Blue tang QT tank

[Susan Nuttall]

Hi there, our main tank got velvet which wiped out most of our tank apart from 2 fish. Ones a blue tang and a hawk fish.
Been in QT tank for 2 weeks now, with copper powder level on hanna checker is 2.46.
Blue tang was looking so much better, eyes had cleared and no spots, but since yesterday has developed more spots and it trying to scratch its self. Eating fine
Surely can’t be ich as he’s in the tank with copper in it? Anyone recommend anything for him? We are in the UK just for medicine remedies. Thanks for your help!

 

[threebuoys]

Photos using white light will help confirm your diagnosis of ich. The full QT period for ich treated with copper is 30 days. Until that period is complete, the potential for re-infection remains possible.

 

[Jekyl]

Welcome to R2R! The full procedure we recommend for your situation is contained in the following links.

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

45 Day Fallow periods

I've been doing some research into the "76 day fallow period". I never heard of that prior to coming to Reef2Reef this past summer. I had always used 32 days as the maximum time for a tomont to remain viable under tropical conditions, and then I would round up to 45 days to help ensure that...

www.reef2reef.com

As mentioned above correct diagnosis is also crucial. So here is a link for more information on that also.

Some Helpful Hints When Posting or Responding to Threads in the Fish Disease Treatment and Diagnosis Section

Aquarium Fish Disease Problem Solving Determining the best course of action for a problem with your aquarium can be a difficult task. Even advanced aquarists will often need to seek the help of others for complicated or unique issues. Our intent here on Reef 2 Reef is to offer expert advice...

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[vetteguy53081]

Hi there, our main tank got velvet which wiped out most of our tank apart from 2 fish. Ones a blue tang and a hawk fish.
Been in QT tank for 2 weeks now, with copper powder level on hanna checker is 2.46.
Blue tang was looking so much better, eyes had cleared and no spots, but since yesterday has developed more spots and it trying to scratch its self. Eating fine
Surely can’t be ich as he’s in the tank with copper in it? Anyone recommend anything for him? We are in the UK just for medicine remedies. Thanks for your help!

Assure copper level has not dropped and also can be skin irritation if the copper level is altered. Take the level down to 2.25 and also please provide pics and video under white light intensity of the fish as it looks now

 

[Susan Nuttall]

Assure copper level has not dropped and also can be skin irritation if the copper level is altered. Take the level down to 2.25 and also please provide pics and video under white light intensity of the fish as it looks now

Thank you, the video was using just white light and this photo is under white light too. Copper hasn’t dropped below 2.46, will do a small water change to drop it to 2.25 thank you

 

[Tamberav]

Thank you, the video was using just white light and this photo is under white light too. Copper hasn’t dropped below 2.46, will do a small water change to drop it to 2.25 thank you

Looks like mucus plugs/bacterial tufts

 

[threebuoys]

If you have maintained copper at the 2.25 - 2.50 range for two weeks, this could be just mucus from the locations where the ich parasites were attached. Observe closely to see if spots disappear or reappear.

 

[Susan Nuttall]

Looks like mucus plugs/bacterial tufts

Thank you, Will it just go away or will I need to add anything to the tank to help?

 

[Tamberav]

Thank you, Will it just go away or will I need to add anything to the tank to help?

Fish generally recover on their own, it's common with hippos. It it seen with copper use. Finishing treatment and getting them out of copper should fix the problem.

Not sure about the scratching though, I would probably also treat with prazi after copper before they go to the display.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you, the video was using just white light and this photo is under white light too. Copper hasn’t dropped below 2.46, will do a small water change to drop it to 2.25 thank you

Yes this is ich mixed mucus plugs likely from skin irritation which this type of fish is susceptible to. Continue treatment with coppersafe

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I agree - some of those spots look elongated and a bit large to be ich. Could be mucus plugs. The tang could also have flukes. I would continue with the copper and then prepare to also dose with praziquantel for flukes. Prazipro is one option. I like to finish copper and then dose prazi, but sometimes, they need to be done at the same time (but that increases the stress on the fish). Prazi should be dosed 2x, 8 days apart with good aeration.

 

[Susan Nuttall]

Thanks everyone, we put the blue and purple tangs who had both got these spots and put them into clean salt water, cleaned out their tank and placed them back in last night. This morning they have no spots! Must have been the water with the copper irritating them? And producing the mucus plugs. Thanks again

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks everyone, we put the blue and purple tangs who had both got these spots and put them into clean salt water, cleaned out their tank and placed them back in last night. This morning they have no spots! Must have been the water with the copper irritating them? And producing the mucus plugs. Thanks again

Just be careful that you don’t see a rebound of a protozoan disease since you cut the copper treatment a little short.

 

[Susan Nuttall]

T

Just be careful that you don’t see a rebound of a protozoan disease since you cut the copper treatment a little short.

Not Been cut short was in copper powder for 18 days at 2.45 on hanna checker. Only needed to be 14 days

 

[Jekyl]

T

Not Been cut short was in copper powder for 18 days at 2.45 on hanna checker. Only needed to be 14 days

14 days isn't the recommended time for copper quarantine. Here is the site method.

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Susan Nuttall]

I’m not using copper safe, I’m using copper powder? Humble fish quotes 14 days for this?

 

[Susan Nuttall]

Please see attached

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

T

Not Been cut short was in copper powder for 18 days at 2.45 on hanna checker. Only needed to be 14 days

Copper power is fairly mild. It really needs to be run for 30 days. 14 days is for ionic copper products. They are more toxic, so need to be run for a shorter period, but even then, 21 days is best.

Copper doesn't kill the tomont stage of ich, so if you run it too short, there could still be tomonts that will emerge later, reactivating the infection.

 

[Susan Nuttall]

Did you see my attached photo above from what humblefish said? Saying 14 days at 2.2-2.3 copperpowder for 14 days also within temp range? Also we are dosing them for the next 12 days with another copper product which will hopefully be a bit kinder to them before they then go into the observation tank

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Did you see my attached photo above from what humblefish said? Saying 14 days at 2.2-2.3 copperpowder for 14 days also within temp range? Also we are dosing them for the next 12 days with another copper product which will hopefully be a bit kinder to them before they then go into the observation tank

Yes - I replied on Sunday. Do you have a compelling reason to cut the copper power treatment short? If the tank they are in is unstable and the ammonia is rising, then you need to decide which is the lesser of two evils. If the ammonia is fine, then why cut it short?

What is the second copper product you are using? It can be difficult to change up between amine-based copper and ionic copper because the test kits can't tell the two apart, and yet the doses are quite different.