Water change shocked fish?

[Nat_a126]

Hi, I did a 20 gallon water change on my 65 gallon FOWLR today because it's ammonia and nitrites we 0, but nitrates were 20ppm and the salinity was a tad high at 1.026.

I finished the water change and checked my parameters to be 0 for ammonia and nitrites, but 10ppm for nitrates (yay it lowered). My salinity had dropped to around 1.023 and a half. Temp was the same as usual. (78 at night and 80 during the day) Ph was 8.0 but it tends to fluctuate between that and 8.2.

My one spot foxface seems to be freaking out and swimming up and down the glass! My other fish are fine and sleeping, but not the foxface! Do you think this is stress, or is something up with the water? Any tips on water changes to avoid this problem? I really hope he will be okay

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Not sure how much you know?

If the salinity keeps rising its most likely evaporation. Top up with freshwater. Normally RO.

When I transitioned my puffer fish from shop to home it was suggested to me to keep the salinity within 0.001 per day and increase gradually until the desired level was reached. This allows the bacteria to adjust with the salinity.

The sudden shift could be causing osmotic shock/stress.

Regular top ups should help keep salinity constant. With the puffer fish I usually add RO twice per week and change matched water on the weekend. Only adding as much as has evaporated.

If you started at 1.026 and finished at 1.023 your clean water potentially was only 1.017 perhaps less? That's a considerable difference in Grammes per litre of salt between tank water and new water.

 

[Nat_a126]

Not sure how much you know?



If the salinity keeps rising its most likely evaporation. Top up with freshwater. Normally RO.



When I transitioned my puffer fish from shop to home it was suggested to me to keep the salinity within 0.001 per day and increase gradually until the desired level was reached. This allows the bacteria to adjust with the salinity.



The sudden shift could be causing osmotic shock/stress.



Regular top ups should help keep salinity constant. With the puffer fish I usually add RO twice per week and change matched water on the weekend. Only adding as much as has evaporated.



If you started at 1.026 and finished at 1.023 your clean water potentially was only 1.017 perhaps less? That's a considerable difference in Grammes per litre of salt between tank water and new water.

The salt water was actually natural and at 1.030 so I had to use a lot of RO water to being it down. So you can only change .01 of salinity over an hour?

 

[J.Mcpeak]

0.001 salinity per 24 hrs.

 

[mr_X]

Just top off with salted water and the salinity will slowly raise. BTW, .026 is not high. It's normal range.

 

[Nat_a126]

0.001 salinity per 24 hrs.

Wow okay I had no idea it was that long

 

[Nat_a126]

Just top off with salted water and the salinity will slowly raise. BTW, .026 is not high. It's normal range.

So then what is considered high? I like keeping my salinity at 1.023 to 1.024

 

[mr_X]

And why do you like keeping it there? Natural sea water is 1.0264, so I like to try to mimic the ocean the best that I can. Naturally a point or two either way isn't going to kill things, but if you can make it correct, why not?

 

[Nat_a126]

And why do you like keeping it there? Natural sea water is 1.0264, so I like to try to mimic the ocean the best that I can. Naturally a point or two either way isn't going to kill things, but if you can make it correct, why not?

I keep it at 1.023-1.024 because I had read that is was best to keep it at 1.022-1.025 so I just averaged it out to the middle. I thought also that if you kept the salinity lower, it helped with disease? Is that true?

 

[mr_X]

No. Not unless it's way low, like 1.016, and corals aren't going to be happy in that environment. Some stores keep a low SG in their fish systems to keep ich from surfacing. It's not a cure by any means, because as soon as you bring said fish home and put it in your water, blamo! Ich everywhere.

 

[Nat_a126]

No. Not unless it's way low, like 1.016, and corals aren't going to be happy in that environment. Some stores keep a low SG in their fish systems to keep ich from surfacing. It's not a cure by any means, because as soon as you bring said fish home and put it in your water, blamo! Ich everywhere.

Okay thanks for all the info! I'm not planning to have any corals soon (still working on keeping fish ?)

 

[mr_X]

Keeping your system as close to your livestock's natural habitat as possible is the very best thing you can do to keep them alive and happy.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

No. Not unless it's way low, like 1.016, and corals aren't going to be happy in that environment. Some stores keep a low SG in their fish systems to keep ich from surfacing. It's not a cure by any means, because as soon as you bring said fish home and put it in your water, blamo! Ich everywhere.

Hello sir, this is interesting. I'm familiar with hypo/hyper salinity techniques.
You may know I'm on my way to my first reef, the Lfs has been questioned about its fish stock and they employ the hypo technique.

Despite all of my questions they never mentioned this!
Is the cure "heat method" a better solution?
I've dealt with ich before, I medicated, this was with freshwater fish though.
I understand the copper situation with coral and some fish.
I have not used the heat method.

(Edit I realise the marine fish are less adaptable to change such as temp)

 

[tonedogz]

There is no heat method. Thats for freshwater, heat will not kill saltwater ich. Also never ever use copper or hypo on a tank that contains coral or inverts the copper is deadly. Only do treatment in a qt never in the dt.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

There is no heat method. (Cheers)
Thats for freshwater, heat will not kill saltwater ich.

Also never ever use copper or hypo on a tank that contains coral or inverts the copper is deadly. Only do treatment in a qt never in the dt.

Yes I understand this, I mentioned the copper thing. I've read plenty (like almost a decades worth of above average reading) but I kind of got sidetracked with my freshwater systems.

So meds is the only way to eradicate marine ich?

I thought maybe it wouldn't reproduce in hypo saline conditions? Does it just slow it down as in freshwater ich (low temps slow cycle)

(Cheers for that reply, I haven't made the jump into marine yet but I've kept brackish fish for 6-7 years so I understand a lot of the techniques involved in water keeping) all I want now is a reef and I'll be happy!

 

[tonedogz]

There is no heat method. (Cheers)
Thats for freshwater, heat will not kill saltwater ich.

Also never ever use copper or hypo on a tank that contains coral or inverts the copper is deadly. Only do treatment in a qt never in the dt.

Yes I understand this, I mentioned the copper thing. I've read plenty (like almost a decades worth of above average reading) but I kind of got sidetracked with my freshwater systems.

So meds is the only way to eradicate marine ich?
Hypo will kill ich at the proper temp.
I thought maybe it wouldn't reproduce in hypo saline conditions? Does it just slow it down as in freshwater ich (low temps slow cycle)
Hypo will kill ich at the proper salinity.Low temps don't do anything and the only med. that will work is copper
(Cheers for that reply, I haven't made the jump into marine yet but I've kept brackish fish for 6-7 years so I understand a lot of the techniques involved in water keeping) all I want now is a reef and I'll be happy!

 

[tonedogz]

hypo will kill ich at the proper salinity. Low temp. doesn't do anything. As far as meds. only copper will kill the ich

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Top $.
Cheers.

So what's the ideal salinity to eradicate marine piscinoodinium and at what temp?

 

[tonedogz]

Top $.
Cheers.

So what's the ideal salinity to eradicate marine piscinoodinium and at what temp?

First I believe that piscinoodinium is freshwater velvet second hypo doen't have any effect on marine velet (amyloodinium)

 

[J.Mcpeak]

First I believe that piscinoodinium is freshwater velvet second hypo doen't have any effect on marine velet (amyloodinium)

You are quite correct. My error. It is velvet.

So, what's the answer? You seem to have the knowledge I seek.
What is the correct SG/T for treatment of cryptocaryon irritans.

My current understanding is 8 weeks will cure the display tank providing it is free from fish. This is similar to fresh water ich, break the cycle.

What about the fish? Obviously medication free treatment is better for everyone.