QT mortalities

[siffuz]

Hi, please help! I’m new to saltwater aquariums and am trying to follow all advice from Humble Fish re quarantine but I’ve now killed two blue tangs
In my latest fail I slowly raised copper to over a week to 1.13ppm verified with Hanna hr copper checker, increased aeration from my previous fail but the fish still died!
please, I don’t want to kill any more fish, but why is my QT failing ?
thank you

 

[threebuoys]

Need a little more info,

size of tank,
temp,
salinity,
ammonia (which test kit?),
nitrate (which test kit?),
pH,
other fish in same QT,
pictures,
visual signs of infection/injury,
eating?,
which copper product,
size of tangs.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi, please help! I’m new to saltwater aquariums and am trying to follow all advice from Humble Fish re quarantine but I’ve now killed two blue tangs
In my latest fail I slowly raised copper to over a week to 1.13ppm verified with Hanna hr copper checker, increased aeration from my previous fail but the fish still died!
please, I don’t want to kill any more fish, but why is my QT failing ?
thank you

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

In addition to the supplemental information asked for, taking a week to raise the copper is a mistake. I don't understand how this idea got so firmly entrenched in the hobby, but what happens is that diseases can gain a foothold while you are slowly ramping the copper up - copper doesn't work until you hit 90% or so of the full dose, so every day you spend below that is a risk. I suspect this idea got its start back in the days of using copper sulfate/citric acid, You needed to ramp that up over two days or sensitive species would have a reaction. That got over extrapolated to all species, and then the time got lengthened.

Cupramine should be raised to full dose in 48 hours. Coppersafe and Copper Power 12 hours or so. You need a good test kit of course.

The three biggest issues I see with quarantine tanks is acquiring poor quality fish, uncontrolled ammonia and/or improper copper usage.

Jay

 

[siffuz]

Hi, so I lost 2 tangs separately, bought from different sources. Both appeared healthy and eating/swimming fine until copper levels reached the 1.0ppm. And both died within hours after that.
Tank is 40L
Temp 25-26oC
Salinity within range of my hydrometer
Ammonia 0.001 (monitored with Seneye)
Nitrate negligible (API test kit)
PH 7.5ish
No other fish
Fish were about 5-6cm
Have a HOB filter and I added an airstone after the first death, thinking that mightve been the issue.
Im using Reef Revolution Quarantine (Cupramine out of stock)
Using Hanna high copper checker.

 

[threebuoys]

I'm not familiar with the product you used, I failed to notice earlier you are in Australia. I notice in the instructions for Reef Revolution Quarantine the recommended dose is 0.10 to 0.20 ppm. You indicated you dosed at 1.0ppm. Was that a typo?

Cupramine and copper power have different formulas, as a result the cupramine dosage recommendation is 0.5 ppm while Copper Power recommendation is 2.5 ppm. Your product appears to be different than either of these.

Also, cupramine must not be used with dechlorinators or ammonia removers, not sure about Reef Revoluition.

 

[siffuz]

I'm not familiar with the product you used, I failed to notice earlier you are in Australia. I notice in the instructions for Reef Revolution Quarantine the recommended dose is 0.10 to 0.20 ppm. You indicated you dosed at 1.0ppm. Was that a typo?

Cupramine and copper power have different formulas, as a result the cupramine dosage recommendation is 0.5 ppm while Copper Power recommendation is 2.5 ppm. Your product appears to be different than either of these.

Also, cupramine must not be used with dechlorinators or ammonia removers, not sure about Reef Revoluition.

Oh!! I thought that the copper level had to be above 1.5ppm to be therapeutic, but if I'm using this product it's different? Oh geez

 

[threebuoys]

Sorry, but if I read the instructions correctly for Reef Revolution, it appears you may have overdosed. The web site I found did not provide any specifics about the copper formula they use other than to say copper salts. You may want to research it a bit more.

 

[siffuz]

Sorry, but if I read the instructions correctly for Reef Revolution, it appears you may have overdosed. The web site I found did not provide any specifics about the copper formula they use other than to say copper salts. You may want to research it a bit more.

Yes, you're right- thank you so much! I didn't realise there was a difference between different copper solutions, my poor fish. At least now I know.

 

[Dolphins18]

Why are you treating fish that appear healthy with copper? That is just torture!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That simply is not true. Copper quarantine is the best way to ensure fish do not develop protozoan infections. It is a standard quarantine protocol, and is by no means “torture”.
Jay

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi, so I lost 2 tangs separately, bought from different sources. Both appeared healthy and eating/swimming fine until copper levels reached the 1.0ppm. And both died within hours after that.
Tank is 40L
Temp 25-26oC
Salinity within range of my hydrometer
Ammonia 0.001 (monitored with Seneye)
Nitrate negligible (API test kit)
PH 7.5ish
No other fish
Fish were about 5-6cm
Have a HOB filter and I added an airstone after the first death, thinking that mightve been the issue.
Im using Reef Revolution Quarantine (Cupramine out of stock)
Using Hanna high copper checker.

Oh! As you’ve heard, reef revolution is ionic copper sulfate/citric acid and should not be dosed above 0.22 ppm. Sorry to hear!
Jay

 

[siffuz]

Thanks everyone for your help, I appreciate it so much! Its so horrible to know that I killed my fish when I was just trying to give them the best care but now lessons have been learned and maybe my mistake will help others. And now I know it was a dosage problem, I actually feel really comfortable with my QT setup because apart from that, the fish were fine. So I got a new Tang today and copper is 0.14 and he is relaxed, eating well and things are looking good

 

[yentruoc]

Thanks everyone for your help, I appreciate it so much! Its so horrible to know that I killed my fish when I was just trying to give them the best care but now lessons have been learned and maybe my mistake will help others. And now I know it was a dosage problem, I actually feel really comfortable with my QT setup because apart from that, the fish were fine. So I got a new Tang today and copper is 0.14 and he is relaxed, eating well and things are looking good

im about to start a qt with rr quarantine, glad i saw this post so that i dont make the same mistake