here me out. as of 2 days now they have been ick free and yesterday i instaled a UZ sterilizer. but if i remove the fish and place them in a temp bowl or something with a airator or what ever and turn the heater on in the QT till it reaches 86 degrees or so that would kill all the remaining ick in the tank no matter what life stage there in and after i let the water get back to normal temmp i could put the fish back in and begine the long process of bringing the salinity back up with no worrys what do u think about that is that just crazy talk or could it work. oh and thincat the clowns are tank raised and i wouldnt have it any other way they are way hardier then wild cought.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Elevated temperature doesn't kill saltwater ich. The only thing it *may* do is speed up the life cycle of it, but it won't kill it.

 

[Blondek727]

Which copper based med is best there are alot of different brands are they all the same or are some better then others

 

[thincat]

B727, the reason I asked the Q was that I have been reading on this site and others that some breeders are growing out their Clowns in low salt in an effort to ward off problems like ich. IMO, they are breeding fish that are more resistant to diseases like Ich. I have not gone out an done a study or anything like that. It's just my observation..
PS: it's not Hypo unless it's at 1.009