Sick hippo

[Twocorns]

Hello all

Back story, I had my hippo (and 2 other fish) in qt for about 25 days now. Copper was around 2.65 the whole time. Around day 14, my hippo developed weird spots (they looked hollow, bite like), then I did a full water change, and his sores/spots went away in a week. It's now day 25 and his sores/spots are back. He's the only fish with this crap. Anyone know what is on him? I hope these photos can show his sores.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

 

[clownfishmama]

I THINK that’s ich. Especially if the spots are white check with your LFS before taking any action

 

[Twocorns]

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all

Back story, I had my hippo (and 2 other fish) in qt for about 25 days now. Copper was around 2.65 the whole time. Around day 14, my hippo developed weird spots (they looked hollow, bite like), then I did a full water change, and his sores/spots went away in a week. It's now day 25 and his sores/spots are back. He's the only fish with this crap. Anyone know what is on him? I hope these photos can show his sores.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

Please repost with fish in the water under white light intensity. Impossible to confirm with fish out of water not to mention the stress imposed on the fish

 

[Twocorns]

He eats everything, and he does scratch against the qt PVC pipes. But I don't really see clear white spots (I guess they fell off?)

 

[clownfishmama]

My clownfish had something similar he had some sort of white bump on his fin and chin it got worse to the point where pieces of flesh was showing on the fin and he couldn’t swim properly. And eventually he died

 

[Twocorns]

Here's a video of my hippo.

 

[Twocorns]

My clownfish had something similar he had some sort of white bump on his fin and chin it got worse to the point where pieces of flesh was showing on the fin and he couldn’t swim properly. And eventually he died

What's weird is he had it 10 days ago and it disappeared. And now this crap is back.

 

[Goaway]

Ich.

Ich comes in small, goes away. Comes back bigger, goes away... evetually infesting the fish and fish is eventually overwhelmed. Think of ich as if they were tics. Not joking.

 

[Twocorns]

Ich.

Ich comes in small, goes away. Comes back bigger, goes away... evetually infesting the fish and fish is eventually overwhelmed. Think of ich as if they were tics. Not joking.

I guess my copper didn't do zilch to any ich tomonts in the last 25 days. Wonder if I shoukd buy a new bottle?

 

[Goaway]

I guess my copper didn't do zilch to any ich tomonts in the last 25 days. Wonder if I shoukd buy a new bottle?

I dont think copper goes bad. How are you measuring the copper levels?

 

[Twocorns]

Hannah checker.

 

[Goaway]

Maybe @vetteguy53081 can figure out why copper didn't eliminate the ich.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Here's a video of my hippo.

These are Mucus cones which this fish is susceptible to and likely mixed with ich and may have started with skin irritation. Problem is, this rarely goes away and protozoans likely reproduced. I believe you stated you treated for 10 days. If so, 10 days is not enough and assuming you used coppersafe, it takes this product 2-3 for it to take effect. You want to treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.15-2.25 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

I guess my copper didn't do zilch to any ich tomonts in the last 25 days. Wonder if I shoukd buy a new bottle?

If it is ich and the copper treatment didn't work (ironically, 2.65 ppm copper is actually higher than recommended), then you could try hyposalinity (1.009 for 30 days), but I'd check with @Jay Hemdal to make sure that ich is the issue here first.

To check, though, is it possible your Hanna reagent is bad somehow?

 

[Twocorns]

If it is ich and the copper treatment didn't work (ironically, 2.65 ppm copper is actually higher than recommended), then you could try hyposalinity (1.009 for 30 days), but I'd check with @Jay Hemdal to make sure that ich is the issue here first.

To check, though, is it possible your Hanna reagent is bad somehow?

I don't have another copper checker, but I did follow the CopperPower calculator pretty closely when dosing, so I do believe the 2.65 copper reading is correct.

 

[Twocorns]

These are Mucus cones which this fish is susceptible to and likely mixed with ich and may have started with skin irritation. Problem is, this rarely goes away and protozoans likely reproduced. I believe you stated you treated for 10 days. If so, 10 days is not enough and assuming you used coppersafe, it takes this product 2-3 for it to take effect. You want to treat with Coppersafe or Copper Power at therapeutic level 2.15-2.25 For a FULL 30 days (do not interrupt this 30 day period) monitored by a reliable Copper Test kit such as Hanna Brand- No API brand. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.

Hey Vettguy,

The fish have been in copperpower for 25 days, but this first appeared at the 10 day mark, did a copper water change, issue went away, and has now resurfaced today, on the 25th day. CopperPower has been around 2.60PPM the whole time, with a ammonia being tested via seachem badge and aeration provided by a surface agitating wave maker. And, copper has been tested every few days with hannah checker. 2 different batches of hannah reagent have been used, with each result almost being equal (.02 difference between reagent batches.)

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Can you post a video of the fish swimming normally under white light?

It doesn't look like ick to me. I am not at all an expert, but if I saw that and at those intervals, I would tjink its damage from scratching off flukes. Unless those white spots look more prominent while in water.

I don't think only 1 fisb would get a repeat case of ich, I would think round 2 it would be on other fish. But so would flukes soooo idk.

Just my thought, again I am no where near the expert the rest of these guys are, but I would think a normal video or pictures would be far better than the top shot shallow water.

 

[Twocorns]

Sure, I'll upload something tomorrow.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Sure, I'll upload something tomorrow.

Are you using coppersafe? The full dose for that at is 2.25 ppm, but most fish tolerate up to 2.5. I’m not sure at what point you’ll start seeing toxic reactions, I’ve never gone above 2.55

This well could be mucus plugs on the tang - copper does cause that.

I may see better with the new video.

Jay