How fast can I ramp up copper power (velvet)

[Biff0rz]

I have another post going in the disease forum but I need to act fast. Basically this morning I noticed my leopard wrasse in qt laying on its side breathing heavy, mouth open. The blue tang was breathing very fast. By 6pm the blue tang has passed. I'm trying to save the wrasse and I suspect I'm dealing with velvet. I have them in 5g tank w aeration. I have dosed 3ml of copper power so far. Based on my calculations I should now be at 1.0 and need to go to 2.0.

Ratios: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ratios-for-dosing-copper-power.385871/

1.18ml/g = 1.18*5=6ml = 2.0ppm copper. Half that (3ml) would equal 1.0ppm copper. How fast can I go from 1.0ppm to 2.0ppm?

 

[Hydrored]

For velvet I went to 2.0 over 24 hours, I would get a Hanna copper tester now

 

[Jonify]

Taken from @Humblefish "You can start Copper Power at 1.0 ppm, verified using the Hanna Instruments High Range Copper Colorimeter (HI702). Over the next 48 hours, slowly raise your copper level to 1.5 ppm in gradual increments. Then take another 48 hours to raise it to 2.0 ppm. And another 48 hours in order to achieve 2.5 ppm. (So 6-7 days total to raise the copper level from the initial 1.0 to full therapeutic 2.5.)"

For temporary relief of velvet you can do a bath with something like Ruby Rally or you can do a freshwater dip. Both will buy you time to ramp up copper.

 

[Biff0rz]

For velvet I went to 2.0 over 24 hours, I would get a Hanna copper tester now

I have one. I went to 1.0 fast obviously. So maybe 0.25ppm every 6 hours to get to 2.0?

 

[vetteguy53081]

The word fast in reefing = the word disaster. Must be done graduallyto prevent shock, poisoning from false readings and allowing you to monitor how its' affecting the fish as you are increasing dosage

 

[Hydrored]

I have one. I went to 1.0 fast obviously. So maybe 0.25ppm every 6 hours to get to 2.0?

Yes, only if you believe it’s velvet. That’s the only reason to raise it faster than normal.

 

[Biff0rz]

It

Yes, only if you believe it’s velvet. That’s the only reason to raise it faster than normal.

It's the only thing I've been able to think it is. The fish were fine the past two weeks and went through TTM. They very quickly went down hill in 12 hours.

What methods can I use to verify velvet?

 

[vetteguy53081]

It

It's the only thing I've been able to think it is. The fish were fine the past two weeks and went through TTM. They very quickly went down hill in 12 hours.

What methods can I use to verify velvet?

Please post pics so what you have can be verified.

 

[Biff0rz]

 

[Biff0rz]

 

[[Cameron]]

Dr. Reef has a solid protocol for managing disease in his QT. https://drreefsquarantinedfish.com/quarantined-fish/

 

[Biff0rz]

So I'm sort of baffled now. The wrasse is up and swimming pretty normal, and even ate. It looks like it's breathing heavy but I can't tell, this is my first wrasse. Water is cloudy because I added sand. Also dosed 1ppm copper, did not do any dips.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I really dont see much in the way of parasitical but do see rapid breathing on both which tells me low dissolved oxygen. If parasites, giills inflamed would be followed scratching and darting.
What is your current Ammonia and nitrate levels?
Salinity reading?
Water temp ?
Type of copper test kit youre using?
Method of water flow?

If possible, add a pump and airstone to increase oxygen.

 

[Biff0rz]

I really dont see much in the way of parasitical but do see rapid breathing on both which tells me low dissolved oxygen. If parasites, giills inflamed would be followed scratching and darting.
What is your current Ammonia and nitrate levels?
Salinity reading?
Water temp ?
Type of copper test kit youre using?
Method of water flow?

If possible, add a pump and airstone to increase oxygen.

Ammonia 0, no3 0.
35ppt @ 25c
Hanna copper test
Just using an air stone / air pump.

 

[Biff0rz]

It was laying on the bottom all day and breathing slower than it is now.

 

[Biff0rz]

Copper is at 0.94

 

[don_chuwish]

The copper may already be providing some relief if it is actually velvet or crypto. Were they ever looking 'dusty' ? Can't tell from the images.

 

[Biff0rz]

The copper may already be providing some relief if it is actually velvet or crypto. Were they ever looking 'dusty' ? Can't tell from the images.

No, they weren't which is why I'm baffled. This whole situation is odd to me. The wrasse was breathing heavy and not moving in the morning, the hippo was breathing fast. By 6pm the hippo was dead and the wrasse got up, started swimming, and is now eating. I'm like, huh? I checked on the wrasse tonight while testing Cu and his breathing has gone back to normal.

 

[Jonify]

Bumping my original post: "For temporary relief of velvet you can do a bath with something like Ruby Rally or you can do a freshwater dip. Both will buy you time to ramp up copper."

This sucks, and I'm sorry you're dealing with that right now.

 

[Biff0rz]

Bumping my original post: "For temporary relief of velvet you can do a bath with something like Ruby Rally or you can do a freshwater dip. Both will buy you time to ramp up copper."

This sucks, and I'm sorry you're dealing with that right now.

Because the wrasse is doing better I'm going to hold off on any dips for the moment. If he's doing worse tomorrow morning I think I'll do a peroxide dip and see. Jay Hemdel says the peroxide dip isn't as stressful as the fw dip but any dip can progress a fish to the next step if that's the way they are headed.