POWDER BLUE STOPPED EATING IN QT

Bpfor3 · Feb 10, 2020

i have a powder blue, kole, purple, and orange shoulder in 40 gallon QT. I am at day 18 running copper power at 2.00. all fish doing well, eating miss and nori. i do a 5 gallon WC a week. last one was on saturday. today, i feed the usual, but the powder blue turns his hose up to it. he is just cruising around the tank, probably a little lethargically, but nothing to be alarmed at. i do see him flashing on the pvc, but i know my copper is correct. other fish are doing well. i soak the mysis in selcon, garlic and metroplex. soak the nori in selcon.

anyone with experience? if he does not perk up, i may do a larger WC. don't want to lower copper because my understanding is that is like hitting the reset button.

theMeat · Feb 10, 2020

Powder blue may be at the ich stage when the ich is leaving the fish. This will cause irritation, hence the flashing.
Stay your course

Bpfor3 · Feb 11, 2020

So i FW dipped him yesterday for 4 minutes. i think i saw some flukes at the bottom. he is back in qt. Breathing quit heavily. laying on the bottom, sometimes gets up and swims. interestingly he swims straight and to the left. he does not turn right. eyeballing him, he looks clean. not sure what is going on. The other tangs in QT look great. I don't know what else to do, but wait and see.

Thoughts?

Reef AquaCult · Feb 11, 2020

Are you treating with prazi? Consider prazi pro or general cure. What is copper medication, level and method of measurement?

NowGlazeIT · Feb 11, 2020

What is your treatment plan?

Bpfor3 · Feb 11, 2020

Reef AquaCult said:
Are you treating with prazi? Consider prazi pro or general cure. What is copper medication, level and method of measurement?

have not started prazi yet. copper guard at 2.0 using hanna checker. hesitant to use prazi at the same time. got 9 more days in copper to get to 30 days and then 100% water change. then will treat with prazi. ill post a video of him in a few hours. i appreciate any input.

IndyMatt · Feb 11, 2020

I am soaking new arrivals food in metro, kanaplex, and using focus to bind it to be on the safe side in case of internal parasites and or infections. However I wouldn't do anything drastic until you are sure it can recover, I wouldn't do any other dips.

I have gained a lot of info from this forum and I am sure someone can get you on the right track.

Bpfor3 · Feb 11, 2020

here is his current state. i had a marine betta in this same QT while my take was going fallow that also stopped eating. if you notice the slight discoloration of his pectoral fins. not sure if that is a sign of infection or not. i have metroplex, currently using in food, kana flex and furan 2 on hand, but not sure about using with copper.

Bpfor3 · Feb 12, 2020

he is doing better today, but started a round of furan2. have not fed yet but swimming better. on another note the small purple tang i have is a grade A ****** in QT. he might not make it to display.

IndyMatt · Feb 12, 2020

I have found fish on fish aggression in QT to be worse than the actual parasites I am trying to prevent.

Also you got to remember we are cramming fish in a small tank, once they get in the display they may not be as aggressive. You may want to get the other fish through QT and add them DT first then a week or so later add the purple.

Bpfor3 · Feb 13, 2020

ok. so day 2 on furan 2 and the powder blue is acting better and nibbling on some food. definitely looking up. 25% water change got 8 more days in 2.0 copper to get to my 30 days. if i can get them through that, and into some clean water, i would expect them to pull through. pic of Qt below.

Bpfor3 · Feb 17, 2020

update. powder blue is eating again and i think another 3-4 days of furan 2, we should be in the clear. 2/21 is day 30 of my copper treatment and i am just praying nothing else turns up. i think the fish will do much better out of the copper.

Bpfor3 · Feb 28, 2020

Monday will administer 2nd praziquantel treatment and then we are done with QT!!! All fish doing well, although the kole tang does not care for mysis too much, but he tears up the nori. will be 7.5 weeks for total QT process.

Ian Baxter · Mar 7, 2020

Bpfor3 said:
Monday will administer 2nd praziquantel treatment and then we are done with QT!!! All fish doing well, although the kole tang does not care for mysis too much, but he tears up the nori. will be 7.5 weeks for total QT process.

I’m in a similar situation. My PBT is in qt with 2 clowns. He was eating mysis and nori but stopped eating today. He’s been in qt for 12 days. 8 days over 1.5 ppm copper power and now 2 days over 2.0 ppm. Currently at 2.21 ppm. Not dosing anything other than copper power and prime. He is flashing on the pvc and had two white dots that are now gone. Any suggestions to get him eating again? Tried garlic tonight but no luck.

Bpfor3 · Mar 7, 2020

Ian Baxter said:
I’m in a similar situation. My PBT is in qt with 2 clowns. He was eating mysis and nori but stopped eating today. He’s been in qt for 12 days. 8 days over 1.5 ppm copper power and now 2 days over 2.0 ppm. Currently at 2.21 ppm. Not dosing anything other than copper power and prime. He is flashing on the pvc and had two white dots that are now gone. Any suggestions to get him eating again? Tried garlic tonight but no luck.

I would lower my copper to 2.0 and see if that starts him eating and continue lowering until he eats. Remember cooper is poison, so it can inhibit appetite . Mine had a bacterial infection and furan 2 knocked it out. You using a Hanna checker to test your
Copper levels?

Ian Baxter · Mar 7, 2020

Bpfor3 said:
I would lower my copper to 2.0 and see if that starts him eating and continue lowering until he eats. Remember cooper is poison, so it can inhibit appetite . Mine had a bacterial infection and furan 2 knocked it out. You using a Hanna checker to test your
Copper levels?

Yes, I am using Hanna checker. I’ll try lowering the copper. Thanks!!