What is the best way to treat a sick blue tang?

[steve-s]

I will start slowly adjusting them to hyposalinity.

You don't need to go as slow as you might think. The salinity can be dropped fairly rapidly. Change about 20% of the QT water every 4 hours using buffered RO water until down to 14 ppt.

Cheers
Steve

 

[aquarookie]

I need a fish room! I am about to get kicked out of the house for my aquarium addiction. I am seriously considering buying an airstream type travel trailer, gutting it, and outfitting it with plumbing and what-not to turn it into a fish room that does not take up space in our tiny house. I wonder if I could get away with that, without my husband saying that now he can buy an airplane or a submarine! (not that I am against airplanes, but financially speaking... hmm...)

 

[aquarookie]

Oh, forgot again: how do you buffer RO water?

 

[steve-s]

I am seriously considering buying an airstream type travel trailer, gutting it, and outfitting it with plumbing and what-not to turn it into a fish room that does not take up space in our tiny house

:lol: .. That gave me a good chuckle, thanks!

Oh, forgot again: how do you buffer RO water?

Add an appropriate amount of marine buffer, I like Kent spuerbuffer DKH but whatever you have will most likely due. Don't use baking soda though.

Add the appropriate amount based on the water volume to get the alk upwards of 3 mEq/l and the pH in the 8.3-8.5 range. Test both to be sure your additions are accurate. Make sure you do this a day ahead so the chem will be stable and test the pH only after several hours have passed after adding the buffer. Initially the pH will spike and you'll get a false reading. Let it mix/settle down and then test.

Cheers
Steve

 

[aquarookie]

Well, the two tangs (the sick blue and the apparently healthy yellow) are in my quarantine tank now. I feel so bad putting them in such a small space. And six weeks!!! It is a 20 gallon show tank, so it is narrow but at least it is 3 feet long (more room for them to swim a little faster). My reef is a shambles (all of my live rock had to be moved to get the tangs out). I will deal with the mandarins tomorrow, when I set up a separate tank for them. I could not find/catch the little damsel to save my life. I will try to get him tomorrow, maybe while he is eating. Oh, what fun.
Good night everyone, and thanks for all the advices

 

[NaH2O]

Add an appropriate amount of marine buffer, I like Kent spuerbuffer DKH but whatever you have will most likely due. Don't use baking soda though.

OK - call me dumb, but why not use baking soda?

 

[steve-s]

Baking soda will mainly affect alkalinity not pH. It will also have a tendancey to lower pH due to trapped CO2, at least temporarily dependant on how much and water volume. It does not make a good buffer for this type of application. If you want a "thrifty" application, use a baking soda & washing soda mix together (surfactant free). I believe the ratio is 6:1.

I find commercial marine buffers more advantageous, less cause for error.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cvp7900]

Steve,

You didn't have good results with kick-ich? Just wanted your insight to this.

Thanks,
Crissy

 

[steve-s]

It's not that it didn't work, it actually did. It's that it did not work consistantly. Of the friends I've worked with locally, some have used the product (myself included) and the results where not always the same.

In some cases the product yielded 100% success. Others would seem to be successful only to return weeks later while still more had no success at all. With this product specifically (and ones like it) I found it to have less than a 35% (rough guess) complete success rate. In my mind, that is far too low when considering that there are alternatives that are 100% successful. The main starting point to that success being to quarantine anything wet.

Cheers
Steve

 

[cvp7900]

Thanks for your insight. Great point percentage of success rate is too low.

Thanks,
Crissy

 

[aquarookie]

Steve,
you say I need to bring down the salinity with buffered RO water. What about topping off the reef daily, should that water also be buffered or is it OK for such a small amount to be plain RO?

 

[steve-s]

I would use buffered RO water. Plain RO water will have a zero/low alk and an acidic to neutral pH. There is a potential to impact the QT's levels negatively. It will also cut down on the need for frequent buffering (more stability) in the QT itself. Be sure to test and verify the QT levels. If you notice them (alk/pH) rising out of hand, cut down on the RO buffering. If it's remaining stable, your good to go.

Cheers
Steve

 

[NaH2O]

Baking soda will mainly affect alkalinity not pH. It will also have a tendancey to lower pH due to trapped CO2, at least temporarily dependant on how much and water volume. It does not make a good buffer for this type of application. If you want a "thrifty" application, use a baking soda & washing soda mix together (surfactant free). I believe the ratio is 6:1.

I find commercial marine buffers more advantageous, less cause for error.

Cheers
Steve

Thanks Steve! *sigh* I feel like I need 2nd grade chemistry. I'm making my college chemistry professors very unhappy

I suppose I was thinking about baked baking soda, as the baking drives off the CO2 and leaves the same as washing soda. I found this old thread, which I really need to review to refresh my brain. Boomer indicated baking is not necessary and to just use the BS + WS combo....Baking Soda in the Aquarium

back to your regularly scheduled sick tang thread.......