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

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Also, make sure you're testing the copper levels as the media can absorb some of the copper possibly leading to sub-therapeutic levels.

 

[Humblefish]

^^ Excellent advice

 

[domination2580]

Also just to clarify, it is fallow for 76 days not 71

 

[JamesP]

If youve gone 71 might as well go an extra 5. I personnally do 90 days because it is a nice round number. I know its more than you need, but id rather go extra than not enough. Of those two choices id go with the larger.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

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.

Nope!!! Just 3 large tangs and a foxface and clown! That's all

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

And since I'm at it, might as well redo the aquascape since no one is home for the next few months lol I like this layout much more. Plenty of swimming room and more caves how do you like it ???

 

[Humblefish]

Looks good!

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

Quick update! I've now added about 3/4 of the directed amount of copper to the QT. All fish are eating and still acting normal except one fish :/ my Sailfin tang seems to be getting worse (more ich present). He is still swimming and eating, I just see more spots then when I started the treatment. Hmmmm? Is that supposed to happen? Or something else wrong ? Everyone else is getting better and doing great as fas as I can see and tell. Shall I just wait and see what happens ? I see another dose of copper this morning. I'm still under the directed amount due to I don't have a copper test kit yet. Haven't had time to get one

 

[JamesP]

Copper only kills the free swimming stage of the ich protozoa. There are 4 stages to the ich lifecycle and the visible dots is just one. You should see the dots come and go over the next few weeks and they should lessen in number each time since it doesn't kill 100% each lifecycle. Thats why you should hold at full levels for 6 weeks. You will see the spots lessen and come back with less. Give it time, copper works better than anything else and is the only surefire medication.

 

[Humblefish]

Copper only kills the free swimming stage of the ich protozoa. There are 4 stages to the ich lifecycle and the visible dots is just one. You should see the dots come and go over the next few weeks and they should lessen in number each time since it doesn't kill 100% each lifecycle. Thats why you should hold at full levels for 6 weeks. You will see the spots lessen and come back with less. Give it time, copper works better than anything else and is the only surefire medication.

I'd have to find the exact publication, but copper sulfate pentahydrate had a 100% theront kill rate in every study that was listed. Of course, we can only assume the same applies to ionic copper, chelated, etc. So, we treat for 30 days just to be sure and then observe afterwards to see if symptoms return.

 

[JamesP]

Maybe it is the differential speeds at which the cysts hatch then that gives that appearance. As HF stated though, copper is pretty dang good at killing ich, maybe even perfect.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

I'll just keep a close eye and keep everyone updated. Thank you all very much for your knowledge and help. I hope we can beat this thing and get everyone back to there home

 

[Maritimer]

Quick update! I've now added about 3/4 of the directed amount of copper to the QT. All fish are eating and still acting normal except one fish :/ my Sailfin tang seems to be getting worse (more ich present). He is still swimming and eating, I just see more spots then when I started the treatment. Hmmmm? Is that supposed to happen? Or something else wrong ? Everyone else is getting better and doing great as fas as I can see and tell. Shall I just wait and see what happens ? I see another dose of copper this morning. I'm still under the directed amount due to I don't have a copper test kit yet. Haven't had time to get one

Given that (as of the above post) you weren't quite up to full strength on the copper, some theronts (free swimmers) were probably still getting through. They might've felt a bit woozy by the time they reached your tang, and they might not feed for as long or as deeply as they could with no copper in the water, but . . .

~Bruce

 

[burden216]

i had bout 4or5 fish with sickness i dont know the sickness but every time ive just feed them well soaked some food in garlic and it cured their selfs just keep fish health and they fight it off along time ago if you have fish only tank you can drop salinaty to 1.o18 fish will live sickness will die corals and inverts cant handle it so they will die to so thats for fish only and you can try fresh water dip i never tryed it i just keep them feed and everythings been good in my exsperince

 

[JamesP]

On the topic of food enrichment, Ive had good luck with Selcon. The smaller bottle with a dropper lasts months. There seems to be a lot of anecdotal experiences with garlic and pickey eaters, but Selcon provides marine sourced lipids and vitamins that can help a sick fish get better. I use it daily though on a cube of frozen marine copepods with a small amount of water to help the thawing process. I also feed half a sheet of two little fishes purple seaweed. Tangs need their veggies, but I stay away from terrestrial sources.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

Question on fish in the QT... do they tend to loose a little color or look dull due to copper treatment and what not ?

 

[JamesP]

I dont think copper itself causes that, but my fish lighten up when stressed. Its likely a reaction to some sort of stressor. It could be stress from the treatment, but I would keep a close eye on things and keep them at theraputic copper levels. Are they fighting over the new territory since they got moved to a new tank? And make sure the copper levels are not too high with lots of testing.

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

I dont think copper itself causes that, but my fish lighten up when stressed. Its likely a reaction to some sort of stressor. It could be stress from the treatment, but I would keep a close eye on things and keep them at theraputic copper levels. Are they fighting over the new territory since they got moved to a new tank? And make sure the copper levels are not too high with lots of testing.

Not fighting at all ! And will check the levels tomorrow

 

[Jonathan blackwood]

I'd have to find the exact publication, but copper sulfate pentahydrate had a 100% theront kill rate in every study that was listed. Of course, we can only assume the same applies to ionic copper, chelated, etc. So, we treat for 30 days just to be sure and then observe afterwards to see if symptoms return.

So I ran my first copper test today and I am at 1.5 ppm ... not right there, but in between 1.5-2.0. Is that where I should be ?

 

[melypr1985]

So I ran my first copper test today and I am at 1.5 ppm ... not right there, but in between 1.5-2.0. Is that where I should be ?

As long as you are at or above 1.5 and not above 2 then you are good to go.