Fish Dying Of Ich

[chrissaysyes]

Both of you are obviously wrong and I am indubitably correct in my stating so. I too rest my case and will comment on this thread no further...kidding.

Seriously though, I'm glad you guys are discussing this here in public on the forum because it's bringing forth a bit more information for people dealing with the problem. This is obviously one of the biggest illnesses in marine tanks and of course it's the source of a lot of debate. I think we'll all agree that there is no right and wrong way to treat it. There are methods that will kill the cryptocaryon parasites, but no guarantee that the fish will survive the stress of the respectable treatment. The real answer is to research the different methods mentioned in this thread and decide which one is right for you to apply to your scenario.

 

[andywg]

At the risk of digging up an old argument, it would appear I may have found some useful information to someone who is worried about low pH in hyposaline water and, in particular, the use of calcareous media to buffer the water in this post by nmonks:

In brackish water tanks it is very common for pH to slowly decline over time, especially when the salinity is low. The problem is lack of carbonate hardness. Contrary to myth, simply putting calcareous sand or rocks in the tank has little to no effect. The calcareous media has to be in contact with water AND free of algae and bacteria. So in practical terms, we're talking about media bags in the filter filled with crushed coral, periodically cleaned/replaced as required.

So, if you are worried about low pH, get some calcareous media in a bag of some sort (women's tight "feet" work great for this) and put it next to a powerhead or circulation pump inlet. Be prepared to rinse it frequently to prevent bacteria building up on it. I would consider tap water scrubbing followed by an RO dip for the media to kill off any bacteria before replacing.