Cloudy QT Tank

[aedds2]

Set up a QT tank Friday using Cupramine, hang on back filter with floss only, heater and copper today is at .4.

So questions....
1. According to the bottle I am supposed to re-dose the tank 48 laters but it appears I need to also do a water change or will the cloudy clear up? Bubbles on top of the water as well. I am worried about the cloudy water and the effects it will have on the tang and goby that are in the tank.
2. Should I just add new floss?
3. Re-dose to what level and should I do the water change first?

Thanks!!

 

[Idoc]

Sounds like you have a bit of bacterial bloom going on in your QT. A water change would be good to do as well in order to clear up your cloudy water. But, if you are doing a water change, make sure your replacement water is already dosed to a therapeutic copper level prior to adding it to the tank. This will ensure you don't fall below the therapeutic level during treatment. I'm assuming you are using Cupramine since your copper is measuring at 0.4ppm.

 

[cshouston]

Did you cycle the QT? Did you add a bacterial starter?

All of my QT tanks went through a cloudy phase at first. No need to change anything if your parameters are in check. It will clear up in a couple of days. I think copper disturbs the bacterial colonies and they bloom as they try to reestablish themselves.

 

[aedds2]

I didn't have time to add any bacteria. ick hit super fast and while we were gone at that.

 

[aedds2]

Sounds like you have a bit of bacterial bloom going on in your QT. A water change would be good to do as well in order to clear up your cloudy water. But, if you are doing a water change, make sure your replacement water is already dosed to a therapeutic copper level prior to adding it to the tank. This will ensure you don't fall below the therapeutic level during treatment. I'm assuming you are using Cupramine since your copper is measuring at 0.4ppm.

Its a 15g tank so do a 50% change and add the copper to the new water prior correct? Am ! basing the dose off 7g then?

 

[Idoc]

Its a 15g tank so do a 50% change and add the copper to the new water prior correct? Am ! basing the dose off 7g then?

If your current "dirty" water is 0.4ppm then just make sure your new "clean" water is also at least 0.4ppm to maintain the same copper levels. I am not sure what level you are attempting to be at for your copper, though...it depends on what type of copper you are using.

Yes, a 50% water change would be good....then see how it works out. You may need to do another one later.

 

[aedds2]

Did you cycle the QT? Did you add a bacterial starter?

All of my QT tanks went through a cloudy phase at first. No need to change anything if your parameters are in check. It will clear up in a couple of days. I think copper disturbs the bacterial colonies and they bloom as they try to reestablish themselves.

We didn't have time to add bacteria in the QT as there wasn't enough time to get the fish moved, the majority of all our livestock died in the DT. We do have Fritz 9, should I add some in after the water change?

 

[aedds2]

If your current "dirty" water is 0.4ppm then just make sure your new "clean" water is also at least 0.4ppm to maintain the same copper levels. I am not sure what level you are attempting to be at for your copper, though...it depends on what type of copper you are using.

Yes, a 50% water change would be good....then see how it works out. You may need to do another one later.

We are using Cupramine

 

[cshouston]

I didn't have time to add any bacteria. ick hit super fast and while we were gone at that.

It doesn’t take very long to get a bottle of bacterial starter and dump it in.

If you’re not going to do that, you’re going to have a tough time keeping up with ammonia, and having to calculate and dose all of those water changes without going sub-therapeutic.

 

[cshouston]

We didn't have time to add bacteria in the QT as there wasn't enough time to get the fish moved, the majority of all our livestock died in the DT. We do have Fritz 9, should I add some in after the water change?

As long as it’s still live, yeah. You need something going in there to process ammonia. Also, recommend picking up a Seachem AmmoniaAlert badge. It’s reliable even with copper in the water, unlike some liquid reagent tests.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yes, you need to be monitoring your ammonia and try to keep it below 0.25 ppm. Trouble is, Cupramine has an amine in it (hence its name!) that gives false positives on some ammonia tests - not the Seachem alert badge though.
Jay

 

[aedds2]

Thank you all so much! Hopefully these 2 will pull through