Kanaplex and live rock

[icliao]

I have a Powder Brown in holding tank (cleared PraziPro and Cupramine treatment for 30 days) for observation. It has been 1 month in a 100GL non medicated holding tank along with 10 other fish. The holding tank is fully cycled and has a skimmer, live rocks and a activated carbon filter. The fish has developed bacteria infection with fin rot and has lesion on it's body. It is otherwise active and have great appetite. All other fish seem unaffected. Is it time to pull it out for treatment? Also I do not have another treatment tank with cycled biological filter, is it possible to use live rock with Kanaplex?

 

[Instigate]

I would definitely treat him for the bacterial infection. If one of the more experienced people say different go with that, but from what I've read you can't use any rock or sand with any meds as they might absorb them. Also, you might want to go with Metroplex, Kanaplex and Furan-2. That's what they say is the best for bacterial infection. That or Nitrofuracin Green but again you would have to ask someone with more experience which would be better for your Powder Brown. And for biological filter I would use filter sponge material and add some Dr.Tims or Bio-Spira. I keep a huge piece of sponge filter in the sump of my DT so that I have a skip cycle on hand when needed.

 

[icliao]

I am definitely leaning towards treating the fish. The only problem is I don't have any established bio filter to use with the hospital tank. Will adding live rocks affect the antibiotic treatment? Any thought?

 

[Big G]

HOB filter with both the foam sponge and a bag of Biomax that have been soaked in Biospira or Dr Tim’s over night in a bowl. When done with the soak in the bowl, pour the liquid into the QT. Works great.

 

[Humblefish]

You really need to use antibiotics in a somewhat sterile QT.

The presence of LR/sand (and all the bacteria contained therein) will quickly biodegrade most medications: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/qt-and-biofilm.292878/

 

[icliao]

I wrote to Seachem and they send the following reply. Now I am kind of confused.

Seachem Support 10256 (Seachem Laboratories)

Apr 11, 09:48 ADT

Hi Liao,

Thank you for your email. No, we've not seen live rock have any impact on the concentration of medication in the water, but medication will tend to slow down the growth of bacteria colonies in an uncycled system. We recommend using an ammonia detoxifier like Prime regularly if you are attempting to medicate a tank that is still cycling.

Thank you,

Seachem Support
10256

 

[Humblefish]

The live rock itself may not absorb the medication, but the presence of biofilm in a mature DT will degrade it rapidly.

I suggest emailing Seachem back; and enquiring about biodegradation of Kanaplex, Metroplex and other medications from biofilm & heterotrophic bacteria which builds up in anaerobic regions of a DT.

 

[icliao]

I am treating the fish a 20g quarantine tank only. Since I don’t have any cycled sponge filter yet I am running a new sponge filter along with 3 pc of rock from my cycled observation tank without substrate to jump start the filter. The rocks do not have any growth on it. By the way, I found the powder Brown was beat up by a Orange shoulder tang which might be the may cause of the infection.

 

[deedubz]

Ditch the rock. For less than $20 you can purchase the bottled bacteria, a filter sponge, and a bag of biomax. All you have to do is soak the sponge and biomax in the bacteria in a bowl/tupperware for few hours and you'll have a seeded qt. It is literally that easy. Regardles of what Seachem (a business) says there's been a number of studies done that prove sand, rock, and the biofilm within an established tank, be it a dt or qt, will absorb and/or degrade medications.

 

[icliao]

Believe me all of my quarantine tanks and treatment tank has no substrate. This is kind of an emergency situation. I will get an Aquaforresr Pro Bio S and try to see if it acceslarates the seeding process.

 

[icliao]

Hi every again. It has been 5 days since the star of Kanaplex treatment on the Powder Brown tang and he seems to be doing great. I also gave away the Orange shoulder tang who did all these damage to him to a LFS. My question is based on the recommandation of Seachem, Kanaplex should be treated for 3 rounds each last 2 days. It will be the sixth day tomorrow and based on the photo is it Powder Brown ready to return to the holding tank? Or should I treat him for another few days? It has always been eating well since the beginning of the treatment.

Current condition

Before the treatment

 

[deedubz]

Awesome! Glad to hear he's doing better. Even though the instructions say max 3 doses on the bottle, you actually want to do a minimum of 5 doses(10 days)

 

[ReeferRod]

Hi I’ve looked at this thread with using rock and sand in a quarantine tank, which I find interesting. Did you medicate with the rock and sand, if so did it work?