3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) dosing for parasites in a mixed reef tank (132G/500L)

[Saltees]

DEC13(DAY75) Calling it a day for 3% H202 dosing + UV at slightly over 10 weeks.

IMHO, it has kept my remaining 1/4 of fishes spot free for the last 2-3 weeks where the fishes are less inclined to seek the cleaner wrasse’s service.

My take away from this exercise is to (1) start early at the first sign of spots, (2) go straight to the day+night dosing and (3) to go for the long haul… expect 3-4 months not just 6 weeks.

Would I do H2O2 again? Probably only as a last resort as per the above scenario but much, much earlier. UV shall be on 24/7 regardless, as per what I’ve done for eons.

As of today I’m starting with 1.5ppm Copper Power in my display tank and raising to 2.5ppm over the next 48 hours. At 2.5ppm to hold for 30 days or more, 1 week to ”de-copper”, followed by Prazipro for another 2 weeks. Thereafter, likely an ICP, prior introducing my new scape And corals (currently laying fallow in holding tank).

Last but not least, I would like to thank the “fish medics”and y’all that chipped in; this is a painful but necessary journey. Do join me as I restart my tank over at…

Build Thread - REEFER 500 - STICKS & STICKS

Awesome!! Beautiful reef!

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Saltees]

An afterword on 3% H2O2 dosing.

During the 3 days of raising to therapeutic copper power of 2.5ppm starting with Day [email protected] with H2O2+UV off.

I do observe recurrence of ICH on fins and body of several fishes, though not severe but it’s certain.

However 2-3 days into therapeutic level of 2.5ppm, all signs of ICH are gone.

One thing I am sure, after 10 weeks of full day and night 3%H2O2 dosing, ICH is very much still present in my tank.

 

[Saltees]

Today marks the end of my 30 days copper treatment with 0 casualty on 40 fishes. Over this week I shall reduce down the copper to below 1ppm and start with the 2 weeks of praziquantel treatment and 2 weeks of observation.

The following are the readings from the HANNA COPPER HR tests.

132G/500L Display Tank w Copper Power @ 2.5ppm

DAY	DATE	AM	PM
01	16/12 F	2.44*	2.39
02	17/12 S	-	-
03	18/12 S	-	-
04	19/12 M	2.33	-
05	20/12 T	2.62*	-
06	21/12 W	2.30*	2.24
07	22/12 T	2.40	-
08	23/12 F	3.00*	2.83*
09	24/12 S	-	-
10	25/12 S	-	-
11	26/12 M	-	-
12	27/12 T	2.32	-
13	28/12 W	2.25	-
14	29/12 T	2.54*	-
15	30/12 F	2.47	-
16	31/12 S	-	-
17	01/01 S	-	-
18	02/01 M	-	-
19	03/01 T	2.14	2.36
20	04/01 W	2.50*	-
21	05/01 T	2.44	-
22	06/01 F	-	2.26
23	07/01 S	-	-
24	08/01 S	-	-
25	09/01 M	2.32	-
26	10/01 T	2.30	-
27	11/01 W	2.47*	-
28	12/01 T	2.29	-
29	13/01 F	-	2.33
30	14/01 S	-	-
31	15/01 S	-	-
32	16/01 M	2.61*	-

(*) No compensation dose needed.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Today marks the end of my 30 days copper treatment with 0 casualty on 40 fishes. Over this week I shall reduce down the copper to below 1ppm and start with the 2 weeks of praziquantel treatment and 2 weeks of observation.

The following are the readings from the HANNA COPPER HR tests.

132G/500L Display Tank w Copper Power @ 2.5ppm

DAY	DATE	AM	PM
01	16/12 F	2.44*	2.39
02	17/12 S	-	-
03	18/12 S	-	-
04	19/12 M	2.33	-
05	20/12 T	2.62*	-
06	21/12 W	2.30*	2.24
07	22/12 T	2.40	-
08	23/12 F	3.00*	2.83*
09	24/12 S	-	-
10	25/12 S	-	-
11	26/12 M	-	-
12	27/12 T	2.32	-
13	28/12 W	2.25	-
14	29/12 T	2.54*	-
15	30/12 F	2.47	-
16	31/12 S	-	-
17	01/01 S	-	-
18	02/01 M	-	-
19	03/01 T	2.14	2.36
20	04/01 W	2.50*	-
21	05/01 T	2.44	-
22	06/01 F	-	2.26
23	07/01 S	-	-
24	08/01 S	-	-
25	09/01 M	2.32	-
26	10/01 T	2.30	-
27	11/01 W	2.47*	-
28	12/01 T	2.29	-
29	13/01 F	-	2.33
30	14/01 S	-	-
31	15/01 S	-	-
32	16/01 M	2.61*	-

(*) No compensation dose needed.

Good to hear. Any time a treatment is changed mid-process, there is an increased risk of it not working - the disease gets a stronger foothold and is then difficult to eradicate.

I guess I didn't realize you had 40 fish in the system. Multiple tanks then? Prazi treatments on multiple tank systems can be a challenge. You need to ensure that a proportional dose is added to each section so it is dispersed evenly. Also, if you are moving all of the fish out at once, you might consider dosing a third time, to drop off any remaining flukes and then move the fish after 3 or 4 hours.

Jay

 

[Saltees]

Good to hear. Any time a treatment is changed mid-process, there is an increased risk of it not working - the disease gets a stronger foothold and is then difficult to eradicate.

I guess I didn't realize you had 40 fish in the system. Multiple tanks then? Prazi treatments on multiple tank systems can be a challenge. You need to ensure that a proportional dose is added to each section so it is dispersed evenly. Also, if you are moving all of the fish out at once, you might consider dosing a third time, to drop off any remaining flukes and then move the fish after 3 or 4 hours.

Jay

@Jay Hemdal Thanks for the head up.

All my 40 fishes are in my 123G/500L display tank for copper; besides the 6 tangs, the rest are relative small fishes like Wrasses and Anthias. All fishes have put on weight during the copper treatment.

Praziquantel treatment will also be in the actual display, once the copper has been lower to below 1ppm with water changes and Polyfilter mat. I’ll be leaving my skimmer on for aeration and be adding couple of air stones in due process. I’ll be adding PraziPro on day 1 and day 7 given my tank temperature is 25.5-26-5C.

Since every thing is done in the display without the need to remove the fishes, is a third dose at day 14 warranted as best practice?

Thereafter I will do an 50% water change and observe the fishes for another 2-3 weeks, before I would consider reintroducing my corals which are kept fallow in yet another holding tank, for 76days or more.

As it is the tank is void of rocks and sand, just PVC, ammonia is kept in check with abundant SEACHEM Matrix and Siporax (according to HUMBLE.FISH will not absorb COPPER) in the sump.

Only my banana eels are removed from the display during copper, and they will also be receiving praziquantel treatment in their own holding tank. Prior transferring them back to the above display, they will undergo a (14 day) 48 hour Tank Transfer Method, just in case they are hosting ICK and VELVET). Do you reckon anything more can be done to them?

With all that done, I certainly hope ICK, Velvet and Flukes are eradicated for good.

 

[Seymo44]

I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, and I am glad that you are dedicated to your hobby.

Speaking about your banana eels; I know some people us chloroquine phosphate as an ick treatment for copper sensitive fish. This may be an option for your eels.

 

[Saltees]

Th

I’m sorry to hear of your troubles, and I am glad that you are dedicated to your hobby.

Speaking about your banana eels; I know some people us chloroquine phosphate as an ick treatment for copper sensitive fish. This may be an option for your eels.

Thanks for chiming in.

It’s impossible to get CP from my end. Currently the eels are in their 250L tub going through Prazpro along with the main tank 500L.

When it’s time to transfer the eels to the main tank, I will do the 14 day 48/72 Hybrid TTM with 30mins 150ppm H2O2 dip every 6 days, which I had great result with Brook, Velvet and ICH on the new fishes and sick ones.

With the recent journey with copper, I have yet another option.

Seeing the current condition of my PBT and/or other tangs without the slightest hint of bump or spot on the skin is priceless. I have no regret deciding on 30 days copper, even though the prior 10 weeks of day and night 3% H2O2 dosing + UV seemed to stop ICH in its track, but I’m not certain if taken off the H2O2 dosing.

Moving forth after PraziPRro, I will keep the UV 24/7 regardless.

 

[Saltees]

@Jay Hemdal I'm on my 3rd/last dose of PRAZIPRO tomorrow. All my fishes are well and eating. As my QT is also my display tank, beside a large water change of 80% a week later, is there anything else you would reckon?

I am thinking of dosing 3%H202 (5ml per litre) to a level of 150ppm for a 30mins in tank bath for all the fishes prior to the above 80% Water Change.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

@Jay Hemdal I'm on my 3rd/last dose of PRAZIPRO tomorrow. All my fishes are well and eating. As my QT is also my display tank, beside a large water change of 80% a week later, is there anything else you would reckon?

I am thinking of dosing 3%H202 (5ml per litre) to a level of 150ppm for a 30mins in tank bath for all the fishes prior to the above 80% Water Change.

Why do you need to do an 80% water change? Prazi breaks down pretty quickly. Is there residual copper in the tank? I think two 50% water changes would be better, less of a shock.

I would NOT do a 150 ppm peroxide bath - in the first study in which this was done actually used 75 and 150 ppm and both seemed to work for Amyloodinium. It was not tested on Cryptocaryon. They note that mortality increases with water temperature and that different sized fish are affected differently. Then, most importantly, the fish were moved to new tank, not the one where the original infection was. This means that they did not have to worry if the peroxide would kill the resting tomonts or not.

Jay

 

[Saltees]

Why do you need to do an 80% water change? Prazi breaks down pretty quickly. Is there residual copper in the tank? I think two 50% water changes would be better, less of a shock.

I would NOT do a 150 ppm peroxide bath - in the first study in which this was done actually used 75 and 150 ppm and both seemed to work for Amyloodinium. It was not tested on Cryptocaryon. They note that mortality increases with water temperature and that different sized fish are affected differently. Then, most importantly, the fish were moved to new tank, not the one where the original infection was. This means that they did not have to worry if the peroxide would kill the resting tomonts or not.

Jay

Well noted Jay! The WC was more for the residual copper.

 

[Saltees]

Today marks the completion of 30 days Copper and 3 doses of PraziPRO. Water is hazy. I did 50% WC, start running carbon and Polyfilter, also turned on the skimmer and UV. All fishes are well except for 2 Anthias with ragged fins and cotton like growth on the fin edge. Will keep in view of the condition.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Today marks the completion of 30 days Copper and 3 doses of PraziPRO. Water is hazy. I did 50% WC, start running carbon and Polyfilter, also turned on the skimmer and UV. All fishes are well except for 2 Anthias with ragged fins and cotton like growth on the fin edge. Will keep in view of the condition.

The water shouldn't be "hazy". Are you monitoring the ammonia level?

How many anthias are in the tank? I ask because if you have a group and just two of them have ragged fins, then I would suspect aggression. Can you post pics?

Jay

 

[Saltees]

The water shouldn't be "hazy". Are you monitoring the ammonia level?

How many anthias are in the tank? I ask because if you have a group and just two of them have ragged fins, then I would suspect aggression. Can you post pics?

Jay

The SEACHEM Ammonia badge reads OK. My nutrient are as follow… PO4 is off the chart, NO3 is relatively low with the recent large water changed.

I managed to get a shot of one of the two troubled Anthias that’s constantly at the top corner of the tank…the white tuff at the edge of fin has subsided quite a bit. You do also notice the cloudy water, even with my 80W UV, fresh carbon and poly filter running for the past 48hrs. I’m running skimmer wet, and topping off with fresh salt water.