Emergency QT Help

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

So I've come to the conclusion I have Velvet in my DT. Lost my first fish 2 days ago then one a day, so I setup an emergency QT today. Display is a 58g, QT is 10g. I have plastic rocks and I put a piece of Live Rock from my display into the QT (From my sump, probably trashing after this) Moved 1 fire fish and 2 clown from DT, to 5 min. fresh water bath then 45-60 min formalin bath. Fish were in QT for about an hour and I had ammonia registering, did a 50% water changed, didn't seem to help. Added 1 ml of prime, but says it will reduce ammonia and heavy metals. I was trying to bring up the Copper to 1.5-2.0 but it was only at 1.0 for now.

Should i continue to monitor ammonia and add prime as necessary? Then once the ammonia is under control start dosing CopperSafe again?

I just threw 4 marine pure balls into the QT to try and help seed it.

@Humblefish
@melypr1985

Thanks,
Salt

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

After dosing prime ammonia seems to have dissipated, still need to add 2 chromis and a yellow tang to the QT. Should I wait?

Salt

TheEngineer · Dec 7, 2016

Don't mix prime and copper!!

TheEngineer · Dec 7, 2016

How are you testing for ammonia? Have you confirmed the test is accurate?

Sounds like you are following @Humblefish 's velvet treatment. Good plan!

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

icecool2 said:
How are you testing for ammonia? Have you confirmed the test is accurate?

Sounds like you are following @Humblefish 's velvet treatment. Good plan!

To the "T", testing using an API test.

Tahoe61 · Dec 7, 2016

Live rock is going to absorb medication. Are you using an ammonia badge or an API test kit?

TheEngineer · Dec 7, 2016

Saltine said:
To the "T", testing using an API test.

How did you confirm the test result?

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

icecool2 said:
Don't mix prime and copper!!

Oh great, just saw this, I did, so what now? Don't do it anymore?

Salt

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

Tahoe61 said:
Live rock is going to absorb medication. Are you using an ammonia badge or an API test kit?

API, how do I get beneficial bacteria then? Or I just have to dose more copper to get it to the right levels?

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 7, 2016

Saltine said:
(From my sump, probably trashing after this)

no thats fine. good filter skews copper results.

TheEngineer · Dec 7, 2016

Saltine said:
Oh great, just saw this, I did, so what now? Don't do it anymore?

Salt

Well definitely don't do it anymore

It might be OK if the amount of copper in there was low.

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

I

icecool2 said:
How are you testing for ammonia? Have you confirmed the test is accurate?

Sounds like you are following @Humblefish 's velvet treatment. Good plan!

I've got nothing to compare to right now.

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

icecool2 said:
Well definitely don't do it anymore

It might be OK if the amount of copper in there was low.

Lol, It was below 1ppm. I did a 50% water change it it was like it did nothing, that's why i added the prime.

What's worse, mixing prime/copper or ammonia?

Thanks,
Salt

TheEngineer · Dec 7, 2016

Saltine said:
Lol, It was below 1ppm. I did a 50% water change it it was like it did nothing, that's why i added the prime.

What's worse, mixing prime/copper or ammonia?

Thanks,
Salt

Uhhh... I have no idea. Lol.

You've got the experts tagged. One of them should know.

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

icecool2 said:
Uhhh... I have no idea. Lol.

You've got the experts tagged. One of them should know.

Thanks for the responses! I still need to add a yellow tang and 2 chromis, not sure if it can handle the load :/. And a mandarin if I can find it, do you know if pods survive copper? How do I feed a mandarin that only eats pods? Put in some cheato from my sump (Have tons of it), let the pods die off and the mandarin will still eat them? Then just add cheato every few days?

Salt

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
no thats fine. good filter skews copper results.

Thanks! Does this mean I still need to dose more copper until it reads the correct PPM or just leave it as I'm probably already at that level per the instructions, I've added 12ML, instructions say 10ML.

Thanks,
Salt

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

Some pics

saltyfilmfolks · Dec 7, 2016

Saltine said:
Thanks! Does this mean I still need to dose more copper until it reads the correct PPM or just leave it as I'm probably already at that level per the instructions, I've added 12ML, instructions say 10ML.

Thanks,
Salt

yes stand by for the experts. You doing good.

Saltine · Dec 7, 2016

Brew12 · Dec 7, 2016

Having copper in your system will give you false positives on your ammonia test.

You need to get a Seachem alert ammonia badge to determine ammonia levels.

If you see ammonia on the badge, you need to do a water change and add a product like biospira (bacteria in a bottle) but not Prime!