General Cure and Wrasses

[Humblefish]

After the Holidays, I’m replacing the two fairies I lost in my current quarantine batch (died before I started medications). I’m going to try CP because I have no confidence in the dosage that comes out of the bottle of chelated copper, nor in the test kits to measure it. It makes for too stressful of a quarantine (too stressful for me). It’s a lot of work and at the end of the day, I’m left guessing at how much to add to overdose the parasites without overdosing my fish.

If you're gonna try CP on wrasses, I recommend dosing @ 40mg/gal (minimum therapeutic dosage).

 

[Crashjack]

If you're gonna try CP on wrasses, I recommend dosing @ 40mg/gal (minimum therapeutic dosage).

I'll definitely take your advice. I've been dosing at around 50 mg/gal with water changes at 60 mg/gal, just in case any dissipates. That said, I also opt for the short quarantine method... running at full-therapeutic for 12-15 days before plopping the fish into the display. My total quarantine time is 1-3 weeks longer, but I transfer after the 12-15 days treatment while the QT is still at full-therapeutic levels. I'll take your advice and go with the 40mg/gal and maybe run water changes at 45mg/gal.

Also, my digital gram scale is a 100 gram scale so I've been weighing in a beaker using tare weights. The scale is pretty accurate, but I would like to get a scale that targets lower weights... something like a 10 gram scale or maybe even a 1 gram scale. Any suggestions?

 

[Humblefish]

Also, my digital gram scale is a 100 gram scale so I've been weighing in a beaker using tare weights. The scale is pretty accurate, but I would like to get a scale that targets lower weights... something like a 10 gram scale or maybe even a 1 gram scale. Any suggestions?

This is the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-GEMINI-20-Portable-MilliGram/dp/B0012TDNAM/

It can measure up to 20 grams in 0.001 gram increments, so pretty accurate for our dosing purposes.

 

[Crashjack]

Thanks! Mine only measures to .01g so this one will work well as long as it is accurate.

 

[bsagea]

Used Metroplex as an in tank treatment per the dosage on the package with my melanarus and choates leopard for approx. 14 days with no ill effects on either of them.

 

[Radman73]

Just realized I never followed up on this thread. I did dose the second round of GC on a Carpenter's flasher and Tail Spot blenny. I noticed that the wrasse became more reclusive for a few days, including after the water change, but still always came out to eat. He's been making more appearances over the last couple of days but seems to have a new hang out of right behind, and occasionally under, the power filter. Copper Power still at 2.5ppm per my reference sample. Do wish Copper Power gave a range rather than a single number though.

In any case, wrasse seems to be doing fine post 2 treatments of GC. And I've seen nice, dark poo from him too so no internal worms. Basically just waiting for them to finish treatment to move them to a sterile QT for a short period before adding to DT.

 

[ShadowR55]

Any updates to this thread? I’m getting a lineatus fairy wrasse and yellow wrasse. I was planning on doing TTM and dosing General Cure on day 1(3 day treatment) and day 7(another 3 day treatment).

 

[Crashjack]

Any updates to this thread? I’m getting a lineatus fairy wrasse and yellow wrasse. I was planning on doing TTM and dosing General Cure on day 1(3 day treatment) and day 7(another 3 day treatment).

I’ve never had an issue with GC and wrasses. My latest, a Pintail (C. Isosceles), also did fine with two treatments of GC.

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

I’ve used general cure on multiple occasions on different types of leopard wrasses. Never an issue. I typically dose GC while fish are in copper as well.

Dosed on day 1 then 90% water change 48 hours later followed by a second dose on day 6 and out of QT on day 8.

 

[JohnPeck]

@Humblefish Did you make any conlusions on the effects of GC or metro on wrasses?
I had a melanurus wrasse that I did 2 -5day treatments of prazipro on dosed directly into tank as per directions. After the second dose the wrasse clamped down its tail fin to the point I thought it was bitten off. He kept eating and swam very wobbily by just wiggling his body. I did a massive water change and about a week later his tailfin fanned back open. 3 months later, all is well!

 

[deedubz]

I just finished a 10 day in-tank treatment of metroplex in a qt with a rhomboid wrasss with zero problems. In fact, I ended up dosing more than the label suggested because of what I believe to be a metro resistant strain of brook. About a month ago that same rhomboid went through furan-2/kana/metro with a flame wrasse and had zero issues with either fish. I've fed metro/focus on numerous occasions for persistent internal parasites with several wrasses.

That said, I've never used GC. I do believe the dosage of prazi is less than that of prazipro. I'm not sure what the metronidazole dosage is in comparison to metroplex.

 

[blkhwkz]

I recently wrapped up 2 doses of GC, 7 days apart on an orange back fairy wrasse. Same fish had gone through 10 days of CP @40mg/gallon, the first dose of GC was added 3 days into CP due to white stringy poop. The fish was moved to sterile QT in another room and given 2nd dose of GC and no issues. Ate like a pig the whole time and still does. He will be going into the DT Monday when the observation period is over.

 

[Humblefish]

^^ Agree with above; no issues using GC w/wrasses. Just be careful not to overdose it, because GC contains a metronidazole concentration that's on the high side.

 

[bigcheese]

^^ Agree with above; no issues using GC w/wrasses. Just be careful not to overdose it, because GC contains a metronidazole concentration that's on the high side.

Old thread, I know... but adding data. 2 Haliocheres and one Cirrhilabrus lineatus. No issues with GC on the Haliocheres, Cirrhilabrus is still in QT with suspected brook.

 

[bigcheese]

Old thread, I know... but adding data. 2 Haliocheres and one Cirrhilabrus lineatus. No issues with GC on the Haliocheres, Cirrhilabrus is still in QT with suspected brook.

Linneatus didn't make it, but I blame brook more than GC. Interesting note, I did see some of the same behaviors @JohnPeck did. Clamped tail, tough time swimming normally, but eating fine. Maybe genus-specific?

 

[shpobble]

I wanted to bring this thread back to life - I have a Tanaka's possum, in observational qt with 2 clowns and a ycgoby. I have noticed stringy white poo from a few of them, although everyone is outwardly healthy I want to dose with GC. Is it regarded as safe for the possum? I cant feed it to him as he is only picking pods off the glass (tank was full of them!)so not really interested in what I have for him hopefully dosing the water still treats internally? I believe you dose, wait a week, 20% water change and dose again, then 20% water change a week later - is that still the school of thought? Would it be worth giving half the dose day 1 and the other day 2? TIA

 

[Big G]

General Cure is very gentle on most fish. But you never know. Even though it does not contain oxybispropanol (this is the chemical that robs the O2 from the water column and causes problems for some fish) like Prazipro does, I still run a powerhead aimed up at the surface to boost the O2 levels when treating with GC.

Dose (works best to pour the contents of the package into a partially submerged brine shrimp type net, message the net to express the GC into the water column, repeat until a much as possible has dissolved from the net), wait 5-7 days. Do a 25% water change and dose again. Wait 5-7 days, do a 25% water change and then observe for 10 days for the stringy white poo. We have seen some praziquantel resistant parasites/worms lately. So you really want to "observe" for 10 days to make sure after doing all the work.

Praziquantel breaks down pretty quickly over the first 24-48 hours. Doing a half dose could prove ineffective. You really need the 2.0 level dose to do the necessary work eliminating the parasite/worms.

If you don't see the fish, pooping, it could be due to dead worms blocking in the fish's digestive tract. Can dose plain USP epsom salts into the tank at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of tank water to help get things moving. Can re dose once the next day or so if needed.

Welcome to R2R!

 

[shpobble]

Thank you so much this is exactly the info I was after! Feeling a bit more confident about it now

 

[Big G]

Thank you so much this is exactly the info I was after! Feeling a bit more confident about it now

You are very welcome. Best of luck with your fish.

More info: sometimes a second complete round of treatment is necessary for stubborn worms. And, we have been coming across prazi resistant worms a bit lately.

 

[shpobble]

You are very welcome. Best of luck with your fish.

More info: sometimes a second complete round of treatment is necessary for stubborn worms. And, we have been coming across prazi resistant worms a bit lately.

quick one - Are epsom salts safe with inverts out of interest? Also can general cure be used in display tank if no inverts in it yet (apart from copepods/refugium)? Assume it doesnt stay in the system/rock like copper can? I need to remove boxfish from invert qt tank to treat ick, but fish qt has 4 ich free fish in it which I plan to dose with GC before moving into DT...so I can move 4 fish into DT treat them there with GC and use fish qt for ick boxfish - what a mess!!!