Advice needed

[duanejon]

I’m on the 38th day of coppersafe treatment for velvet. Only have one trigger left. I changed out 40% of water on the 38th day , yesterday as there was no longer a sign of the parasites. Today it seems there are some parasites on the skin and fish is scraping sand. I can see the spots. The copper level was 2 to 2.5 during treatment period. The water change brought level down to 1.5. Do I need to add coppersafe back to get it back to 2.0 and treat for another week? I’ve hD the Niger trigger for about 6 weeks now. He eats great and is active swimmer I was about to take out more Copper with resin that removes it but it doesn’t appear that the parasites are gone

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

@Jay Hemdal - this seems like a good question for you.

 

[Reef Wizard]

I’m on the 38th day of coppersafe treatment for velvet. Only have one trigger left. I changed out 40% of water on the 38th day , yesterday as there was no longer a sign of the parasites. Today it seems there are some parasites on the skin and fish is scraping sand. I can see the spots. The copper level was 2 to 2.5 during treatment period. The water change brought level down to 1.5. Do I need to add coppersafe back to get it back to 2.0 and treat for another week? I’ve hD the Niger trigger for about 6 weeks now. He eats great and is active swimmer I was about to take out more Copper with resin that removes it but it doesn’t appear that the parasites are gone

To be completely thorough I believe the copper treatment has to go back to day one due to the fact it dropped down to 1.5 ppm and it is showing signs of infection again. Coppersafe typically isnt effective until its over 2ppm.

 

[hexcolor reef]

next time cut out the sand, worse nightmare to have

 

[duanejon]

To be completely thorough I believe the copper treatment has to go back to day one due to the fact it dropped down to 1.5 ppm and it is showing signs of infection again. Coppersafe typically isnt effective until its over 2ppm.

Sure seems to take a while to eradicate the velvet. I thought 38 days woujd have been long enough. There were no symptoms for the past 4/5 days. I will hang with it. Good news it’s a 125 gallon with just the one fish

 

[duanejon]

To be completely thorough I believe the copper treatment has to go back to day one due to the fact it dropped down to 1.5 ppm and it is showing signs of infection again. Coppersafe typically isnt effective until its over 2ppm.

Sure seems to take a while to eradicate the velvet. I thought 38 days woujd have been long enough. There were no symptoms for the past 4/5 days. I will hang with it. Good news it’s a 125 gallon with just the one fish

 

[duanejon]

next time cut out the sand, worse nightmare to have

What’s a better option than sand ? Maybe crushed coral

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

next time cut out the sand, worse nightmare to have

To add to this - is the sand in the tank aragonite (calcium carbonate) sand or silica/quartz sand? To my understanding, calcium carbonate sands can interfere with copper treatment.

 

[Reef Wizard]

Sure seems to take a while to eradicate the velvet. I thought 38 days woujd have been long enough. There were no symptoms for the past 4/5 days. I will hang with it. Good news it’s a 125 gallon with just the one fish

I would listen to Jay once he is available to help. Is it possible to get a smaller tank with no rock or sand in it? it would be cheaper and easier to dose as well. I think Copper and chloroquine phosphate are the only treatments for velvet and a FW dip helps as a temporary relief NOT a cure but if the fish is swimming well I might skip due to the cause of extra stress on the fish during a dip but again Jay is much more knowledgeable than I

 

[duanejon]

To add to this - is the sand in the tank aragonite (calcium carbonate) sand or silica/quartz sand? To my understanding, calcium carbonate sands can interfere with copper treatment.

Calcium carbonate sand. My LFS folks advised that the sand can absorb copper

 

[duanejon]

I would listen to Jay once he is available to help. Is it possible to get a smaller tank with no rock or sand in it? it would be cheaper and easier to dose as well. I think Copper and chloroquine phosphate are the only treatments for velvet and a FW dip helps as a temporary relief NOT a cure but if the fish is swimming well I might skip due to the cause of extra stress on the fish during a dip but again Jay is much more knowledgeable than I

I try to avoid the freshwater dips unless all else fails. They definitely seem to weaken the fish and are only a temporary solution

 

[Reef Wizard]

In case Jay isnt available #fishmedic

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Maybe crushed coral

Skip any crushed coral, seashells, or typical reef rock, as they’re calcium carbonate based too.

You typically want some PVC pipes for the fish to hide in, and if the fish need sand, then silica/quartz sand.

Calcium carbonate sand. My LFS folks advised that the sand can absorb copper

Yeah, it binds with the copper and can interfere with/wreck an otherwise good QT:

This is where our remote treatment of your fish is difficult. I'm looking over your pictures and it just struck me - you have like 2" of coral sand in the tank that you are dosing with copper! That opens up a whole slew of issues and questions: Calcium carbonate materials bind with copper medications to different levels, but it always something to be avoided. What test kit are you using to measure the current, active copper level?

 

[duanejon]

Skip any crushed coral, seashells, or typical reef rock, as they’re calcium carbonate based too.

You typically want some PVC pipes for the fish to hide in, and if the fish need sand, then silica/quartz sand.

Yeah, it binds with the copper and can interfere with/wreck an otherwise good QT:

Skip any crushed coral, seashells, or typical reef rock, as they’re calcium carbonate based too.

You typically want some PVC pipes for the fish to hide in, and if the fish need sand, then silica/quartz sand.

Yeah, it binds with the copper and can interfere with/wreck an otherwise good QT:

Skip any crushed coral, seashells, or typical reef rock, as they’re calcium carbonate based too.

You typically want some PVC pipes for the fish to hide in, and if the fish need sand, then silica/quartz sand.

Yeah, it binds with the copper and can interfere with/wreck an otherwise good QT:

The LFS is measuring the copper each day Not sure what kind of device it is but there is a readout after about 60 seconds the sand is probably the reason it was so difficult to get the copper level over 2.0

 

[hexcolor reef]

if no fish need sand you can go bare bottom or use gravel sold at LFS

 

[duanejon]

if no fish need sand you can go bare bottom or use gravel sold at LFS

I notice the tanks at the LFS often have no bottom

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I notice the tanks at the LFS often have no bottom

Sorry - I was offline overnight....

30+ days of coppersafe should have been sufficient for all protozoans. Additionally, do I understand that the symptoms showed up while there was still copper in the water? If so, that seems to point to another issue, not a protozoan.

The fish could have flukes. Copper does not help with that. The fish scratching on the bottom also is a symptom of flukes.

Jay

 

[duanejon]

Sorry - I was offline overnight....

30+ days of coppersafe should have been sufficient for all protozoans. Additionally, do I understand that the symptoms showed up while there was still copper in the water? If so, that seems to point to another issue, not a protozoan.

The fish could have flukes. Copper does not help with that. The fish scratching on the bottom also is a symptom of flukes.

Jay

That’s what I was concerned about also. I don’t think you can mix Cooper with prazi

 

[duanejon]

That’s what I was concerned about also. I don’t think you can mix Cooper with prazi

Is it common for a trigger to get velvet then have flukes right after? I’m thinking they are pretty strong

 

[duanejon]

Is it common for a trigger to get velvet then have flukes right after? I’m thinking they are pretty strong

The copper was in for 38 days and the trigger is the only fish in the tank