Copper Quarantine Tank

[ericguzman49]

Hello Reef2Reef community! I’m brand new to the hobby. I recently started 6 months ago and I’ve been doing lots and lots of research and have successful so far. I, however, would like some advice! I apologize if this is posted in the wrong section.

A couple weeks ago, I found that I had an outbreak of ich in my Display Tank and decided to go fallow for at least 75 days. I moved all my fish to a 55 gallon tank for ich treatment. Specifications:

Bare Bottom with PVC pipe
Marine land Canister Filter
Standard LED light and heater
Plenty of Air Stones and Bubbler Tube
Ammonia Alert Badge
Cupramine Level: 0.35
Temp: 79

Livestock:
1 Purple Dottyback
1 Damsel
2 Puffers
2 Trigs
3 Clowns
1 Yellow Tang
1 Hippo Tang
1 Tomini Tang
1 Powder Brown

Oh and yes, everyone gets along really well! It was tough but they’ve all grown to live with each other. Anyways, I used the water from my display tank that’s been running for months and do water changes on a weekly basis. I am having a hard time keeping the ammonia down in my QT so I keep having to do water changes. I’m using the Seachem Ammonia Alert badge. I know not to use sulfur or any chemical ammonia reducer that could be toxic. Does anyone have any advice on what I can do to improve the bio filter or ways to reduce the ammonia safely? I am also seeing the water get very cloudy and would like to know if there’s another way to get rid of the bacterial bloom (I’m assuming that’s what it is) without using a UV filter

Here is a picture of my Copper QT. And this is after a water change!
Thank you in advance!

 

[Big G]

Welcome to R2R!

That's quite a load of fish for that 55 QT. Yikes!

Daily water changes are you best friend. Make sure to pre-dose the incoming saltwater with copper before adding it to the tank to replace the water you are pulling out. Never let the copper fall below therapeutic range.

0.35 is just barely into the therapeutic range for Cupramine. Most shoot for 0.50

Two things I'd consider changing for filtration help:
Get a HOB filter like Aquaclear. Soak the foam pad in BioSpira or similar product. Add a mesh bag to the HOB filled with ceramic media like Seachem Matrix or Fluval BioMax also soaked in BioSpira.
Get a foam bubble filter. Soak the foam pad in the same as above.

 

[ericguzman49]

Welcome to R2R!

That's quite a load of fish for that 55 QT. Yikes!

Daily water changes are you best friend. Make sure to pre-dose the incoming saltwater with copper before adding it to the tank to replace the water you are pulling out. Never let the copper fall below therapeutic range.

0.35 is just barely into the therapeutic range for Cupramine. Most shoot for 0.50

Two things I'd consider changing for filtration help:
Get a HOB filter like Aquaclear. Soak the foam pad in BioSpira or similar product. Add a mesh bag to the HOB filled with ceramic media like Seachem Matrix or Fluval BioMax also soaked in BioSpira.
Get a foam bubble filter. Soak the foam pad in the same as above.

Thank you! I will definitely try this; yes, I agree, it’s a lot. I’m getting a 20 gallon for the smaller fish like the clowns and damsel. I only have the 55 gallon other than my 180 display. Do you think doing all of this will help with the cloudiness as well?

 

[ericguzman49]

Just a quick update:

I replaced the Marineland filter with the Aquaclear HOB Filter and kept the sponge and some of the Fluval media that I was using. I placed the new and old media in the HOB filter and made a couple water changes and now all the fish are thriving, even with the copper (I soaked the new media with BioSpira). All of my babies are eating and swimming so I am very happy. Thanks so much @Big G for your recommendations. Now I’m reading ZERO ammonia