I have a 4 1/2" Blue Hippo that has been in a 55 gal QT. The fish came in showing signs of ich after 2 days so I started ramping up cupramine over the course of 3 days to get it to .5mg using the salifert test kit. The ich has went away but it looks like it has left larger spots which look like scars? I have treated ich on a few fish but have never seen this. I pulled the fish yesterday for a 5 min FW dip and I did not see any flukes which was my second thought to ich. Do I need to be doing something else or just wait out the copper treatment? I plan on doing metro and prazi after the copper is done.
Ich Scars Blue Hippo?
- Thread starter Hokie125
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HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Looks like the spots are still healing. How long has the fish been in therapeutic copper?
You just want to watch out for a secondary bacterial infection.
It can take a week or two to fully heal.
You just want to watch out for a secondary bacterial infection.
It can take a week or two to fully heal.
Thanks for the quick reply! It has been at therapeutic levels for 12 days, I am probably overreacting on this one but better safe than sorry I guess! I am having a hard time getting it to eat as well. The only thing I have had any luck with is green nori which it will take a few bites of but that's it. It doesn't look skinny but I have tried frozen brine, frozen mysis, reef frenzy, and spirulina flake. Any other suggestions?
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Try live blackworms or live brine.
Are you going to transfer to a 2nd tank after 14 days. Or using same tank for 30?
If you can move to second sterile QT at the 14 day therapeutic mark the fish will likely begin to eat. They don't need a ton of food in QT. It would make me feel better about it if it were eating a little frozen.
I have a 29 gal I can move it to, I was thinking since its a decent size fish I would use the 55. Come to find out Blue Hippos don't tend to move much in QT tanks, just stays in the corner and makes a knocking noise when I come close to the tank! Definitely a strange fish, lol
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
They are very nervous fish for sure.
lagatbezan
Well-Known Member
They like to wedge themselves under rocks and hide so it's important to have somewhere it can hide and feel safe while in qt. Sometimes this also can causes their skin to have scrapes and white marks.
True statement! My wife called me yesterday while I was working and told me it was dead! It was just wedged under one of the 4" PVC Tee's I have in there. I had a minor panic attack until she told me its gills were moving.
HotRocks
Fish Fanatic!
Normal behavior for a blue hippo. They are strange fish.
