Blue Hippo - Ich - Treating with copper

[scherzo]

Hi all, Thanks for the tips.

I guess I should have provided some information.

1) Bought the fish about 1.5 weeks ago from a LFS.

2) Acclimated him directly into my 90 Gallon DT.. Then it showed ich the next day (no worries.. drip acclimated over 2 hours with the temperature in check. (and YES I do know that I now have ich in my DT but it hasn't attacked my other fish ever... they must be happy)

3) Pulled him out and setup a hospital tank. Bare bottom with some PVC elbows and tees to make him feel comfortable.

I've been doing WCs with old tank water from my 90 but now I started treating with copper.

I know that feeding well, clean water, etc...etc.. is best. That is what is going on in my DT. This is just a new fish from a LFS that must have been quite stressed by the move.

Once I start doing WCs I guess I have to check the copper level.

I am not using an amine treatment. Just regular copper.
I am using an API copper test kit and ammonia kit.

He currently is eating well.

I've actually had saltwater fish for almost 2 years (after moving from fresh water for over 10 years) and this is my first Saltwater Disease!

Someone's question about going hypo with copper.. from my research (taken with a grain of salt.. ) that going hypo with copper will increase the potency of the copper on the fish so is not recommended. It does make sense to me.

Thanks everyone

[bkelly]

i just finished treating my sick tank with cupramine for ich - had lost two fish so pretty serious, i was doing 50% water changes (not with my tank water, that was infected) 2-3x per week and was dosing the new water and my top up water with cupramine to recommended levels - i did this by working back the ratios to the volume being used from the recommended amounts on the bottle and checked with a seachem copper test kit, i treated for the recommended time then kept the fish out of the display for 8 weeks total , no ich has returned two months later
thats what worked for me.

[Lance]

Scherzo you seem to be on top of things. Good luck with the treatment.

[scherzo]

Originally Posted by bkelly

i just finished treating my sick tank with cupramine for ich - had lost two fish so pretty serious, i was doing 50% water changes (not with my tank water, that was infected) 2-3x per week and was dosing the new water and my top up water with cupramine to recommended levels - i did this by working back the ratios to the volume being used from the recommended amounts on the bottle and checked with a seachem copper test kit, i treated for the recommended time then kept the fish out of the display for 8 weeks total , no ich has returned two months later
thats what worked for me.

I guess this is what I'll have to do as well... I'll do a WC tonight and then calculate how much I took out and add copper back as per the amount of new water... phew.. I have a bit of work ahead of me.

[daniella3d]

but there is no point treating your hippo for ich if it is in the main tank because as soon as you will put it back in the DT he will get ich againg. So basically you are treating him with copper for nothing.

Your other fish may not show sign but the ich is in your tank now and your other fish will be carrier. As soon as you will put the hippo back and he will be stressed, he'll get that ich back and back to square 1.

You cannot use copper with hyposalinity yes, but I just think there is no point submitting that fish to copper only to have it reinfest with ich very soon.

So in order to get rid of ich, you must treat all of your fish outside the display tank and leave the display tank fishless for 8 weeks.

Originally Posted by scherzo

Hi all, Thanks for the tips.

I guess I should have provided some information.

1) Bought the fish about 1.5 weeks ago from a LFS.

2) Acclimated him directly into my 90 Gallon DT.. Then it showed ich the next day (no worries.. drip acclimated over 2 hours with the temperature in check. (and YES I do know that I now have ich in my DT but it hasn't attacked my other fish ever... they must be happy)

3) Pulled him out and setup a hospital tank. Bare bottom with some PVC elbows and tees to make him feel comfortable.

I've been doing WCs with old tank water from my 90 but now I started treating with copper.

I know that feeding well, clean water, etc...etc.. is best. That is what is going on in my DT. This is just a new fish from a LFS that must have been quite stressed by the move.

Once I start doing WCs I guess I have to check the copper level.

I am not using an amine treatment. Just regular copper.
I am using an API copper test kit and ammonia kit.

He currently is eating well.

I've actually had saltwater fish for almost 2 years (after moving from fresh water for over 10 years) and this is my first Saltwater Disease!

Someone's question about going hypo with copper.. from my research (taken with a grain of salt.. ) that going hypo with copper will increase the potency of the copper on the fish so is not recommended. It does make sense to me.

Thanks everyone

[globaldesigns]

Glad to hear that you aren't keeping a tang in a 15 Gallon. I didn't think that was the case.

Again, personally I don't believe in hospital tanks. The stress of catching them, the stress of putting them in a new environment, usually much smaller and not of the same water quality usually would stress them out more. Again, just my opinion, but why do that.

I have had ICH, and I have only ever lost one fish to it in my big tank. I find if your environment is spot on, and you keep your parameters good, just let them be and feed them a good varied diet. This also goes for HYPO, I don't believe in it.

Now in saying that, I have great success with fish... I can't say much lately for my coral though. Oh Well.

[scherzo]

Honestly, I really think the same thing. I know that FW and SW are two different things... but when I had similar issues in FW I would just do a few small things and just make the fishes feel comfortable.

I've put the tank in a low traffic area and keep the lights low and for a shorter photo period.

He's only about 1.5" - 2" long so I don't think the 15 is bothering him quite yet. He is still eating and swimming quite actively so I'll just continue to monitor.

I was talking to a fellow reefer a few days ago at work and we were saying that everyone has their own methods of dealing with these types of issues.

Originally Posted by globaldesigns

Glad to hear that you aren't keeping a tang in a 15 Gallon. I didn't think that was the case.

Again, personally I don't believe in hospital tanks. The stress of catching them, the stress of putting them in a new environment, usually much smaller and not of the same water quality usually would stress them out more. Again, just my opinion, but why do that.

I have had ICH, and I have only ever lost one fish to it in my big tank. I find if your environment is spot on, and you keep your parameters good, just let them be and feed them a good varied diet. This also goes for HYPO, I don't believe in it.

Now in saying that, I have great success with fish... I can't say much lately for my coral though. Oh Well.

[Myka]

Personally, I don't treat Ich. I do treat all incoming fish with PraziPro for worms though.

Originally Posted by daniella3d

Are you saying that because copper treatment was stated then it's too late or pointless to change to hyposalinity?

Does that mean that now that the fish is bating in copper, it won't do more dammage if the fish remains longer in that copper?

Well, if you want to be argumentative about it - ya that's exactly what I mean.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by scherzo

Honestly, I really think the same thing. I know that FW and SW are two different things... but when I had similar issues in FW I would just do a few small things and just make the fishes feel comfortable.

I've put the tank in a low traffic area and keep the lights low and for a shorter photo period.

He's only about 1.5" - 2" long so I don't think the 15 is bothering him quite yet. He is still eating and swimming quite actively so I'll just continue to monitor.

I was talking to a fellow reefer a few days ago at work and we were saying that everyone has their own methods of dealing with these types of issues.

Two points
You might want to consider soaking all food you feed in garlic extract using selcon as welll from time to time.
The tang you bought will get to be the size of a pie plate.
Your 4 foot tank is too small for this tang.
Despite reefers best intentions to move up to a larger tank as the tang grows, the reality is divorce, marriage, kids, unemployment or a move change things and the tangs suffer.

[daniella3d]

I don't want to be argumentative, but am I the only one who think that treating a fish with copper for ich only to reintroduce it right back to a ich contaminated tank make ne sense what so ever??

Originally Posted by Myka

Personally, I don't treat Ich. I do treat all incoming fish with PraziPro for worms though.



Well, if you want to be argumentative about it - ya that's exactly what I mean.