I had an ich outbreak in my DT about 26 days ago, and yanked all of my fish out of the tank, moved into multiple QT tanks. I have way more fish than tanks, and some would kill each other, so they are split over 7 QT tanks of different sizes.
I consistently treated all of the tanks with Copper Power in the 2.2-2.5 range, other than my lionfish which is in hyposalinity maintained by an ATO.
All tanks have airstones and HOB filters with only rocks and foam for bio-media.
History
Up to day 12/13 everything is fine.
- The few fish that showed spots had them go away.
- Everyone was eating
- I monitored ammonia closely with Seachem badges and Hanna checker, and most tanks got a 80-90% water change every other day to keep ammonia down.
Around day 12, I decided to pro-actively treat with General Cure in addition to the copper. I know this is frowned upon and I wish I could undo it, but there were a few people on here saying they regularly use GC + Copper without issue. And I had previously used PraziPro in the past with copper a few times, with no bad results, despite it being worse because of the liquid form containing a solvent (I didn't know at the time).
Day 13, everything was fine.
Around day 14 I noticed two fish breathing heavily, Copperband and Purple Tang, both in the same tank. Did an 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 16 the Copperband, Purple Tang, and two damsels in that tank were dead. Another 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 17, no deaths, double-checked that copper levels are correct in all tanks. Large Powder Blue tang in other tank is breathing heavy, as well as most remaining fish in first group of deaths.
On day 20 two more dead damsels. dead cleaner wrasse and dead royal gramma. Another 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 22, also dead Marine Betta in another tank, and Maroon Clown in the same tank. Powder Blue dies too.
On day 24, two dead Perc clowns in a so-far uneffected tank.
Now we're on day 26 and my Coris wrasse (same tank as the last two percs) is crashed on the bottom and breathing heavily. My Magnificent Foxface is moving well, but also breathing very heavy (same tank as the Powder Blue that died a week or so ago).
Overview
Over the space of about 12 days, I've lost about 14 fish across 4 of the 7 tanks.
- None of them showed any spots or symptoms other than breathing heavily
- Most went from first symtoms to death in 2-3 days at most.
- All of them were in Copper-treated tanks for the entire duration, up until the last couple days when I've started suspecting copper toxicity and backing it off.
- All of them had the same treatment of copper + GC.
- Some I've tried to save with peroxide dips or methylene blue dips, with no effect.
- It's not ammonia, the badges and testing show that, and I do frequent water changes.
Survivors
Oddly, not all are effected.
- One entire tank, the most heavily stocked, with 5 Anthias, a Tomini Tang, Firefish, Redhead Goby has had no deaths and no effects
- 7 Chromis in the tank with the most, and fastest fatalities, were completely uneffected and fine.
- Two Bluethroat triggers, in separate tanks with deaths, also uneffected so far.
- Two rabbitfish mostly uneffected, one breathing a bit hard, but has been for awhile.
Questions
- Velvet seems like the obvious answer, but this many deaths with no spots? Only gills? How can it survive 2.3-2.5 copper power?
- Could it be copper toxicity at some point that is just catching up with them? I have stopped copper two days ago in case.
- Would the GC + Copper Power really have created this much trouble? Why are some completely fine? Even sensitive stuff like Anthias?
- Are there options I haven't tried?
- Are there drug conflicts I haven't thought of?
- I have sporadically added anti-biotics (Metroplex/Kanaplex/Sulfaplex) at different times to see if it had any effect, but did not.
- I just tried adding 1ml per 3gal of peroxide to a few tanks in case it's Velvet. Good idea/bad idea?
I consistently treated all of the tanks with Copper Power in the 2.2-2.5 range, other than my lionfish which is in hyposalinity maintained by an ATO.
All tanks have airstones and HOB filters with only rocks and foam for bio-media.
History
Up to day 12/13 everything is fine.
- The few fish that showed spots had them go away.
- Everyone was eating
- I monitored ammonia closely with Seachem badges and Hanna checker, and most tanks got a 80-90% water change every other day to keep ammonia down.
Around day 12, I decided to pro-actively treat with General Cure in addition to the copper. I know this is frowned upon and I wish I could undo it, but there were a few people on here saying they regularly use GC + Copper without issue. And I had previously used PraziPro in the past with copper a few times, with no bad results, despite it being worse because of the liquid form containing a solvent (I didn't know at the time).
Day 13, everything was fine.
Around day 14 I noticed two fish breathing heavily, Copperband and Purple Tang, both in the same tank. Did an 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 16 the Copperband, Purple Tang, and two damsels in that tank were dead. Another 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 17, no deaths, double-checked that copper levels are correct in all tanks. Large Powder Blue tang in other tank is breathing heavy, as well as most remaining fish in first group of deaths.
On day 20 two more dead damsels. dead cleaner wrasse and dead royal gramma. Another 80% waterchange and adjusted the copper back to 2.3.
On day 22, also dead Marine Betta in another tank, and Maroon Clown in the same tank. Powder Blue dies too.
On day 24, two dead Perc clowns in a so-far uneffected tank.
Now we're on day 26 and my Coris wrasse (same tank as the last two percs) is crashed on the bottom and breathing heavily. My Magnificent Foxface is moving well, but also breathing very heavy (same tank as the Powder Blue that died a week or so ago).
Overview
Over the space of about 12 days, I've lost about 14 fish across 4 of the 7 tanks.
- None of them showed any spots or symptoms other than breathing heavily
- Most went from first symtoms to death in 2-3 days at most.
- All of them were in Copper-treated tanks for the entire duration, up until the last couple days when I've started suspecting copper toxicity and backing it off.
- All of them had the same treatment of copper + GC.
- Some I've tried to save with peroxide dips or methylene blue dips, with no effect.
- It's not ammonia, the badges and testing show that, and I do frequent water changes.
Survivors
Oddly, not all are effected.
- One entire tank, the most heavily stocked, with 5 Anthias, a Tomini Tang, Firefish, Redhead Goby has had no deaths and no effects
- 7 Chromis in the tank with the most, and fastest fatalities, were completely uneffected and fine.
- Two Bluethroat triggers, in separate tanks with deaths, also uneffected so far.
- Two rabbitfish mostly uneffected, one breathing a bit hard, but has been for awhile.
Questions
- Velvet seems like the obvious answer, but this many deaths with no spots? Only gills? How can it survive 2.3-2.5 copper power?
- Could it be copper toxicity at some point that is just catching up with them? I have stopped copper two days ago in case.
- Would the GC + Copper Power really have created this much trouble? Why are some completely fine? Even sensitive stuff like Anthias?
- Are there options I haven't tried?
- Are there drug conflicts I haven't thought of?
- I have sporadically added anti-biotics (Metroplex/Kanaplex/Sulfaplex) at different times to see if it had any effect, but did not.
- I just tried adding 1ml per 3gal of peroxide to a few tanks in case it's Velvet. Good idea/bad idea?