One week ago I started my second batch of quarantine. I notice my blue tang had both ich and black ich. I decided to treat with general cure and started up a slow ramp of cupramine. Everybody was happy for a week. No visible signs of ich. Yesterday I did my second treatment of general cure and went to bed. This morning my blue tang was laying on its side and breathing heavy. The color was bad also. I know it is not optimal to combine meds, but I have seen it practiced here on the forum occasionally. Is he a goner? Any chance at all I can save him? Depressing.
Help - First Rookie Mistake
- Thread starter Fastpitch
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HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Did you do a 25% WC between doses of GC?
Are you running an airstone? A powerhead aimed at the surface to break surface tension of the water and create oxygen?
Combining the meds can be done but it weighs heavily on oxygen availability. Praziquantel sucks the oxygen out of the water.
I would do an emergency 50% WC and up your oxygenation. Maintian your copper level.
Are you running an airstone? A powerhead aimed at the surface to break surface tension of the water and create oxygen?
Combining the meds can be done but it weighs heavily on oxygen availability. Praziquantel sucks the oxygen out of the water.
I would do an emergency 50% WC and up your oxygenation. Maintian your copper level.
Yes I am running an airstone. Pretty big one too. Have a HOB filter breaking up the surface water. No I did not due a 25% WC. I thought the box said that was done after the second treatment 
I poked him a couple times and he seems to be swimming a little better. Doing a 50% change and keeping copper static will be hard for a beginner. Ugh.
I poked him a couple times and he seems to be swimming a little better. Doing a 50% change and keeping copper static will be hard for a beginner. Ugh.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
More oxygen always trumps less with meds. I’d recommend a powerhead as well.Yes I am running an airstone. Pretty big one too. Have a HOB filter breaking up the surface water. No I did not due a 25% WC. I thought the box said that was done after the second treatment
Hippo tangs often lie down especially at night or in the morning. In a DT they’d hide in a crevice, in QT if they can’t wedge somewhere they lie on the bottom.
Dose the amount of copper on the bottle required replace the half you removed in the new water before you add it. Buy a Hanna copper checker, much easier.
Good luck!
Thanks @HotRocks , @4FordFamily !
Feedback is really reassuring no matter what happens. I thought he was dead for sure, but he is now swimming OK. He normally lies down at night as you describe, but this morning was different. He was definitely not well. I am using the seachem kit for testing. But that tiny vial they give you makes me mad every time I test. :mad:
It is obvious to me now how much meds can stress these fish out.
Feedback is really reassuring no matter what happens. I thought he was dead for sure, but he is now swimming OK. He normally lies down at night as you describe, but this morning was different. He was definitely not well. I am using the seachem kit for testing. But that tiny vial they give you makes me mad every time I test. :mad:
It is obvious to me now how much meds can stress these fish out.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
It’s a necessary evil, IMO— but generally I find that although the meds can have an impact, it’s oxygen depletion and ammonia cause more issues. Do you have an ammonia alert badge?
I do have an ammonia badge. And I have microbubbles everywhere. I feel like I am doing the right things, which is why I was so disappointed this morning to find my tang gasping for air and so pale.
He seems to be much better now. Maybe I just needed to get him moving. My understanding is that the prazi breaks down after a day. So maybe he is past the worst part of it. Thought he was dead for sure. Thanks again.
4FordFamily
Tang, Angel, and Wrasse Nerd!
It’s true, Prazi is mostly gone after 48 hours and it’s done it’s job in about 10 minutes by and large.
Gasping for air could be damage from parasites, it exacerbates any issues. Often a fish afflicted with flukes, ich, velvet, or nearly anything impacting the gills will be at a serious disadvantage during treatment because its’ already damaged gills will struggle to give it oxygen. That said, you’re really left with no option.
Methelyn blue baths are often used to provide some relief for damaged gills.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
+1 on this.
And if it had flukes, those flukes can twitch violently when exposed to Prazi while they are dying and can cause additional gill and eye damage. Fortunately, most fish will start recovering fairly quickly once those flukes are gone completely. The 2nd dose is generally much less traumatic on fish. If you know you have a fish with flukes, it is smart to do a FW dip prior to the first treatment to get the numbers down prior to treating with Prazi.
It sounds like you are doing great... QT can be stressful. All you can do is your best and you seem to be doing fine.
So my fish initially had black ich at the LFS, ich showed up a day later in qt and then possibly flukes. Wow. But I guess it beats velvet. I am finding treating fish to be kind of fun. I'm bit. As long as there are no failures.
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
"Treating fish" has become an addiction for me...So my fish initially had black ich at the LFS, ich showed up a day later in qt and then possibly flukes. Wow. But I guess it beats velvet. I am finding treating fish to be kind of fun. I'm bit. As long as there are no failures.
Big G
captain dunsel
Yet another addicted fish keeper. Welcome to the "med" side. Nice.
Big G
captain dunsel
Wonder if there is a 12-step program out there somewhere?"Treating fish" has become an addiction for me...
Brew12
Electrical Gru
Big G
captain dunsel
Funny you should say that, a week ago, I rescued a little Foxface that was doomed at Petco. They had it in a tank with 4 large aggressive chromis with uronema. Happy to report it is doing well in my QT right now.Petco's fish section!
