Velvet dilemma please help!

[greetl01]

Ive quarantined and treated full dose (according bottle) API test is useless and my Hanna checker from Amazon arrival date has now been updated from Tuesday to Wednesday. Assuming the 40 drops I added, According to the instructions on the bottle, is m therapeutic, I now need to do a water change and will need to get the copper levels back up to it.

1. Should I chance waiting in the Checker to do the water change? Luckily I had a sponge cycling in my display tank that I used in my QT. it was good and slimy too. I might be ok ammonia wise.

2. Or do I absolutely need to do that water change? If so what’s a good estimate of what should be added if I do a 50% water change on a 10 gallon?

3. I checked 3 different pet stores and none of them carried Hanna checkers. Does any sell them offline?? I’m willing to go pick one up today if I have to.

 

[Marco S]

I am not sure why you are doing a water change and what medication you are using, but it would be simple math to get it back to the proper dose. If you dosed 40 drops and do a 50% water change, then you would need to dose the new water with 20 drops.

On a side note: I always try to avoid water changes while doing QT, but it is pretty hard when using smaller tanks. if the Nitrate gets too high I will do it, but I have never, ever had to do a water change because of Ammonia or Nitrite. Did you use any bottled bacteria along with the seeded sponge?

Also, you should have an Ammonia badge in your QT. I get them off Amazon and they are really cheap, but in a pinch you can get them from any PetSmart or Petco for around $10 give or take...

 

[greetl01]

I am not sure why you are doing a water change and what medication you are using, but it would be simple math to get it back to the proper dose. If you dosed 40 drops and do a 50% water change, then you would need to dose the new water with 20 drops.

On a side note: I always try to avoid water changes while doing QT, but it is pretty hard when using smaller tanks. if the Nitrate gets too high I will do it, but I have never, ever had to do a water change because of Ammonia or Nitrite. Did you use any bacteria along with the seeded sponge?

If I dosed 40 drop undiluted, then dropping 20 drops in to replace copper diluted with water is going to put me way high. I did not use any bottle bacteria. Only seeded sponge. I’m using cupramine

 

[Marco S]

If I dosed 40 drop undiluted, then dropping 20 drops in to replace copper diluted with water is going to put me way high. I did not use any bottle bacteria. Only seeded sponge. I’m using cupramine

Not sure where you are going with the diluted and undiluted... but if it took 40 drops to reach therapeutic levels in a 10 gallon...and you take 5 gallons out and replace it with 5 gallons of fresh saltwater...it will take half the amount of drops to get that 5 gallons to the therapeutic level to match the therapeutic levels in the 5 gallons left in your tank...am I missing something???

 

[greetl01]

I am not sure why you are doing a water change and what medication you are using, but it would be simple math to get it back to the proper dose. If you dosed 40 drops and do a 50% water change, then you would need to dose the new water with 20 drops.

On a side note: I always try to avoid water changes while doing QT, but it is pretty hard when using smaller tanks. if the Nitrate gets too high I will do it, but I have never, ever had to do a water change because of Ammonia or Nitrite. Did you use any bottled bacteria along with the seeded sponge?

Also, you should have an Ammonia badge in your QT. I get them off Amazon and they are really cheap, but in a pinch you can get them from any PetSmart or Petco for around $

Not sure where you are going with the diluted and undiluted... but if it took 40 drops to reach therapeutic levels in a 10 gallon...and you take 5 gallons out and replace it with 5 gallons of fresh saltwater...it will take half the amount of drops to get that 5 gallons to the therapeutic level to match the therapeutic levels in the 5 gallons left in your tank...am I missing something???

That’s what I was thinking too but then I thought about evaporation making the water more concentrated and I also remember reading that it degrades....I’m probably over thinking it. I just don’t want to do more damage than what’s already done you know. I’ll probably hold off on water changes bc the dots fell off. They should be free swimming now right? I don’t want to interrupt the process and the ammonia badge is yellow. Hopefully the dosage instructions are accurate and it’s killing them. Thanks

 

[Marco S]

That’s what I was thinking too but then I thought about evaporation making the water more concentrated and I also remember reading that it degrades....I’m probably over thinking it. I just don’t want to do more damage than what’s already done you know. I’ll probably hold off on water changes bc the dots fell off. They should be free swimming now right? I don’t want to interrupt the process and the ammonia badge is yellow. Hopefully the dosage instructions are accurate and it’s killing them. Thanks

Are you topping off the water with RODI water? Depending on how much evaporation you have it may or may not be an issue. I always mark the spot I fill the water to on my QT and top it off as needed to account for evaporation. I am not sure about the copper degradation, so I cannot speak to that, but I have never experienced it myself in the amount of time it takes to QT fish. Maybe if left for a much longer time that would be an issue.

I know it won't help now, but for future reference, CopperPower has a much larger therapeutic range and is easier to account for in water changes. I always keep it above 2.0, but sometimes fluctuates between 2.1 and 2.3 doing water changes and that is perfectly fine with CoperPower. It is also supposed to be a lot less stressful on the fish. For those reasons I always use it instead of Cupramine or other brands.

Good luck with your QT!

 

[greetl01]

Are you topping off the water with RODI water? Depending on how much evaporation you have it may or may not be an issue. I always mark the spot I fill the water to on my QT and top it off as needed to account for evaporation. I am not sure about the copper degradation, so I cannot speak to that, but I have never experienced it myself in the amount of time it takes to QT fish. Maybe if left for a much longer time that would be an issue.

I know it won't help now, but for future reference, CopperPower has a much larger therapeutic range and is easier to account for in water changes. I always keep it above 2.0, but sometimes fluctuates between 2.1 and 2.3 doing water changes and that is perfectly fine with CoperPower. It is also supposed to be a lot less stressful on the fish. For those reasons I always use it instead of Cupramine or other brands.

Good luck with your QT!

I know but none of the stores I went to carried it and 1 of my fish already was on its death bed. I ordered some with my Hanna checker for the next time I quarantine something though. Thanks for the help. It’s tough getting replies in this section of the forum LOL

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

That’s what I was thinking too but then I thought about evaporation making the water more concentrated and I also remember reading that it degrades....I’m probably over thinking it. I just don’t want to do more damage than what’s already done you know. I’ll probably hold off on water changes bc the dots fell off. They should be free swimming now right? I don’t want to interrupt the process and the ammonia badge is yellow. Hopefully the dosage instructions are accurate and it’s killing them. Thanks

Be sure to measure the actual volume of the tank! Don’t dos for 10 gallons, as it probably only holds 8.2 gallons.
Measure the inside length and width in inches, then the water depth. Multiply those 3 numbers and divide by 231. That will give you actual water volume. I presume no displacement of water by rocks like there would be in a DT.
Evaporation, during the short course of a treatment, is of no consequence.
Jay

 

[greetl01]

Be sure to measure the actual volume of the tank! Don’t dos for 10 gallons, as it probably only holds 8.2 gallons.
Measure the inside length and width in inches, then the water depth. Multiply those 3 numbers and divide by 231. That will give you actual water volume. I presume no displacement of water by rocks like there would be in a DT.
Evaporation, during the short course of a treatment, is of no consequence.
Jay

thanks. Will have to bookmark for next time. Gramma is barely moving at this point. I’m thinking about euthanizing. This parasite is brutal to watch work.