Help ID potential fish disease?

Jay Hemdal · May 29, 2022

Sounds like a plan. Just get your copper level up to 2.1 in 12 hours or so. Calculate the full dose and add half, let it mix well then test and add what you need to get to a full dose. Some people end up running copper power as high as 2.5

Jay

rhcp406 · May 31, 2022

Hey all here’s an update just for reference and anecdotal information if anyone stumbles upon this thread in the future.
Got the inverts out of DT and put in QT tank but went ahead and dosed Copper Power to 0.7 for 8 hours, then did same dose to get to 1.39. Now I’m at work after dosing to get to 1.55 (going to ramp up slowly to 2) then ultimately get to 2.2-2.3 area. Hoping to be there by tomorrow evening. The hippo tang’s white spots are sort of popping off and looking like little blurry spots but no one else is getting infected in the tank.
unfortunately for our little shrimp his big arms broke off when I tried to net him. I’m hoping this was a natural defense mechanism and not me tearing his arms off. He’s still alive though and have other smaller little pinchers he can use to get food.
anyways really just trying to avoid expensive and sad fish mortality and so far so good! Hoping to keep 2.1+ copper power for 30 days, and then reintroducing inverts after a few water changes. Then my lord that DT better not have any ich left.

Jay Hemdal · May 31, 2022

rhcp406 said:
Hey all here’s an update just for reference and anecdotal information if anyone stumbles upon this thread in the future.
Got the inverts out of DT and put in QT tank but went ahead and dosed Copper Power to 0.7 for 8 hours, then did same dose to get to 1.39. Now I’m at work after dosing to get to 1.55 (going to ramp up slowly to 2) then ultimately get to 2.2-2.3 area. Hoping to be there by tomorrow evening. The hippo tang’s white spots are sort of popping off and looking like little blurry spots but no one else is getting infected in the tank.
unfortunately for our little shrimp his big arms broke off when I tried to net him. I’m hoping this was a natural defense mechanism and not me tearing his arms off. He’s still alive though and have other smaller little pinchers he can use to get food.
anyways really just trying to avoid expensive and sad fish mortality and so far so good! Hoping to keep 2.1+ copper power for 30 days, and then reintroducing inverts after a few water changes. Then my lord that DT better not have any ich left.

You really should raise the copper faster than that if you have active ich.

You will need to do lots of water changes at the end to get the copper low enough for invertebrates. You should use some copper binding agent as well, like cuprisorb (not carbon). The thing about water changes is that with each one you do, you are changing out some of the new water. The total amount of water changes needed to get the copper level to that of prior to the treatment is greater than 100%. I used to have a formula for it, but with 25% changes, the first one removes 25% old water, but second change is only removing 18% of old water, the next change only removes about 13.5% and so on.
Jay

rhcp406 · Jun 1, 2022

Jay Hemdal said:
You really should raise the copper faster than that if you have active ich.

You will need to do lots of water changes at the end to get the copper low enough for invertebrates. You should use some copper binding agent as well, like cuprisorb (not carbon). The thing about water changes is that with each one you do, you are changing out some of the new water. The total amount of water changes needed to get the copper level to that of prior to the treatment is greater than 100%. I used to have a formula for it, but with 25% changes, the first one removes 25% old water, but second change is only removing 18% of old water, the next change only removes about 13.5% and so on.
Jay

Copper currently at 2.15. Been as high since around 8:00 AM EST today.
I did have a question about copper absorption via the sand in my tank. I’m going to test copper daily, but how much should I worry about copper dipping under 2.0 on the daily? Like should I add 5 ml copper power like every other day? I have a 105gal tank. Or just monitor and add when needed? Maybe I try to get it to 2.3 and when it reads under 2.15 I add a little more copper power? I guess how steady will the copper remain in the tank with gravely sand? I don’t have live rock just basic plastic decor.

Jay Hemdal · Jun 2, 2022

Copper currently at 2.15. Been as high since around 8:00 AM EST today.

rhcp406 said:
I did have a question about copper absorption via the sand in my tank. I’m going to test copper daily, but how much should I worry about copper dipping under 2.0 on the daily? Like should I add 5 ml copper power like every other day? I have a 105gal tank. Or just monitor and add when needed? Maybe I try to get it to 2.3 and when it reads under 2.15 I add a little more copper power? I guess how steady will the copper remain in the tank with gravely sand? I don’t have live rock just basic plastic decor.

I would test copper daily and then add a proportionally partial dose to maintain the proper level. You may find that the copper will drop more in the first few days and then less as time goes on, so adding a set partial dose won’t work as the target changes.
Be sure you double check your math!
Jay