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Hmmm,
Re: not using copper and hyposalinity - good advice, not quite the right reason though. First of all, copper does not become "much more soluble in lower salinity". In hyposaline conditions, there is less calcium for the copper to bind with, so it is more active - it is still dissolved though (semantics, I know). However, since ionic copper / citric acid solutions always need to be dosed with a test kit, this is of no issue, as only the free copper is being tested, so you just end up just adding less. For organically chelated coppers whose manufacturers expect a certain proportion to be "scavenged" by existing calcium, (and which test kits are not used) having a hyposaline condition can be dangerous.
Finally, it is most likely the dual edge sword of having the fish exposed to the stress of copper AND the stress of hyposalinity at the same time that kaks the fish off when you run both treatments.
Formalin and hyposalinity can be used for acute Cryptocaryon infections (where hypo by itself would be too slow).
Remember, it is a FACT that many fish develop Uronema infections while undergoing hyposalinity! Many times I have resolved a Cryptocaryon infection, only to have the fish die from Uronema. Uronema is almost 100% misdiagnosed. Without a microscope, even experts will think it is a bacterial disease, rather than the protozoan scourge that it is. This is seen in the cases where a person reports that they "cured" Cryptocaryon using hypo, but their fish succumbed to a secondary bacterial infection. The problem with Uronema is that once it gets started, hypersalinity won't knock it back, it just keeps going....
Jay Hemdal
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