Fish stopped eating food while treating with copper power

[pnchowdary]

I noticed now that second cardinal also has started to hide. I don’t see any visible signs of infection on any of them. To rule out copper, can I bring down the copper level by 50% water change and see whether they improve?

 

[threebuoys]

I noticed now that second cardinal also has started to hide. I don’t see any visible signs of infection on any of them. To rule out copper, can I bring down the copper level by 50% water change and see whether they improve?

That's your call. Hiding, in and of itself is not abnormal, but if he's not eating, he is at risk. So, you have 4 cardinals and 1 clownfish that have survived so far? Two cardinals appear to be swimming together. Are the other 2 staying separated? Are all 4 eating, pellets? brine shrimp? mysis? other?

If you back off on the copper now, you'll need to make a decision later about whether to re-start the QT process before moving the fish to the DT.

In the future, I suggest you try to take photos in white light. Difficult to see blemishes on photos taken under blue light.

 

[pnchowdary]

That's your call. Hiding, in and of itself is not abnormal, but if he's not eating, he is at risk. So, you have 4 cardinals and 1 clownfish that have survived so far? Two cardinals appear to be swimming together. Are the other 2 staying separated? Are all 4 eating, pellets? brine shrimp? mysis? other?

If you back off on the copper now, you'll need to make a decision later about whether to re-start the QT process before moving the fish to the DT.

In the future, I suggest you try to take photos in white light. Difficult to see blemishes on photos taken under blue light.

Thank you very much for the advice. I will take any future photos in white light. They are being fed frozen mysis, reef plankton, carnivore frozen cubes with garlic guard and selcon. I will perform the water change and if all of them recover. I will give them a couple of days break and start the QT again, maybe will go even slower raising it to 2.5, maybe over 10 days instead of 6 to 7.

 

[artieg1]

In my experience, most QT losses are from ammonia and oxygen deprivation. That is the cruel irony of a QT: it is by definition not a fully settled and cycled display tank. I never trusted the badge, as I had fish unexplainable QT losses with the badge never indicating anything. That changed when I started 25% water changes every 2-3 days (rebalancing and testing for copper). Make sure you have a powerhead with lively water flow. Do not keep putting uneaten food in there. Next time, keep fish in QT for 2 weeks and make sure they are feeding before you start copper. Go slow. And don't mix meds and procedures, go one at a time. Always, in this hobby, change one thing at a time.

 

[pnchowdary]

In my experience, most QT losses are from ammonia and oxygen deprivation. That is the cruel irony of a QT: it is by definition not a fully settled and cycled display tank. I never trusted the badge, as I had fish unexplainable QT losses with the badge never indicating anything. That changed when I started 25% water changes every 2-3 days (rebalancing and testing for copper). Make sure you have a powerhead with lively water flow. Do not keep putting uneaten food in there. Next time, keep fish in QT for 2 weeks and make sure they are feeding before you start copper. Go slow. And don't mix meds and procedures, go one at a time. Always, in this hobby, change one thing at a time.

Thank you very much for the great advice. I do have an MP40 and a HOB and canister filter on it. I had the tank cycled for the last 4 months. The fish seem to be doing better after the 50% water change. The sick fish didn’t eat last night also, but seems little more active now, will know for sure when I feed him in a couple of hours.

 

[pnchowdary]

The fish that was sick died this evening. The other fish are active, eating good. I will give them a couple of days break and start raising copper slowly. I have started adding beta glucan to their food to boost their immunity. Thanks for everyone who helped me with this situation.