Help!!! Fish emergency!!

[roger saltwaters]

Ok heres my situation. My main tank (45 gallon JBJ) has been fallow for over 6 weeks due to ich infestation. I set up a 10g quarantine tank yesterday. This tank just has a couple of pvc bends in it, a filter with no carbon, and cupramine. Today I purchased a clown and a 6 line wrasse to start getting them ready for introduction to the other tank on July 7.

I put these fish in about 3:00. Went out for a bit and when I returned the wrasse looks terrible. Sitting on the bottom and slowly lists to one side. When he starts to get totally tilted he jerks back upright. In short....he looks really rough.

My question is this. Do I leave him alone and just hope he is tired? Or take my chances and dump him in the 45g. Water in the 45g is I think superb.

 

[Redneckreef90]

@Lionfish Lair

 

[roger saltwaters]

Clown in the QT seems fine. I don't understand.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Put some carbon in the tank and pull the copper out ASAP. Make sure you have ample aeration in the tank. See if the fish recovers, then after a day or two, start cupramine again. I'm assuming there's no active ich infection on the fish, right?

 

[roger saltwaters]

Put some carbon in the tank and pull the copper out ASAP. Make sure you have ample aeration in the tank. See if the fish recovers, then after a day or two, start cupramine again. I'm assuming there's no active ich infection on the fish, right?

No ich as far as I know.

 

[roger saltwaters]

Can the copper be causing this?? I thought it was safe.

 

[roger saltwaters]

Ok I think my decision is simple. Put him in the 45.....or he dies. No time for copper removal. What say you?

 

[Lynn52]

Copper is a toxin to fish it just is more toxic to parasites. We need to make sure we don't add too much or for too long. We need to be able to test the copper concentration with a test kit that is appropriate for the type of copper. The seachem copper test kit works for cupramine. Usually it is best to slowly increase the copper concentration over a several days.

 

[Lynn52]

Can you do a water change.

 

[roger saltwaters]

Can you do a water change.

Partial. Maybe a gallon and a half. That's it. This dude looks rough. Gotta make a decision quick.

 

[cmcoker]

Do you have any saltwater? Largest water change on qt you can and carbon.
Don't wreck your fallow period.

Put him in a bucket with saltwater matched to qt conditions, if you don't have enough saltwater for a big water change right away,

 

[roger saltwaters]

I only have about half of the cupramine in the tank that they call for.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Some wrasses are sensitive to copper. The clown should be more hardy.

 

[Lynn52]

Did you check the salinity of the water the fish came in? Was it the same as the QT tank. There are risks of putting it in the QT. Your tank has not been fallow the full 76 days so there could still be ich in there or this fish could bring something in and you are back to square one. Another risk is 6 lines have a reputation for being aggressive and if he is the first one in the tank he will establish his territory and you could have problems adding anything else. They have been known to kill new additions.

 

[cmcoker]

Also I would use coppersafe, if you are gonna copper a wrasse.
Better to do TTM though if prophylactic treatment on wrasses.
When you do copper, always add fish to tank first and then slowly bring copper to therapeutic level over a couple days.
Can you make more saltwater tonight? Have carbon?
@Humblefish @melypr1985

 

[Lynn52]

For future reference it is a good idea to have fresh salt water made especially when you have fish in QT. Ammonia can spike fast and may necessitate an emergency water change.

 

[roger saltwaters]

Also I would use coppersafe, if you are gonna copper a wrasse.
Better to do TTM though if prophylactic treatment on wrasses.
When you do copper, always add fish to tank first and then slowly bring copper to therapeutic level over a couple days.
Can you make more saltwater tonight? Have carbon?
@Humblefish @melypr1985

I have copper. But I doubt that will work in time to save this guy. Maybe I'm wrong.

 

[cmcoker]

I have copper. But I doubt that will work in time to save this guy. Maybe I'm wrong.

The Cupramine is Ionic copper, coppersafe is a chelated copper.
Some have reported the Cupramine to be more harsh on fish.
Wrasses have been reported more sensitive to copper.
So I would use a chelated copper (like coppersafe) on wrasses if that is the only treatment option.

Also what test kit are you using and what is the copper level?

 

[roger saltwaters]

The Cupramine is Ionic copper, coppersafe is a chelated copper.
Some have reported the Cupramine to be more harsh on fish.
Wrasses have been reported more sensitive to copper.
So I would use a chelated copper (like coppersafe) on wrasses if that is the only treatment option.

Also what test kit are you using and what is the copper level?

I don't have a copper test. Just added carbon, removed 3ish gallons of water and added back 1.5 or so. That's the best I can do.

 

[roger saltwaters]

For future reference it is a good idea to have fresh salt water made especially when you have fish in QT. Ammonia can spike fast and may necessitate an emergency water change.

Ok. Guess I need to start keeping more around.