Copper Power Did Not Work

[BASVillanova]

I have a powder brown tang and I thought it had Ich. I had the fish in copper power at 2.5ppm (read with a Hanna tester) for 30 days, but the fish still has spots. Please see the video. I also had it in Prazipro for the past week, still no results. A fresh water dip for 5 minutes also has not worked. Please let me know what you think might work. Thank you!
Here is the YouTube video:

 

[Tcook]

Can you host on YouTube so iPhone users can see?

 

[exnisstech]

Can you host on YouTube so iPhone users can see?

Agreed.
Im on Android and can see it either. Often videos uploaded to R2R don't work for mobile users.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a powder brown tang and I thought it had Ich. I had the fish in copper power at 2.5ppm (read with a Hanna tester) for 30 days, but the fish still has spots. Please see the video. I also had it in Prazipro for the past week, still no results. A fresh water dip for 5 minutes also has not worked. Please let me know what you think might work. Thank you!

I can view the video - it's not clear to me what's going on. the fish has obvious spots, but some of them are too large to be ich, these are "mucus plugs/cones" that tangs show when stressed. Very often, this mucus is combined with uncontrolled ich. However, 30 days of copper power would have resolved that. One idea might be that the copper power bottle you have is bad, but I'd rule that out because your copper reading is fine.

The fish is breathing way too fast. Ich doesn't cause that. Velvet does, but the copper power would have fixed that issue. Flukes cause that - Prazipro needs to be dosed multiple times for it to work (it only works for a day or so for each dose). Maybe the single dose didn't handle the gill flukes? Here is a post I made about proper prazi treatments:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

www.reef2reef.com

The other thing to consider is that the rapid breathing isn't caused by velvet or flukes, but rather, with something wrong with the water. Is there good aeration? Not just circulation, but bubbles actually breaking the surface of the water for good gas exchange. Or, is there high ammonia, or some other water quality issue?

 

[BASVillanova]

I can view the video - it's not clear to me what's going on. the fish has obvious spots, but some of them are too large to be ich, these are "mucus plugs/cones" that tangs show when stressed. Very often, this mucus is combined with uncontrolled ich. However, 30 days of copper power would have resolved that. One idea might be that the copper power bottle you have is bad, but I'd rule that out because your copper reading is fine.

The fish is breathing way too fast. Ich doesn't cause that. Velvet does, but the copper power would have fixed that issue. Flukes cause that - Prazipro needs to be dosed multiple times for it to work (it only works for a day or so for each dose). Maybe the single dose didn't handle the gill flukes? Here is a post I made about proper prazi treatments:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

www.reef2reef.com

The other thing to consider is that the rapid breathing isn't caused by velvet or flukes, but rather, with something wrong with the water. Is there good aeration? Not just circulation, but bubbles actually breaking the surface of the water for good gas exchange. Or, is there high ammonia, or some other water quality issue?

I have 2 air stones in the water (running on high) and I have performed large water changes daily. Ammonia is not high. I have Safety Stop. Do you think a bath in that might help? I can start Prazipro again, I am just worried about stressing the fish too much.

 

[BASVillanova]

I would note that the video was taken yesterday, and the fish's breathing has normalized since I did a 100% water change (taking out the Prazipro). The spots are still there but the fish is eating well. Should I just wait this out and keep doing water changes? Any antibiotics you would recommend? Thanks again for the prompt responses!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I would note that the video was taken yesterday, and the fish's breathing has normalized since I did a 100% water change (taking out the Prazipro). The spots are still there but the fish is eating well. Should I just wait this out and keep doing water changes? Any antibiotics you would recommend? Thanks again for the prompt responses!

I don't see antibiotics as helping with this. Good to hear that its breathing has slowed and that it is eating. I would dose the Prazipro again about 5 days after the first dose. You need to dose it for the net volume of the tank, not its "rated" volume. For example, a 10 gallon tank actually only holds about 8.5 gallons of water, and then, if there are any rocks in the tank, that displaces more water.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Wow, it's hard to believe a fish looks like that after so much treatment. I hope it pulls through!

 

[BASVillanova]

I don't see antibiotics as helping with this. Good to hear that its breathing has slowed and that it is eating. I would dose the Prazipro again about 5 days after the first dose. You need to dose it for the net volume of the tank, not its "rated" volume. For example, a 10 gallon tank actually only holds about 8.5 gallons of water, and then, if there are any rocks in the tank, that displaces more water.

OK, I will try the Prazipro again and see how it goes. Thanks for the help.