Ich emergency!! Help with medication please!!!!

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I'll just be using the copper I've already purchased. But what test kit should I use for the copper I have ???

Any test kit that handles ionic and chelated copper will work.

 

[Sistawolf]

I'll just be using the copper I've already purchased. But what test kit should I use for the copper I have ???

API works with this copper from my understanding.. I do believe I have read @melypr1985 statement on this... is this correct @melypr1985

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

Besides pvc pipe, what else can I use for the QT??? For hiding places . Because the pieces only large enough for my fish to fit in are like $10-20 a piece for pvc lol 4+ inch isn't cheap. Can I use Tupperware? Or plastic baskets? Or ???

 

[JamesP]

ABS is way cheaper than PVC. PVC is pressure rated and much more solid. ABS is for drains and is whipped with air to make it cheaper and lighter. ABS also has smoother bends which I'm sure the fish will like vs the sharp 90s in PVC. ABS is black too so it just looks cool and doesnt show crud as much. Check Lowes in the drainage pipes section.

 

[JamesP]

Wait I just did a test and ABS floats! Nevermind that idea.

 

[Sistawolf]

You can use smaller pieces and stack them for the bigger fish

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

You can find thin-walled PVC drain pipe in the garden section. It is much lighter because it isn't designed for pressurized service, but it works just fine for fish habitat.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

You can find thin-walled PVC drain pipe in the garden section. It is much lighter because it isn't designed for pressurized service, but it works just fine for fish habitat.

Thanks ! Will check that out

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

@Jonathan blackwood You want to add the fish first and then slowly ramp the copper level up over a 4-5 day period. This is assuming, of course, that your fish are infected with ich and not velvet. If they had the latter, I would expect there to be casualties by now.

It sounds like your tang may be developing a secondary infection from the parasites; can you post a photo of him showing the abrasion?

A very small piece of LR in QT will be fine.

Sorry pics are kind of bad. Ran home on my break to get them lol and he's a little discolored due to me chasing him with a camera . But what do you think ? Will copper make it worse ? Or I should be ok

 

[JamesP]

Are there any other tangs in there? Looks like a battle scar.

My purple tang was a homocidal maniac and would hold my blue tang down on the substrate and beat him with his tail spike and it looked a lot like that. I almost got rid of him as soon as I got him, then I put a small safety mirror from Amazon on the outside of the tank for 2 days and he beat at his reflection all day. After removing the mirror, no more aggression. I guess hes afraid of that "other" tang coming back.

I dont think there is any issues putting a fish with a wound like that in copper. I wouldnt put it anywhere near formalin though. Someone else should chime in though as I dont want to give bad advice.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

Are there any other tangs in there? Looks like a battle scar.

My purple tang was a homocidal maniac and would hold my blue tang down on the substrate and beat him with his tail spike and it looked a lot like that. I almost got rid of him as soon as I got him, then I put a small safety mirror from Amazon on the outside of the tank for 2 days and he beat at his reflection all day. After removing the mirror, no more aggression. I guess hes afraid of that "other" tang coming back.

I dont think there is any issues putting a fish with a wound like that in copper. I wouldnt put it anywhere near formalin though. Someone else should chime in though as I dont want to give bad advice.

He had the battle scar when I purchased him. A family donated 3 large fish and I bought 2 of them. I'm guessing the scrape came from the family trying to catch him to bring him in. Looks like a rock scrape or something . Not open or infected that I can see. Just a cut

 

[JamesP]

My blue tang healed up fine over a few weeks and has no visible scarring at this point. I was seriously worried for its life though.

Purple tangs can be mean but absolutely stunning. Now theyre buddies though after the mirror trick. If I add a new fish ill bring the mirror back for a couple days most likely.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

My blue tang healed up fine over a few weeks and has no visible scarring at this point. I was seriously worried for its life though.

Purple tangs can be mean but absolutely stunning. Now theyre buddies though after the mirror trick. If I add a new fish ill bring the mirror back for a couple days most likely.

I'll just keep an close eye on it and keep everyone updated

 

[Humblefish]

Just to add: Never rely on the dosing instructions on the bottle. Always double check your copper reading with a test kit.

 

[4FordFamily]

Herbtana always works if you use it correctly to the instructions

If you mean a fish fights off ich on its own and herbtana is a placebo then yes it works great. Unfortunately it's a temporary solution that will come back bigger and uglier with any of many stress events or fish additions.

Been down that road hundreds of times.

 

[Humblefish]

Purely anecdotal, but a LFS I lived close to used Herbtana & Artemiss pretty religiously. The owner was careful never to miss a scheduled dosage. And in 4 1/2 years I never saw visible physical symptoms of parasites (white dots) on any of his fish - although behavioral symptoms were almost always present. I also noticed he had a "copper tank" for fish that were scratching too badly.

Obviously, the herbal ingredients were doing something to make it more difficult for the free swimmers to attach. But his customers often reported outbreaks on new fish purchased from him, so he still had low levels of parasites in his retail system. Some customers adapted his Herbtana & Artemiss regimen (with mixed results); but most (with decent sized systems) got tired of paying $80/month just to keep parasites under control.

 

[Maritimer]

Perhaps $80/month is the Big-Box stores' strategy. Keep 'em buying.

It's pretty common knowledge that Petco's corporate masters only allow the use of herbal medicines in their systems.

It's pretty common knowledge that if you want to buy fish with ich and/or velvet, Petco is often the best place around to get 'em. (Depending to some extent on the employees at the local Petco - but there's only so much they can do . . . )

Herbals didn't work for me. At all.

~Bruce

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

QT is set up and active! Put fish in last night and they all seem to be doing fine fed them this morning , only 2 out of the 4 ate. But all actions are normal. I'm using a homemade "wetdry" kind of filter in a way. (There is sponges and nitrate pads in as well) Due to the only way I could fit my seeded bio into a filter lol and there a circulation pump as well as heater. Bought some pvc last night for hiding and I added one piece of my live rock for seaweed eating and shelter as well.
Dosed my first part of copper today (just 1/4 of the dose) so I can ramp it up each day.

 

[JamesP]

Nice! I saw the orange thing hanging on the edge and wasnt sure what was going on out first. Thats cool though how you did that.

Do you have any sensitive scaless fish such as mandarins or blennies? They cant handle chaelated copper as well and it is recommended to keep a close eye on them and run as low levels on them as possible while still being within theraputic levels.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Just keep in mind that you shouldn't ever return that live rock to a reef system in the future. FYI.