Can I quarantine fish this way?

[Carla2]

I'm planning to get and quarantine neon gobies and/or springer's damselfish. I've tried TTM, cupramine and CP (Ick Shield) before but for me each had its own problems.

My plan this time:
First I will wait for a few days until the fish are eating voraciously. Then I will use cupramine.
cupramine day 1 at 0.05mg/L
cupramine day 2 at 0.10mg//L
cupramine day 3 at 0.15mg/L
cupramine day 4 at 0.20mg/L
cupramine day 5 at 0.25mg/L
cupramine day 6 at 0.30mg/L
cupramine day 7 at 0.35mg/L
... (wait for 10 days)
cupramine day 17 at 0.35mg/L
cupramine day 18 at 0.35mg/L then transfer only the fish to a separate quarantine

After I do the above I will treat for flukes with PraziPro for 3 weeks.
Then I will do one-week observation and transfer the fish to the display.

Does this quarantine method have any problems?
Also, if I get neon gobies they will be about 1/4" juveniles because I've read adults fight before pairing up. Is it okay to use cupramine on fish this small? (I'm worried because my lawnmower blenny almost died at half dose months ago and I had to pull out the fish to try CP instead.)

Thanks!

 

[Maritimer]

11 days is a little tighter than many would cut it, but should be doable.

Not sure about the effects of Cupramine on tiny juvie neon gobies. Perhaps @Humblefish will know . . .

~Bruce

 

[Humblefish]

There are a few problems:

1. Trying to maintain 0.35mg/L is skirting too close to subtherapeutic; best to treat @ 0.5mg/L to allow yourself some wiggle room.
2. Once you've reached 0.5mg/L (not before), begin a 30 day countdown UNLESS you can transfer the fish to another QT (at least 10 feet away) after 14 days. The copper must be maintained between 0.4-0.5mg/L at all times, or the 30 day/14 day clock restarts.
3. Prazipro should be administered either before or after copper treatment. Combining copper + prazi should be reserved for emergency situations only, when both parasites & flukes are suspected.

 

[Carla2]

Thanks for your replies! Then I will treat at 0.45-0.5mg/L.
Also, I was planning to transfer after 11 days because Humblefish's velvet thread said you could transfer the fish to the new quarantine after a 10-14 day period, but is it better if I waited for 14 days instead of 10 days?

 

[Humblefish]

Thanks for your replies! Then I will treat at 0.45-0.5mg/L.
Also, I was planning to transfer after 11 days because Humblefish's velvet thread said you could transfer the fish to the new quarantine after a 10-14 day period, but is it better if I waited for 14 days instead of 10 days?

10 days is the minimum; but 14 days would allow more margin for error just in case.

 

[Carla2]

Okay thanks!
I'd still appreciate it if someone could tell me their experience using cupramine or other copper meds on very small fish or fries.

 

[Humblefish]

Okay thanks!
I'd still appreciate it if someone could tell me their experience using cupramine or other copper meds on very small fish or fries.

I've used both Cupramine and Coppersafe on very small gobies, blennies, damsels, etc. without issue. The key is to ramp the dosage up to full therapeutic very slowly (5-7 days).

 

[Carla2]

That's very nice to hear. Hopefully no one almost dies this time around ...

 

[Carla2]

I ended up getting two 1/2" sharknose gobies (they look very much like neon gobies but come with yellow heads) and a 1" springer's damselfish. Cupramine worked just fine for them and it didn't even suppress their appetite. But I did raise the copper level very slowly (0.05ppm per day instead of 0.25ppm per day which is recommended by Seachem). Then I kept them in copper at 0.45ppm for 11 days and transferred them on the 12th day. They are now in the new quarantine for their PraziPro rounds.
I don't know about other species of gobies, but if I get them I would treat them with Cupramine the same way.

Thanks for all your inputs!