Fish or copper first?

[Jesse Depass]

I’ve decided to go fallow after an ich outbreak in my 90. I have a 60 gallon qt set up for 9 small to medium sized fish, (2 wrasses). I am going to treat with copper power and was wondering if it would be better to add copper after I’ve got all the fish in qt or add the fish into 1.0 ppm? I’m thinking it might take a while to catch all the fish. Any other advice on going fallow and qt would be appreciated as well, especially anything regarding wrasses as I know they are more sensitive. Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I routinely add fish directly into full Coppersafe, and that is pretty similar to Copper Power in sensitivity to fish. Copper/citric acid and Cupramine work better if you ramp them up over two days.
What species of wrasse?
Jay

 

[Jesse Depass]

I routinely add fish directly into full Coppersafe, and that is pretty similar to Copper Power in sensitivity to fish. Copper/citric acid and Cupramine work better if you ramp them up over two days.
What species of wrasse?
Jay

Melanarus and flame wrasse

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

The flame would worry me. In retreading this- do your fish have an active ich infection currently? If so, you should ramp the copper up quickly- like in 24 hours. If no active infection I’d take 3 days for the flame wrasse, just to play it safe.
Jay

 

[Jesse Depass]

The flame would worry me. In retreading this- do your fish have an active ich infection currently? If so, you should ramp the copper up quickly- like in 24 hours. If no active infection I’d take 3 days for the flame wrasse, just to play it safe.
Jay

Honestly the ich infection isn’t that bad, currently it is in the phase where the ich drops off the fish, (I think). So I’m leaning towards the longer ramp up time