Powder Blue sudden death in copper.

[The Mighty Afu]

Hello everyone!
I had a powder blue tang that I had been treating in copper power. Has been at therapeutic between 2.35-2.5 for the last 24 days. It was in a cycled 40 gallon breeder with 4 anthias. Per seachem alert and Red Sea ammonia test it has consistently been zero.
The fish had been doing great. Always ready for food and would eat anything I dropped in. Until yesterday I started to notice some lethargy. I started to set up a 55 gallon to get him out of the copper since it was past 14, but I didn’t quite make it. My guess is copper stress or maybe just over feeding a 40 gallon because of the anthias.
The one thing I did notice after I pulled it out was one sore behind its fin. Never noticed it before I pulled it out. Any thoughts to this?
Ignore the black spot on the yellow back fin. That’s bleeding through from the towel. No other spots or sores that I can see. All other fish still doing great. Doing a 75% water change just in case.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello everyone!
I had a powder blue tang that I had been treating in copper power. Has been at therapeutic between 2.35-2.5 for the last 24 days. It was in a cycled 40 gallon breeder with 4 anthias. Per seachem alert and Red Sea ammonia test it has consistently been zero.
The fish had been doing great. Always ready for food and would eat anything I dropped in. Until yesterday I started to notice some lethargy. I started to set up a 55 gallon to get him out of the copper since it was past 14, but I didn’t quite make it. My guess is copper stress or maybe just over feeding a 40 gallon because of the anthias.
The one thing I did notice after I pulled it out was one sore behind its fin. Never noticed it before I pulled it out. Any thoughts to this?
Ignore the black spot on the yellow back fin. That’s bleeding through from the towel. No other spots or sores that I can see. All other fish still doing great. Doing a 75% water change just in case.

How were you measure if copper?
My suspect cause as your copper regime seems good is the fish which startles easily may have crashed into glass from getting spooked and went downhill rapidly
To confirm, fish was eating and breathing normal?

 

[The Mighty Afu]

How were you measure if copper?
My suspect cause as your copper regime seems good is the fish which startles easily may have crashed into glass from getting spooked and went downhill rapidly
To confirm, fish was eating and breathing normal?

Fish was breathing fast yesterday which is one of the things that started to concern me.
hanna checker for copper. I make sure cuvettes are cleaned properly and wipe them down once again before putting them in the checker. I am confident that the checker is accurate. I actually have two of the copper checkers. Always try to have a back up of all testing equipment.
I’ll throw it out there that I came down with the flu bad this week starting Tuesday. Didn’t get back on my feet until Thursday afternoon. Still fed the fish and did what I could but I could have missed something. I usually sit down at a chair near my quarantine tanks and try and take five minutes at a time to watch everything.
The sore, which I didn’t notice until I pulled it out surprised me. Honestly, not sure if it’s even a sore.
And thanks for the reply.
Alex

 

[vetteguy53081]

Fish was breathing fast yesterday which is one of the things that started to concern me.
hanna checker for copper. I make sure cuvettes are cleaned properly and wipe them down once again before putting them in the checker. I am confident that the checker is accurate. I actually have two of the copper checkers. Always try to have a back up of all testing equipment.
I’ll throw it out there that I came down with the flu bad this week starting Tuesday. Didn’t get back on my feet until Thursday afternoon. Still fed the fish and did what I could but I could have missed something. I usually sit down at a chair near my quarantine tanks and try and take five minutes at a time to watch everything.
The sore, which I didn’t notice until I pulled it out surprised me. Honestly, not sure if it’s even a sore.
And thanks for the reply.
Alex

behind the fin looks like a cyst and can even be a snail or such which often finds a fish upon death to feed of slime and body itself

 

[The Mighty Afu]

behind the fin looks like a cyst and can even be a snail or such which often finds a fish upon death to feed of slime and body itself

Thanks. Ultimately, I don’t know that I feel like that was the cause. Thanks for the reply. It’s frustrating not knowing the cause, but it may have just been a random event. Sincerely appreciate all the help.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Fish was breathing fast yesterday which is one of the things that started to concern me.
hanna checker for copper. I make sure cuvettes are cleaned properly and wipe them down once again before putting them in the checker. I am confident that the checker is accurate. I actually have two of the copper checkers. Always try to have a back up of all testing equipment.
I’ll throw it out there that I came down with the flu bad this week starting Tuesday. Didn’t get back on my feet until Thursday afternoon. Still fed the fish and did what I could but I could have missed something. I usually sit down at a chair near my quarantine tanks and try and take five minutes at a time to watch everything.
The sore, which I didn’t notice until I pulled it out surprised me. Honestly, not sure if it’s even a sore.
And thanks for the reply.
Alex

Tangs are not really sensitive to copper, and copper power is one of the milder copper products, so I don’t think that is the issue.
It could have been gill flukes.
Jay

 

[The Mighty Afu]

I’m in agreement about the copper. It’s what led me to make the post. I was shocked that the fish went downhill.
I did treat the tank with metro and General Cure. That’s been done for about 10 days. I did not do a freshwater dip while alive. Is there a solid way I can find out it if it is fill flukes after death. Would a quick dip still dislodge them.
Thanks

 

[jmichaelh7]

Too bad

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I’m in agreement about the copper. It’s what led me to make the post. I was shocked that the fish went downhill.
I did treat the tank with metro and General Cure. That’s been done for about 10 days. I did not do a freshwater dip while alive. Is there a solid way I can find out it if it is fill flukes after death. Would a quick dip still dislodge them.
Thanks

Sorry - just seeing this now. A FW dip on a freshly dead fish will show if it was flukes, but after 30 minutes or so, that trick doesn't work. Also, gill flukes are tough to see, you need a microscope.

If you dosed General Cure though, the flukes should have been knocked back by that, so I would revise my idea and say that it wasn't flukes - but I don't have another explanation for you.....

The anthias all still look good? Depending on the species, they tend to be much more sensitive to copper and other water conditions than tangs are.


Jay

 

[The Mighty Afu]

Sorry - just seeing this now. A FW dip on a freshly dead fish will show if it was flukes, but after 30 minutes or so, that trick doesn't work. Also, gill flukes are tough to see, you need a microscope.

If you dosed General Cure though, the flukes should have been knocked back by that, so I would revise my idea and say that it wasn't flukes - but I don't have another explanation for you.....

The anthias all still look good? Depending on the species, they tend to be much more sensitive to copper and other water conditions than tangs are.


Jay

 

[The Mighty Afu]

No problem Jay. Thanks again for the info. The anthias are still doing good. I did do a 50% water change with 2.5 ppm copper yesterday just as a precaution. I did lose one Anthia three weeks ago, but honestly think it was more bullying from being so much smaller than the other 4. Honestly, just a bit baffled on this one. I did try the freshwater dip, but as you said probably was a bit too late. I just can’t help but think I missed something when I went down sick last week.
Anyways, I appreciate the help from everyone. Happy to be part of this community after so many years of just lurking.
Alex