Need help with QT process and sick fish.

Lucidbeam · Jul 4, 2022

Need some help. Using this method. Looks like my Purple Tang has velvet in the second QT tank. I did doses of GC and then added carbon. I noticed the velvet after that. Here is a post to see fish. I have three fish in my first QT tank with Copper at 2.2 set to move to second QT on 7-15-22. How do I handle this.

Help with Purple Tang
Can I leave him in second QT tank pull carbon and start dosing Copper to 2.5? Fresh water bath? Different chemicals? It has been 3 days. Today he seems slow.

Fish in first QT:
Do they need to stay in copper longer knowing the fish before them has velvet? If yes how long? Copper is at 2.2. Do I need to increase to 2.5?
Buy a third QT setup. Cycle it with water for main tank.
Move second batch of fish from first QT to third QT and dose GC and watch.
Take down first QT and sterilize it.
Once second batch of fish are ready for main tank I would them move the Purple tang to third QT tank.

I'm glad I caught it, but not sure how to fix. Thanks for the help.

Sharkbait19 · Jul 4, 2022

Are the other fish in contact with the purple tang? If not I would not think that you need to be too worried unless sharing equipment without any cleaning between (velvet can also transmit via air but I’m not sure how common this is).
What copper product are you using? Different ones have different ideal concentrations.
Was this fish in the dt first?
No matter what, you want to get that tang into copper ASAP because velvet doesn’t wait too long when those spots show up. A fw dip can help, but if the tang is already in poor condition it may not survive.

Lucidbeam · Jul 4, 2022

Are the other fish in contact with the purple tang? If not I would not think that you need to be too worried unless sharing equipment without any cleaning between (velvet can also transmit via air but I’m not sure how common this is). No direct contact. I didn't clean equipment in between. Usually clean after 3 rounds of fish.

What copper product are you using? Different ones have different ideal concentrations. Using Copper Power.

Was this fish in the dt first? No

Can I start dosing Copper Power into the second QT that had General Cure?

Sharkbait19 · Jul 4, 2022

You can start dosing copper power. Get it up to 2.5 fast (2.5 is the best dose to get it to, I’m not sure did a few points below makes a huge difference on any but the toughest strains) for a shot at beating velvet.
Get the general cure out of the system - copper doesn’t mix well with other meds.
#fishmedic

Jay Hemdal · Jul 4, 2022

If you are using copper power, you should get the dose up to 2.5 ppm

The best way to tell ich from velvet is the respiration rate and feeding. Fish with ich will still feed and breath pretty normally up until when they are close to dying. With velvet, you see rapid breathing and they go off feed, often with no spots showing at all.

Jay

Lucidbeam · Jul 4, 2022

How much how often to get it to 2.5.

Jay Hemdal · Jul 5, 2022

Lucidbeam said:
How much how often to get it to 2.5.

You need to have a good copper test kit, but BRS lists this: 1.475 mL per gallon = 2.5 ppm

You would first measure your copper level, then calculate how much you need to add to reach 2.5 ppm For example, if you are at 2.0 now, you are at 80% of a full dose. Therefore, you would add a 20% dose to reach 2.5 - or 0.30 mL per gallon.

You also need to know your exact tank capacity....

Jay

Lucidbeam · Jul 5, 2022

The fish in the first QT tank. Before I added the new fish to the tank that the Purple Tang was in for 15 days I did a 50% water change. Then added fish and started to raise copper to 2.5. They show no signs of velvet. Should I leave them in the first QT tank more than 2 weeks before I move them to a third QT system that has no copper and will dose GC?