Clownfish in QT not eating

[Sebastiancrab]

I have a small clownfish in QT being treated with Cupramine that is not eating hatchery pellets nor mysis. Previously, there were two Talbot Damsels that brought in velvet which I euthanized after 3 days in the tank. There is also a small amount of Prazipro. The clown is not showing any velvet spots. Should I be concerned? Also, I would like to get two more Talbot Damsels in the future but am worried about the velvet coming home again. If I do bring them home from the same LFS, should I put them in full strength Cupramine at first? Or avoid that LFS? Thank you! @jayhemdal

 

[Sam816]

its stressed. did u clean the tank after moving the damsels out? what's the copper concentration at? how long has the fish been in there?
start by turning down the lights. get some live worms if u can.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

No, did not clean the tank out. Didn't know I was supposed to. He was put in it April 22, the damsels went in May 27th and out on the 30th when they first showed velvet. The API copper test reading is .5 ppm. Lights have been off since I read about velvet last week. I am so tempted to put him in the DT but that would probably be a huge mistake. There are fake plants and two pvc pipes for him to hide in.

 

[Sam816]

I am sorry i didn't understand the timeline. i thought u had damsels and you added the clown after they were removed.
Ich/ velvet parasites can live with out a fish host for weeks. that's why it is suggested to go fallow for (min of) 45 to 76 days. in your case the parasite might still be in there. I'd suggest do a water change in case ammonia/nitrites/nitrates are high. it will also remove some copper and prazi. get the fish to eat first. get live food/worms if possible or try masstick. once the fish is more comfortable you can increase the copper level again slowly(or quickly if the fish shows velvet signs) what i do it mix a ml of copper in 2 liters of freshly mixed saltwater and let it drip in the QT over an hour or 2. i keep checking on the fish through a internet cam so that i can stop copper drip if the fish shows sign of distress. other option i can think of is get/rent an oversized UV sterilizer unit and run the QT water though it multiple times.
under any circumstance, don't put the fish in the DT.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Sam, thank you. My writing was not clear on the timeline so sorry about that. I did a 50% water change this morning and put Polyfilter and carbon in to pull the meds out. Will go by the LFS later to get some live mysis. They don't have the Masstick. What a cool product! I was not aware of it so will order online. Thank you for the great advice and will keep my fingers crossed.

 

[Sam816]

Don't take out the meds completely. If the fish is infected with velvet you will need to up the copper concentration in a hurry that will be more stressful for the fish. I am not a fan of mixing meds, so may be remove prazi but add some copper back.
If possible post a vid of the fish under white light. it will help other members to identify the issue and suggest right medication. u might not need copper at all.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Got your message too late. I already took the meds out. He did eat three hatchery pellets tonight. He has been dosed for a week with the cupramine with the other fish gone. And I have done water changes. He is looking and acting fine.

 

[Sam816]

Got your message too late. I already took the meds out. He did eat three hatchery pellets tonight. He has been dosed for a week with the cupramine with the other fish gone. And I have done water changes. He is looking and acting fine.

that's good news. is it flashing/scratching itself? keep an eye out for hazy colors, de-coloration, spots etc. hope it makes it through.

 

[Sam816]

in the meantime read more about ich n velvet's life cycle. it will give you an idea about when to expect another flare up if there is one.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Already did the reading about velvet last week. Have previously had Ich so I knew about it. He isn't flashing and his color looks good. I shined a flashlight to have a good inspection. Say a prayer he makes it. He is a cute little black clown.