dstoneburg

With my understanding, any 'reef safe' medication will not rid your tank of ich, but only remove it from the fish. As I understand, if you use something such as this, your tank will still have ich and it may re-present itself onto fish when they become stressed and their immune system weaken. Taken from beth at SWF.com.. Ich is a ciliated protozoan called Cryptocaryon irritans. Common names for this parasite in the hobby are: Ick, Ich, white spot disease. There are only 2 viable choices for treatment for ich. Copper and hyposalinity. Hyposalinity is safe and beneficial in more respects than just getting rid of the parasite, so there really is no reason not to use this as a treatment choice for this parasite. So-called Reef Safe medications are risky business. They are never very effective and could effect your reef ecosystem and inverts. The “Bug”. What is it? How does it Work? Ich has a multiple stage life cycle of approx. 2 wks at tropical aquarium temperatures [77-80 degrees] during which time the parasite undergoes 4 phases: 1. The trophont stage is seen as the mature parasite attached to the fish, feeding off fish tissue. This has the appearance of salt-like grains often described by hobbyists as white spots or white dots, thus the common name of the disease, “White-Spot Disease”. What the hobbyist is actually seeing with these white dots is a protective covering, or cyst, which the parasite creates over itself as a means of protection. Parasite defense mechanism! As the parasite feeds it will grow in size. It is this growth or varying sizes of the trophont that may confuse the hobbyist to think that the infected fish is suffering from some other malady [such as lymphocysts]. The visible distinction between Ich, and some other problem is usually numbers. Left untreated, ich will multiply on the fish and usually cover the body—fins and body alike. [cycle timeframe: aprrox. 7 day stage] 2. The tomont stage occurs when the trophont matures after having fed on your fish for around a week. At this point, the parasite, engorged and well-fed on your fish, detaches its protective cystic covering, leaves the host fish and swims in the water column for several hours until it can find a place in the aquarium to settle. It will then attach itself to a surface in the aquarium: Sand, live rock and, perhaps even the surface of rocks where coral is attahced, or even the aquarium glass, filters, whatever. Once settled the cells within the cyst begin dividing to form more parasites [up to several hundred]. [cycle timeframe: several hours] 3. The tomite stage, are the products of the parasite reproducing. They become free-swimming in the aquarium as theronts. [cycle timeframe, approx 4 days at 77-80 degrees water temp]. 4. The theront stage of ich are free-swimming protozoans that must locate a host fish within several hours, or die trying. This is the stage when fish become vulnerable to infection. The infection is transmitted through the water column. When can I kill ich? Some ich can be killed while still on the fish with freshwater dips. The operative word here being only “some”. Freshwater dips will not cure ich . At best, it can be employed when a fish is so infected with parasitic cysts that serious consequence, such as eminent death, will likely occur if something is not done immediately. Effective treatment, however, can not occur until the parasite has left the fish. Using hyposalinity as a treatment, the parasite is killed when the protozoa is in the tank, on a hard surface, during what would be the reproduction stage. The hypo-saline conditions kill the parasite at the tomont stage of the life cycle. In a copper treatment, the medication targets the infectious, free-swimming theront. Why Should I Care About When the ICH can be killed, as long as it is Killed? Because there is a common misconception that the protozoa can be killed as soon as treatment begins, and this is not the case. The hobbyist needs to understand the stages of this particular “bug” in order to eradicate it. Also, always keep in mind that ich is an organism, its lifecycle is not going to be like clockwork in the sense that all parasites in your tank are going to be at the exact same stage simultaneously. Most Effective Treatment HYPOSALINITY is Osmotic Shock Therapy [OST]. O.S.T. places the infectors [ich] in an environment in which they cannot hope to survive while the host, (or infected fish) can. This remedy WILL NOT work in reef systems or invert tanks as it incorporates lowering the specific gravity of the entire aquarium to 1.009 SG or to 14-16ppt [parts per trillion] salinity---this SG/salinity being too low for inverts, LR or LS. Marine invertebrates have the same osmotic concentration as the surrounding water and if placed in hyposaline conditions they will likely die of osmotic shock. Likewise, this procedure should not be used on sharks/rays, only boney fish. The procedure, can, however, work very well in strictly fish-only set ups. The method of lowering salinity/SG is simple: Over the course of 48-hrs, salt water in the tank is replaced with fresh RO or DI water in several, but small increments until a SG of 1.009/salinity 14-16 ppt is achieved. Maintain pH, as pH tends to lower in hypo-saline water; you need to maintain a pH which is safe for marine fish and consistent with the levels in the display/hospital tank. The best instruments to use for measuring specific gravity are refractometers or high-quality, lab-grade glass hydrometers. The reason these instruments are recommended is because of their precision and the need to be very precise in attaining therapeutic SG/salinity for the procedure. Never use plastic sing arm type hydrometers. They are basically useless for this procedure, and, really, they are so inaccurate that they should not even be used for routine salt water assessment either. As to the beneficial microbes you rely upon to provide natural filtration in your aquaria/QT, NOT TO WORRY! The bacteria colony will survive, the fish will be more than fine; Ich, however, will not survive. By lowering the salinity, you will also be lowering the osmotic pressure of the water. The parasites NEED high osmotic pressure to convert saline water into freshwater. All marine animals need freshwater as we do [these parasites are considered marine animals as well, BTW]. They just convert it differently, usually via their tissues. Reduce this necessary pressure and the ich will die. As a higher life form, the fish will do fine with this short-term treatment. Preference for this treatment of ich over copper is based on toxicity. Hyposalinity has no ill effects on fish during or after treatment, whereas copper is a toxin, and could have enduring negative effects on fish even following a successful treatment. Maintain the 1.009 SG/16-14 ppt salinity in the tank for 3-4 wks AFTER no visible signs of ich are present with your fish. After that time, you can slowly, over the course of several [5-7] days, raise the salinity back to normal levell. Take longer raising the salinity then you did lowering it. If the fish are in a separate treatment tank, leave them there for 5-7 days after returning the salinity to normal levels. If the fish are well after this time, then move them back to the display. Copper Treatment is highly effective when applied precisely and monitored closely. The drawbacks to copper, however, unlike hyposalinity, is that copper is a toxin---to both parasite, as well as your fish. In this treatment, the hobbyist will use use [best choice] Cupramine which is manufactured by Seachem. You will also need a compatible copper test kit that will “work with” the copper. If you use Cupramine, then also select Seachem’s copper test kit. You should always set up a hospital tank, never adding copper directly to your display. At all times, maintain therapeutic copper levels in the hospital, using the copper test kit daily. READ THE LABEL of your medication and follow the directions. Like hyposalinity, copper treatment requires precision. Not enough copper, and the treatment is ineffective. Too much copper, and the treatment could be lethal to your fish. Take care, be attentive. The treatment course for copper is 3 weeks after you have attained therapeutic levels. Following treatment, you should leave your fish in the hospital tank for an additional week for observation. What else should I do during treatment? Continue common sense maintenance practices. That means water changes, water quality tests, etc. In this case, while treating, you will want to perform water changes that match the water in your QT. If your tank is under hyposalinity, then the water you change out, must also be at the same salinity/pH as the water you remove from the tank. Likewise, if you remove copper treated water, then the water you put back into the tank needs to be copper treated as well, at the the appropriate therapeutic level. Many many fish tank enhabitants live with ich in the system, but they show no signs as they are healthy. Ideally you want to have an ich-free system, but the only way to do so is to QT every new addition. All of this is just my opinion and im sure there are people who agree and disagree, but it is also supported by science .

Alright, I wanna get rid of these guys. Theres about 5-12 of them, they are all around 1.5"-2.5" and for the majority covered in coraline. They did their job amazingly well, but they are now eyesores in my small tank. Ill either sell them or trade them for a few hermits. I purchased them off SWF.com at $3.99 a pop. Ill sell them for $2.00 or trade them for hermits/emerald crabs. Depending on size we can go straight up 1 to 1 or if small crabs then 2 to 1.

Bump, I want these gone!

Sounds good sir!

I think so too! Bring some buckets or big boxes if you could

I think theres a few in the free box! but theres like 4 free boxes!

As long as you pay no problem. Paypal to dstoneburg@comcast.net please add the 3% 'handling fee'. And im sure I can get it out the next business day. My zip is 97477 to calculate shippung, im guessing its around 6 lbs.

Hey bro, jadams dibbed it, but he was supposed to come by today and has not contacted me. Its still available if your interested.

Check out my thread bro, I got the pics of the 30g, you saw it the other day also. You gotta remember if you buy something from me you have to take a ton of extras .

Im going to assume the bottoms are tempered on all of them, as they are glass. The first two pics are of the 30g and the stand. They look pretty good when put together. The 55g just needs a good cleaning, everything on the glass will come off garunteed.

23" wide at its widest point and 34 tall.

Done for you!

Price dropped to $30, its very convenient but I really need the room!

Yar, its what I thought the a 40g breeder, but im silly like that. Had all the fish in it.

Yes single bulbs. Pics can be attained by posting your email.

Both setups come with mounting brackets.

- 10g - tank that I used as a QT tank. Its pretty neat, has a cover and NO lights. Theres some pvc pipes glued in there for 'hiding places. I think I could throw in a HOB filter if I can find it - $25 - 30g - 36lx12wx16h - with stand. Has an NO light strip and Ill throw in a HOB filter if I can find it. Little old. - $30 - 55g - 48lx21hx13w. Comes with a HOB, tank cover and two standard NO lights. Ill also throw in a skimmer, it does not have a collection cup but other then that works great! - $50. Tanks are used but in good shape. They need a good cleaning. They all hold water. Ill throw in some other items as well.

BTW if anyone feels like my prices are crazy up the waazoo let me know and ill research them some more and re-evaluate.

Oh good, if you do drop some paint in the tank ill happily come to the rescue and tear it all down for you and put it up in my house

This thing is pretty neat. Its a 55g plastic drum. It has increment marks so you know how much water is in there. Has two opening on the top that are covered with caps, perfect to fit hosing through to pump water for a water change. Its 100% food grade safe and very clean. Considering the 45g brute trashcans go for $45, I feel this is a much better option. - $45

Whenever is good for you impur, Ill be waiting!

Also adding a 55g 48lx21hx13w. Comes with a HOB, tank cover and two standard NO lights. - $50

I got some fish food and other stuff for ya whenever you wanna come grab it!

Ill save some stuff for you susanne!

Two are coralvu 400w 14k's. - mogul And two are Plusrite 400w 65k - mogul Two seem to be new and two are used. I cant attest to the exact usage on either. Ill do all four for $15. Heck, make em backup lights!