Did I just do something incredibly stupid?

[SallyWho]

I'm going to blame night shift brain for this one. I have two clowns in QT. They've been through General Cure, and 14 days (was supposed to be 10, but life got in the way) of CP. I was doing the 10 CP protocol, where you dose the initial amount and then 1/10th the amount daily to account for absorption/decay. Per the protocol, you're supposed to then move the fish to a sterile tank at least 10' away, but I don't have the room; instead, I moved the fish to my nearby frag tank while thoroughly disinfecting the original one, tossing the media, scrubbing the filter, etc and letting it dry before refilling it and returning the clowns. Well, two weeks later, I see one of the clowns doing something that looks suspiciously like flashing. A quick body rub against the PVC fitting, more deliberate and enthusiastic than the usual bobbing motion. I'm worried about ich, since I wasn't able to do the full CP protocol by the book.

Here were the stupid part comes in. I grabbed my bottle of Copper Power, read the directions about how many ounces to add per gallon, and just....dumped it all in. No ramping up. Just WHAMMO. There's plenty of oxygenation happening: internal HOB filter, powerhead pointed at surface, and air stone. It's been about 15 minutes and they don't look any worse for wear. I will of course use my Hanna checker to keep an eye on the levels. What do you think: water change and start over with the recommended ramp-up, or leave them be as long as they don't start to crash? How long should they stay in copper anyway? Thanks, guys!

Seriously, though, this night shift brain. I tried to use my badge to get into my car, and jammed a cookie into my house door lock instead of a key.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Evening, things happen.

Maybe #reefsquad is around, or @HotRocks

 

[saltyhog]

What a waste of a cookie! Yes that was stupid!

Seriously, I would do a water change and slowly ramp up the copper over 3 days like Hot Rocks protocol says.

PS this was not stupidity but fatigue. Sometimes I wonder how I kept from making a mistake that hurt someone all those years I was on call every 2nd or 3rd night.

 

[SallyWho]

Thanks, guys. I'll mix up some new saltwater tonight (I finally have a night off!!) and do a water change in the morning.

And yeah, @saltyhog it can get dicey if I've had crappy sleep and no coffee. Were you in healthcare, too? It's a field I love, but it can consume a person the same way I can hork down a burrito.

 

[saltyhog]

Thanks, guys. I'll mix up some new saltwater tonight (I finally have a night off!!) and do a water change in the morning.

And yeah, @saltyhog it can get dicey if I've had crappy sleep and no coffee. Were you in healthcare, too? It's a field I love, but it can consume a person the same way I can hork down a burrito.

Yes mam, finished my FP residency in 1986.