Mass Quarantine suggestion moving forward

[major_727]

Hi,

I got into SFW since January of this year. Currently I am in the middle of DT quarantine due to ich outbreak. I started the treatment towards the end of April, so it's been about 3 weeks now. Currently I have the following fishes (most are small, and a few are medium size) in a 55g QT tank with Copper Power running at around 2.3 ppm.
Copperband Butterfly, Longnose Butterfly, Saddleback Butterfly, Emperor Angelfish (Juv), Sailfin Tang, Naso Tang, Tomini Tang, Golden Rim Tang, Midas Blenny, Starry Blenny, Flame Hawk, 3 Damsels.

In the past I did 2 water changes (25%) after about 10 days each and yesterday, I did 100% water change, thoroughly cleaned the tank, gave the fish 3 mins freshwater bath, 30 minutes of H2O2 bath, and now they are back in the QT tank with 2.28 ppm copper level.

So my question here is, for how much longer I should leave them in the QT? Because the caveat is that my DT is currently running fallow (fishless) at 82*F and has completed week 5 -going into week 6 today. I want to run the DT fallow for about 10-12 weeks just to be sure, meanwhile I don't want to leave the fishes for too long in the copper treatment.

For now, I plan to run the copper treatment for next 2 weeks (5 weeks total) and then do 100% water change with no copper, until the DT ready to move on.

Also, besides the Cu Treatment, Freshwater bath, and H2O2 bath, do I need to run any other medications? If so, please let me know and I will do so. These past 6 weeks have been a nightmare and I wanna make sure I do everything I need to not get back to this again.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hi,

I got into SFW since January of this year. Currently I am in the middle of DT quarantine due to ich outbreak. I started the treatment towards the end of April, so it's been about 3 weeks now. Currently I have the following fishes (most are small, and a few are medium size) in a 55g QT tank with Copper Power running at around 2.3 ppm.
Copperband Butterfly, Longnose Butterfly, Saddleback Butterfly, Emperor Angelfish (Juv), Sailfin Tang, Naso Tang, Tomini Tang, Golden Rim Tang, Midas Blenny, Starry Blenny, Flame Hawk, 3 Damsels.

In the past I did 2 water changes (25%) after about 10 days each and yesterday, I did 100% water change, thoroughly cleaned the tank, gave the fish 3 mins freshwater bath, 30 minutes of H2O2 bath, and now they are back in the QT tank with 2.28 ppm copper level.

So my question here is, for how much longer I should leave them in the QT? Because the caveat is that my DT is currently running fallow (fishless) at 82*F and has completed week 5 -going into week 6 today. I want to run the DT fallow for about 10-12 weeks just to be sure, meanwhile I don't want to leave the fishes for too long in the copper treatment.

For now, I plan to run the copper treatment for next 2 weeks (5 weeks total) and then do 100% water change with no copper, until the DT ready to move on.

Also, besides the Cu Treatment, Freshwater bath, and H2O2 bath, do I need to run any other medications? If so, please let me know and I will do so. These past 6 weeks have been a nightmare and I wanna make sure I do everything I need to not get back to this again.

I just posted our quarantine protocol on you other thread. I would follow 30 days of copper with a praziquantel treatment to help with flukes. I’d skip the freshwater and peroxide baths. They are redundant and just add extra handling stress. FW dips are really just a diagnostic tool to look for parasites with a microscope. Peroxide has some benefit against velvet but you need to move the fish to a new tank after each dip. Since copper takes care of velvet, you can skip that also.

 

[MnFish1]

Hi,

I got into SFW since January of this year. Currently I am in the middle of DT quarantine due to ich outbreak. I started the treatment towards the end of April, so it's been about 3 weeks now. Currently I have the following fishes (most are small, and a few are medium size) in a 55g QT tank with Copper Power running at around 2.3 ppm.
Copperband Butterfly, Longnose Butterfly, Saddleback Butterfly, Emperor Angelfish (Juv), Sailfin Tang, Naso Tang, Tomini Tang, Golden Rim Tang, Midas Blenny, Starry Blenny, Flame Hawk, 3 Damsels.

In the past I did 2 water changes (25%) after about 10 days each and yesterday, I did 100% water change, thoroughly cleaned the tank, gave the fish 3 mins freshwater bath, 30 minutes of H2O2 bath, and now they are back in the QT tank with 2.28 ppm copper level.

I'm going to answer your question below - but - I want to make a hopefully helpful comment. There is no real rationale for doing freshwater dips, H2O2 baths, etc DURING copper - and since copper itself is a stress on fish (or can be) - adding more stress is inviting more problems in your QT. It's best most of the time to just follow the protocol UNLESS there is evidence of a disease that is not being treated by the current regimen.

So my question here is, for how much longer I should leave them in the QT? Because the caveat is that my DT is currently running fallow (fishless) at 82*F and has completed week 5 -going into week 6 today. I want to run the DT fallow for about 10-12 weeks just to be sure, meanwhile I don't want to leave the fishes for too long in the copper treatment.

You should leave them in copper for 30 days - followed by 2 treatments with Prazipro (if you haven't done it already - it will at least ensure no flukes as well) - they should be 8 days apart. Agree with your plans for the fallow period. I can't read the replies from others - so if you've been given the same advice before - apologies.

For now, I plan to run the copper treatment for next 2 weeks (5 weeks total) and then do 100% water change with no copper, until the DT ready to move on.

See above.

Also, besides the Cu Treatment, Freshwater bath, and H2O2 bath, do I need to run any other medications? If so, please let me know and I will do so. These past 6 weeks have been a nightmare and I wanna make sure I do everything I need to not get back to this again.

See Above

 

[winxp_man]

As stated above a FW dip makes no sense after you started the treatment. I’m on my third batch of new fish in QT. And these didn’t have any since if any diseases, and copper did them good being if they did, it’s a thing of the past.

I was in the same shoes as you where. Velvet outbreak though. And lost almost half my fish to it. 27 total fish QT’ed, and managed to sale 14 fish. This took place mid March.

When I took fish out of the tank, I would take the tank water with copper and new water was pre dosed as to not interrupt the copper. Since starting I only lost two fish a CB and a Tomni do to them swimming into glass and head injury.

The only medication I have had to use is kanaplex and neoplex for bacterial issues in a pair of my maroon clowns. The only other part is Parzi as MnFish1 stated, since you’re in QT already run some prazi. Parazi Pro will work. I personally ended up doing the pure prazi. And from what Jay and I have talked about .083 gr per gallon is the proper dose it would seem for the pure form. I did .01 per gallon and fish where okay, but in case there are sensitive fish the .83 gr makes sense.

I know what you’re going through because I was in the same shoes! I almost gave up on reefing cause of it haha! Had 5 QT tanks going and three DT systems I was trying to keep track of. Nitrated ended up bottoming out in my DT’s. It was a mess for the corals! Not fun at all. I have two weeks if fallow period. But I am happy for saving quite a few fish given the circumstances.