Ich surviving copper? Firefish not getting better

[mikereefing]

Hey everyone. I pulled my firefish out of my nano tank on July 8 because it had what I presumed was ich. It looks like a few grains of salt on the body of the fish. Now this was one of my first fish in the hobby so I didn't QT (I know better now). So I started copper power and raised the level to 1.8 in the hospital tank. Two weeks later, there has been no improvement and I would assume the ich would've fallen off and died during the swimming stage. So I raised the level of copper to 2, thinking it might be a weird resistant strain. I also gave 1 dose of general cure in case. 3 weeks later at 2.0 of copper power, the presumed ich is still on the body. What am I dealing with here? The firefish is eating just fine.

 

[NinjaTiLL]

Is there a reason why you aren't using the recommendations on the Copper Power bottle to dose to 2.5ppm? I think I read on one of @Humblefish 's threads where he did recommend using a higher copper dose because of resistant strains and did recommend a full 2.5ppm dose when using CP. I'll see if I can find the article.

Sorry I can't answer anything specific about the fish. I'm a bit new to this.

 

[NinjaTiLL]

Here's the article I mentioned: https://humble.fish/community/index.php?threads/quarantine.2/

 

[MnFish1]

1. Ich can take more than 2 days to 'fall off' - especially with a Lower temp- but its unclear - if the 'same spots' are still there after 2 weeks - that suggests a different disease - if they are spots in different areas - it could ich (cryptocaryon)
2. You're not using the Copper Power according to instructions
3. You also should think about what you're going to do with the rest of the fish in the tank (if any) - normally - you would leave your display tank fallow for 76 days - and any other fish should also be treated.
4. I'm not sure that is 'cryptoxaryon' - but its really hard to see from your pictures.
Good Luck with the treatment - and the rest of your tank

 

[mikereefing]

Please click the picture to expand and see it in better detail.

@NinjaTiLL I was using this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/how-to-quarantine.189815/

In this thread on R2R, Humblefish states to raise it up to 2.0ppm. I'll try raising to 2.5ppm according to the updated thread you posted. I always try to use the lowest dosage if possible to treat since copper is, to my understanding, a "poison" as well.

@MnFish1 I've been running copper for over 5 weeks, with 3 weeks at levels 2.0 fluctuating to 2.1 depending on water evaporation in my QT tank. Temp is at 80-81F consistently, which would've actually helped . I am well aware of the other issues regarding the rest of the fish and fallow period so that's why I never asked for what to do for the rest of my tank/fish.

 

[MnFish1]

Please click the picture to expand and see it in better detail.

@MnFish1 I've been running copper for over 5 weeks, with 3 weeks at levels 2.0 fluctuating to 2.1 depending on water evaporation in my QT tank. Temp is at 80-81F consistently, which would've actually helped . I am well aware of the other issues regarding the rest of the fish and fallow period so that's why I never asked for what to do for the rest of my tank/fish.

To my looking at the picture (expanded) - it does not look like CI - which is usually more scattered on fins, etc. And apologetically - the pictures are not the best - but its hard to do on a white fish - of course. The problem - I think with what you're saying is that copper does not affect the 'CI' on the fish - only the free-swimming version - thus - if you still have the same 'spots' for 5 weeks - its not CI - and has nothing to do with copper or dosing. Like I asked (maybe you missed it) - if the spots are on different locations - and recurring over 5 weeks - the choices are either 2 low a dose - or a resistant strain - or something else.

PS - is the fish having any symptoms - scratching, etc - are there other fish in the tank - if so - are they having symptoms? You mention that you didnt QT this fish but you did the others - but your OP was a little unclear as to what you did with the rest of the fish - because - even they were QT'd - if they were exposed to this fish - they also need to be treated. There are lots of disease experts here - that can probably add more.

 

[mikereefing]

To my looking at the picture (expanded) - it does not look like CI - which is usually more scattered on fins, etc. And apologetically - the pictures are not the best - but its hard to do on a white fish - of course. The problem - I think with what you're saying is that copper does not affect the 'CI' on the fish - only the free-swimming version - thus - if you still have the same 'spots' for 5 weeks - its not CI - and has nothing to do with copper or dosing. Like I asked (maybe you missed it) - if the spots are on different locations - and recurring over 5 weeks - the choices are either 2 low a dose - or a resistant strain - or something else.

PS - is the fish having any symptoms - scratching, etc - are there other fish in the tank - if so - are they having symptoms? You mention that you didnt QT this fish but you did the others - but your OP was a little unclear as to what you did with the rest of the fish - because - even they were QT'd - if they were exposed to this fish - they also need to be treated. There are lots of disease experts here - that can probably add more.

There is no abnormal behavior (scratching , rubbing, etc) that I have noticed. The other fish in the tank (two clowns) have no spots or any of the aforementioned behaviors. I don't precisely remember the number of spots on the fish since the beginning (earlier pictures weren't great either), but there are three spots on the right side of the fish that I remember were at the same spot since the beginning. I also remember the number of spots increased since the day I noticed the "ich" and the day I QTed the fish (2 days later). You brought up the point that it may or may not be ich... I'm starting to feel the same. I don't think this would be stand that's stuck...the fish has been caught in the net a couple of times and has been swimming around so much.