I can’t shake this ich!!!

[aqua_code]

Just tested copper again this morning. 0.64ppm. All hermits still alive. Fish look great, eat fine.

Hermits still alive but is really not the right way to treat ich. You will need to spend awhile running culprisorb and purging the copper that is soaking into your rocks right now before that system is in balance again. My guess is running therapeutic level for 30 days will wipe out the inverts. 30 days is the recommendation for ich treatment with copper.

You want the inverts (and the ich parasite to die). Those hermits are on death row right now.

 

[Justin101714]

Hermits still alive but is really not the right way to treat ich. You will need to spend awhile running culprisorb and purging the copper that is soaking into your rocks right now before that system is in balance again. My guess is running therapeutic level for 30 days will wipe out the inverts. 30 days is the recommendation for ich treatment with copper.

You want the inverts (and the ich parasite to die). Those hermits are on death row right now.

So if I’m running at 0.5ppm and above, which is the recommended level, why wouldn’t the parasite be gone after 30 days at that level? I don’t care about the time it takes to rid the system of copper, this is my tank..... I’ve found of average it takes about 18-20 days to remove the copper down to 0ppm using cuprizorb and carbon. So this process should be around 50-60 days.

 

[aqua_code]

So if I’m running at 0.5ppm and above, which is the recommended level, why wouldn’t the parasite be gone after 30 days at that level? I don’t care about the time it takes to rid the system of copper, this is my tank..... I’ve found of average it takes about 18-20 days to remove the copper down to 0ppm using cuprizorb and carbon. So this process should be around 50-60 days.

Several things could have caused this. From your previous post you mentioned the copper level had dropped. This is likely due to absorption of copper in your rocks and substrate. It's possible the ich parasite survived the first 30 days in lower than therapeutic levels and has developed some resistance to copper.

Additionally, I use Copper Power instead of cuprimine and know that is highly trusted. It's a different therapeutic level of 1.75 with that medication. The proper procedure is to setup a QT, and treat that with copper. Maybe a 10 gallon or something small. After the 30 days, you reduce copper levels and observe the fish for 30 days.

During this treatment period, your Display tank is left fallow with 0 fish in it. After 79 days, fish can be re-introduced to DT if they show no signs of parasites.

 

[aqua_code]

I've also read that hypotoxic conditions in a DT can allow the parasite to survive a fallow period. If it's deep within your substrate it might give it additional resistance to the medication. Definitely treat in a QT where you have more control and the medication reaches every corner of the tank.

 

[Justin101714]

On my third day of copper reduction using cuprazorb. My daily average was 0.65-0.55ppm, I’m now down to 0.21ppm. I’ll be monitoring the reduction over a period of 20 days. Cuprazorb will be replaced after the first week when the bulk of it is consumed in the copper. I know it’s able to be reactivated, but it’s cheap enough to buy. Oh.....and all hermits still alive.