Can Ich survive in theraputic copper?

Marc88 · May 14, 2020

The question above. Also, is this ich or something else? Bonus question, how long does it take for the injury from ich to heal?

Here's the brief backstory. I suffered a Ich outbreak in my DT posted here.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...documented-journey.711243/page-2#post-7463867

I decided to dose Copper in my DT because I didn't have a tank large enough to hold all of my fish. I got the tank to therapeutic levels on April 20th. It has stayed there to this day, I test daily with a Hanna.

I went light out on the tank shortly after dosing copper. All the fish were healthy and eating. On May 3, I noticed spots on my hippo tang. I flipped the lights on and snapped a few pictures.

This is how he looked today

Big G · May 14, 2020

Blue tangs sometimes develop a skin condition "late during" or "after" treating with copper. The spots look a lot like Ich. Sometimes they are a bit stingy looking; sometimes they look just like regular ich. They are a bacterial infection that is best treated with pristine water quality, foods mixed with vitamins ( I prefer Beta Glucan as it tremendously boosts the fish's immune system), and a low stress environment.

Marc88 · May 14, 2020

Big G said:
Blue tangs sometimes develop a skin condition "late during" or "after" treating with copper. The spots look a lot like Ich. Sometimes they are a bit stingy looking; sometimes they look just like regular ich. They are a bacterial infection that is best treated with pristine water quality, foods mixed with vitamins ( I prefer Beta Glucan as it tremendously boosts the fish's immune system), and a low stress environment.

That's interesting because I don't see it on any other fish. So that's good news! Is it lethal in any way? I've been feeding rods, two types of mysis, 1/4 sheet of nori broken up soaked in selcon. Trying to ensure nutrition stays on track.

Big G · May 14, 2020

The "condition" is an indicator that the fish's immune system is compromised. Copper, after all, is a poison.

When scraped and looked at under a scope it usually tests as a gram-positive bacteria. Treating is with antibiotics has be inconclusive. So using them is not the best coarse. But watch for other signs of bacterial infection (white filmy areas, red sores, or necrosis) and be ready to treat if needed. For tangs, I prefer NFG powder.

You might consider rotating vitamins a bit to cover a wider spectrum: Zoecon, Angelixir, Beta Glucan, different colors of nori (red/purple is said to have the most vitamins & minerals).