Chloroquine phosphate

[MrsBugmaster]

On and off since I got the fish on May 18th. The spots move around. Sometimes more sometimes less spot, which lead me to believe it is ich. (This is a DD fish by the way and will eat only live black worms and clam.) Been in CP since May 29th. The QT tank was fully cycled and been set up for 4 months so maybe the biofilm is too built up leaving the CP not as effective? These pictures where taken today.

 

[Humblefish]

The QT tank was fully cycled and been set up for 4 months so maybe the biofilm is too built up leaving the CP not as effective?

That is a distinct possibility. Since we have no practical way of testing CP, it is important to use the drug in as sterile an environment as possible. To ensure it doesn't get biodegraded and drop below therapeutic. I break down/sterilize all my QTs every two months.

 

[MrsBugmaster]

@Humblefish do you think it is ich?

 

[Humblefish]

@Humblefish do you think it is ich?

It sure does look like it. If the spots disappear after 3-7 days, then I think it is almost certain.

 

[Dr. Reef]

If I understood you properly CP was dosed 4 months ago.
There is no way to test CP but I would consider it degraded after 1 month. Would do water change as large as 50% over few days and redose at 20mg/ gal. CP is very effective against parasites. We as hobbyist alway like to push the envelope with 40 to 60 mg/gal doses but i have seen 100% satisfactory results at 20 mg /g.

 

[MrsBugmaster]

No tank was set up and cycled 4 months ago. CP was dosed at 60 mg/gal on May 29th. So a little over 3 weeks ago.

 

[blkhwkz]

If I understood you properly CP was dosed 4 months ago.
There is no way to test CP but I would consider it degraded after 1 month. Would do water change as large as 50% over few days and redose at 20mg/ gal. CP is very effective against parasites. We as hobbyist alway like to push the envelope with 40 to 60 mg/gal doses but i have seen 100% satisfactory results at 20 mg /g.

There is a curator of an aquarium section at a zoo, who also wrote a book on fish disease, that also recommends the dose of 40-60mg/ gallon. So it not just hobbyists saying to use that dosage.

 

[MrsBugmaster]

This tank was not intended to be a QT tank but a grow out tank. So I wanted to make sure it was fully cycled. I am trying to form a pair of Black Finned Butterfly fish by buying 5 small fish and seeing who pairs up. I set up 55 gal tank for this purpose after the qt process. But as it was, these fish were on back order for some time and was waiting for them to come in. In the mean time the second fish on my list, the Pakistan, became available on DD so I ordered it. Well later that same day I got the notice that the Black Finned Butterrfly fish finally became available. So I had to used the 55 grow out tank as a QT tank for the Pakistan fish. Being a DD fish I did not think it would have this many problems.I usually break down QT tanks as soon as fish is finished with qt process. But everything kind of snowballed on me on this time.

 

[Dr. Reef]

There is a curator of an aquarium section at a zoo, who also wrote a book on fish disease, that also recommends the dose of 40-60mg/ gallon. So it not just hobbyists saying to use that dosage.

I guess I didn't explain properly. Standard dose is 40mg/g. I was advising op to do 50% water change and dose 20mg/g which would be much more than 20 as he already has CP in tank.

In my guide I do recommend 40 as standard to 60 mg/g if needed.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/i...chloroquine-phosphate-cp.297799/#post-3642691

 

[MrsBugmaster]

I have done two 50% water changes and redosed CP in water before adding to the tank as my ammonia badge was showing ammonia in tank, but later found out that cp can make badge show slight green unless light is shone behind badge. Which when I did shine light behind the badge it was yellow (no ammonia) And fish still have spots of ich. As I stated in earlier post the texture of CP was different then what I have received in the past. Not sure if this has anything to do with it.

 

[Dr. Reef]

Could be bad batch or exposed to light which degrades it. Sounds like you are on the right track now. Hopefully it will cure the fish.
Good luck.

 

[Redzone]

Last month I had an outbreak of velvet in my 200 gallon display. I lost most of my fish, but with a hydrogen peroxide bath and chloroquine phosphate have saved a few( pyramid butterfly, blue faced trigger, canary blew by, mandarin, goby). I dosed 40mg/gal 21 days ago and symptoms resolved within 3 days. Have added 40 mg/gal with water changes. Question is how long to continue treatment? The mandarin is looking skinny... my initial plan was 21 days, is that still considered standard or Should I go longer?

 

[Humblefish]

Last month I had an outbreak of velvet in my 200 gallon display. I lost most of my fish, but with a hydrogen peroxide bath and chloroquine phosphate have saved a few( pyramid butterfly, blue faced trigger, canary blew by, mandarin, goby). I dosed 40mg/gal 21 days ago and symptoms resolved within 3 days. Have added 40 mg/gal with water changes. Question is how long to continue treatment? The mandarin is looking skinny... my initial plan was 21 days, is that still considered standard or Should I go longer?

Are you using Chloroquine in a QT or in your DT?

 

[Redzone]

My DT. Took my snails out.

 

[Humblefish]

My DT. Took my snails out.

CP used in a DT is unlikely to eradicate velvet 100%: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/qt-and-biofilm.292878/

 

[Redzone]

Interesting, I can tell the CP is still active in the tank (algae not growing, bristle worms still dying off), and the 4 remaining fish are recovered (at least two were clearly infected), so is the thought that there are tomonts that are not yet hatched or that there are dinospores that are reproducing outside of the fish in an area the CP is not present???

 

[Humblefish]

Interesting, I can tell the CP is still active in the tank (algae not growing, bristle worms still dying off), and the 4 remaining fish are recovered (at least two were clearly infected), so is the thought that there are tomonts that are not yet hatched or that there are dinospores that are reproducing outside of the fish in an area the CP is not present???

The problem is the Chloroquine is likely being degraded below therapeutic by biofilm and other bacteria in your DT.

 

[wangspeed]

It worked in my new DT. It had only been setup a few weeks. Picked up 4 leopard wrasses from a local reefer and they brought ich in. Didn’t have a big enough QT for them so I ran CP in the DT. I did lose one to what appeared to have been some fast bacterial infection. The other 3 leopards, kuiteri, meleagris, and geoffroyi made it along with 4 other fish.

I ran a low dose of 40mg/gal and replenished at the same strength with water changes. I know it’s not recommended for leopards, but I thought it was the best of my options.

I’m a month out of treatment and everyone is clear of ich so far. At any rate, it was stressful and I shouldn’t have trusted the local fish.

I won’t run CP with fairy wrasses though. I had some mysteriously die overnight while seemingly doing just fine.

 

[ScooterV]

@Humblefish

I'm just looking for clarification since it's not adding up in my head If CP is only effective against the theront stage, how can we be sure 30 days of treatment is enough for Cyptocaryon when the tomont stage alone can be 14-35 days not even counting the Burgess anamoly?

Other than moving the fish to a new, sterile tank of course, but that would only need to be long enough to be sure of being past the trophont stage.

 

[Redzone]

@wangspeed How long did you medicate for?