TTM Failure on Moorish Idol

[4FordFamily]

Great, thanks. I have a seeded sponge filter in there right now for biological filtration. Will that absorb copper?

No it should not. I also wouldn’t rely on it to kickstart the cycle— I know many here say it works, I’ve NEVER had any luck with that. I still recommend you use it, but I’d also invest in bacteria in a bottle.

To be fair, I never seeded it for more than a month..

 

[puffy127]

It was seeded for over a month and it's already been running that QT for several months now. Thanks.

 

[Cnidoblast]

QT the moorish and get some chloroquine asap

 

[puffy127]

QT the moorish and get some chloroquine asap

It's been in the QT the whole time. I do not have access to CP and am planning on using coppersafe.

 

[4FordFamily]

I added this link for you regarding proper copper dosing, and to an earlier reply where I mentioned coppersafe dosage is wrong on the bottle.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/proper-dosing-of-coppersafe.309726/

 

[puffy127]

I added this link for you regarding proper copper dosing, and to an earlier reply where I mentioned coppersafe dosage is wrong on the bottle.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/proper-dosing-of-coppersafe.309726/

Thanks!

 

[4FordFamily]

Thanks!

No problem, good luck!

 

[puffy127]

I dosed Coppersafe last night and this morning. Will be dosing at night and morning to ramp up to therapeutic levels over 3-4 days, unless I am dealing with velvet, in which case I will get there quicker. I noticed more head twitching today and less vigorous appetite. He's still eating well, just not as vigorous as before. Here are some photos. What do you all think? ich or velvet?

 

[HotRocks]

Appetite suppression is normal. Just make sure he is eating, but showing less interest, and eating a bit less would be completely normal. Are you offering nori too? (Highly recommended).

 

[puffy127]

Yes, his usual foods - nori, NLS pellets, PE mysis, LRS Reef Frenzy, and live blackworms

 

[HotRocks]

Good deal. Looks like ich, from what I can see, hard to tell in pics. @4FordFamily , @Humblefish ?

How many gallon QT are you using?

 

[puffy127]

Good deal. Looks like ich, from what I can see, hard to tell in pics. @4FordFamily , @Humblefish ?

How many gallon QT are you using?

20g long QT with about 16 g of water in it.

 

[HotRocks]

Cool, so did you read links about proper dosing of coppersafe as bottle instructions are wrong? I shoot for 2.0 personally. Which for 16 gallons would equate to 6.5-7 capfuls or 32.5-35 ml if your measuring.

 

[puffy127]

Yes, I am aiming for between 1.75 ppm and 2.0 ppm, so around 32 ml.

 

[HotRocks]

Yes, I am aiming for between 1.75 ppm and 2.0 ppm, so around 32 ml.

Your on it!

 

[4FordFamily]

I actually think you may have velvet AND ich. I’ve not found idol to be sensitive to copper so increasing your timeline to 48-72 hours is not a bad idea. Several small doses each day will make this transition easier.

The spots near the tail look more like velvet to me while those lower by the anal fin look like ich (larger).

If they increase in number of vanish in the next 24-48 then it was velvet (much faster life cycle than ich)

 

[4FordFamily]

Also, for what it’s worth that’s a fat idol! Keep red nori in there they LOVE it.

If it stops eating ever the only thing I’ve been able to get them to start with again has been live mussels. Even that usually fails but it can “prime the pump” again for you, so to speak.

 

[Humblefish]

I actually think you may have velvet AND ich.

I agree. I've only treated MI with CP (and prazi) for the past 5-10 years, but if @4FordFamily says they do well in copper that's good enough for me.

 

[puffy127]

I'm on Day 12 of therapeutic levels of coppersafe (2 ml/gal). All white spots and bumps are off the fish. But he still has head twitching. If this were due to velvet/ich, when should it go away? Or do you think it might be flukes? He did undergo 2 doses of Prazi during TTM, prior to coppersafe. If flukes, I'm thinking of taking him out on Day 14, doing a formalin dip, then into a sterile QT.

See attached video for head twitching (really apparent around the one minute mark):

VID_20180222_194225

 

[Humblefish]

@eatbreakfast @4FordFamily Do MIs twitch their head as part of a feeding response (like butterflies)? (I can't remember.)