Added copper for possible ich, now second guessing

[koor]

View attachment 20250920_201421_08DA085E-7011-4D98-A063-47F93024018D.mov
Long story short, yesterday I noticed these white spots/bumps on one of my clownfish. This is a new tank and im very new to this hobby. I took these photos and videos to my LFS and they said it looks like ich and recommend I get cupramine. I took their advice and went home and appropriately dosed the cupramine. Admittedly I should’ve done my own research on copper treatments but here we are. Does this look like ich? Are these photos good enough to diagnose? I do not see any white spots or bumps anymore today. Did I just add copper and start a whole headache for myself for no reason? I feel so stupid right now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Long story short, yesterday I noticed these white spots/bumps on one of my clownfish. This is a new tank and im very new to this hobby. I took these photos and videos to my LFS and they said it looks like ich and recommend I get cupramine. I took their advice and went home and appropriately dosed the cupramine. Admittedly I should’ve done my own research on copper treatments but here we are. Does this look like ich? Are these photos good enough to diagnose? I do not see any white spots or bumps anymore today. Did I just add copper and start a whole headache for myself for no reason? I feel so stupid right now.

Its often difficult to determine on a very white fish. I see the spots as secondary bacterial lesions and would be associated with brook over protozoan issue and often confused with ich. If ich, spots will increase in both number and location by this time tomorrow and something to revisit midday tomorrow
Being a new tank, quarantining especially if these are wild caught is essential and not too late to do so. The risk of not quarantining is introduction of disease into your new system requiring waiting (fallow/fishless) period of 6-8 weeks to assure any given parasites die off, and exposure of infection to other mew fish added

 

[koor]

Long story short, yesterday I noticed these white spots/bumps on one of my clownfish. This is a new tank and im very new to this hobby. I took these photos and videos to my LFS and they said it looks like ich and recommend I get cupramine. I took their advice and went home and appropriately dosed the cupramine. Admittedly I should’ve done my own research on copper treatments but here we are. Does this look like ich? Are these photos good enough to diagnose? I do not see any white spots or bumps anymore today. Did I just add copper and start a whole headache for myself for no reason? I feel so stupid right now.

Its often difficult to determine on a very white fish. I see the spots as secondary bacterial lesions and would be associated with brook over protozoan issue and often confused with ich. If ich, spots will increase in both number and location by this time tomorrow and something to revisit midday tomorrow
Being a new tank, quarantining especially if these are wild caught is essential and not too late to do so. The risk of not quarantining is introduction of disease into your new system requiring waiting (fallow/fishless) period of 6-8 weeks to assure any given parasites die off, and exposure of infection to other mew fish added

So if I noticed the spots on Friday evening, then Saturday evening the spots were gone, is it safe to say it isn’t ich?

 

[vetteguy53081]

So if I noticed the spots on Friday evening, then Saturday evening the spots were gone, is it safe to say it isn’t ich?

Not necessarily as at times, protozoans will drop off and reproduce and return in numbers as they have various life stages

 

[koor]

There definitely aren’t more white dots this morning. I only see the bottom spot shown in picture #1.

 

[koor]

So if I noticed the spots on Friday evening, then Saturday evening the spots were gone, is it safe to say it isn’t ich?

Not necessarily as at times, protozoans will drop off and reproduce and return in numbers as they have various life stages

There definitely aren’t more white dots this morning. I only see the bottom spot shown in picture #1.

Not sure if you saw my other comment. I don’t think I replied to you. Still new to this app. Apologies!

 

[vetteguy53081]

There definitely aren’t more white dots this morning. I only see the bottom spot shown in picture #1.

At lights out they lessen. Check again around noon and see if they reappear
There isa possibility that they were also grains of sand that often stick to their bodies due to amount of protective mucus on their skin

 

[koor]

Ah I turned my lights off when I added the copper so algae didn’t get out of control. Maybe that’s why I don’t notice them as much. I turned the lights back on and I will check again in a couple hours when the daytime lights have been on for a bit. I will update you here. Thanks for the help friend!

 

[koor]

There definitely aren’t more white dots this morning. I only see the bottom spot shown in picture #1.

At lights out they lessen. Check again around noon and see if they reappear
There isa possibility that they were also grains of sand that often stick to their bodies due to amount of protective mucus on their skin

Ah I turned my lights off when I added the copper so algae didn’t get out of control. Maybe that’s why I don’t notice them as much. I turned the lights back on and I will check again in a couple hours when the daytime lights have been on for a bit. I will update you here. Thanks for the help friend!

 

[Jamie814]

Just to chime in here, if this is your display tank I hope you never plan to add inverts or coral as the copper binds to the rock and substrate and stays pretty much for ever. Even tiny trace amounts are toxic to inverts and coral.

 

[SeaDweller]

Just to chime in here, if this is your display tank I hope you never plan to add inverts or coral as the copper binds to the rock and substrate and stays pretty much for ever. Even tiny trace amounts are toxic to inverts and coral.

I was just thinking that.

Next post from OP: Ich treated, but inverts and corals dying.