Copper quarantine treatment for flame angel

[ErikVR]

Hi all,

I’m about to pick up a flame angel from my fish store. They have quarantined him for 3 weeks and guaranteed me that he’s healthy and eating well.

I told the store about my quarantine treatment, as recommended on this forum. They advised me not to treat the dwarf angel with copper. In their experience, they handle copper poorly.

Not sure what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience with dwarf angels and copper?

 

[LaloJ]

That's correct, you need to be careful handling copper with angels and butterflies, I don't remember what the prophylactic copper level is inside the qt tanks but just measure it with a reliable test and get a balance with your water changes, you'll need to keep an eye on the ammonia as well close up.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all,

I’m about to pick up a flame angel from my fish store. They have quarantined him for 3 weeks and guaranteed me that he’s healthy and eating well.

I told the store about my quarantine treatment, as recommended on this forum. They advised me not to treat the dwarf angel with copper. In their experience, they handle copper poorly.

Not sure what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience with dwarf angels and copper?

Dwarfs do respond differently in copper in comparison with most fish. You can treat them in copper at a lower level of 2.0-2.25 with Added Oxygen to assure there is good gas exchange and use a reliable copper test kit to assure proper dosage. If the store is honest and fish has been quarantined for 21 days, you can do a 14 days treatment instead of the typical 30 days and even follow with prazi Pro treatment which guards against worms and flukes.
other alternative to coppersafe and copper power would be chloroquine phosphate which is an antimalarial drug for human use but does work well for external parasites administered at 40 mg per gallon

 

[ErikVR]

Thanks. I'm sure they have been quarantined because they have sent me pictures when both fish came in.
(also picking up a white tail bristletooth which im super excited about!)

 

[alton]

The fact you have a LFS that QT's for three weeks is awesome. Flame pairs or harems are awesome. Look up here on R2r post from Orion on how to tell the difference between males and females.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi all,

I’m about to pick up a flame angel from my fish store. They have quarantined him for 3 weeks and guaranteed me that he’s healthy and eating well.

I told the store about my quarantine treatment, as recommended on this forum. They advised me not to treat the dwarf angel with copper. In their experience, they handle copper poorly.

Not sure what to do. Has anyone had a similar experience with dwarf angels and copper?

Flame angels do not handle ionic copper well, but I've had no issues with dosing them with chelated copper - Coppersafe or Copper Power.

I would ask the store, if they didn't use copper, what anti-protozoan drug did they use? Chloroquine is one option. If they say they didn't use anything, then they didn't really quarantine the fish.....

Jay

 

[exnisstech]

Not recommended I'm sure but I did 30 days observation only on my flame angel and CBB

 

[ErikVR]

Flame angels do not handle ionic copper well, but I've had no issues with dosing them with chelated copper - Coppersafe or Copper Power.

I would ask the store, if they didn't use copper, what anti-protozoan drug did they use? Chloroquine is one option. If they say they didn't use anything, then they didn't really quarantine the fish.....

Jay

Just to clarify. They quarantined the fish in a closed system. They did not medicate. The term quarantine means isolate to prevent spreading a disease or infection.

So they isolated to observe and get them eating. I’ll do the treatment quarantine at home. But now going to treat the new tang with copper first and then prazi. The flame angel is in my second quarantine tank and will be treated only with prazi.

 

[Joj]

My flame, coral beauty, 3 cherubs, just went thru QT with copper power with no issue. Avg 2.20-2.10 level of Copper power with Hanna Test kit for 30 days.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Just to clarify. They quarantined the fish in a closed system. They did not medicate. The term quarantine means isolate to prevent spreading a disease or infection.

So they isolated to observe and get them eating. I’ll do the treatment quarantine at home. But now going to treat the new tang with copper first and then prazi. The flame angel is in my second quarantine tank and will be treated only with prazi.

In aquariums, "quarantine" implies an active process. Isolation is what they did. Isolation does not protect as well as an active quarantine does. Without some form of anti-protozoal, the flame angel will remain a risk for introducing those into your display.

Even with a full, active quarantine, there is still some risk, but with observation only, I feel the risk is too great if the display tank has valuable fish in it.

Jay