Pintail Wrasse in trouble after copper treatment

[ReefBeta]

The wrasse has been in quarantine for about a week now. It had been eating well. Two days ago I started the copper treatment, using Coppersafe, raising it by 0.5 ppm for the first two days. But yesterday it didn't come out for food at dinner like it used to. So I was concerned and did a big water change and stop copper. Today the copper is 0.19 ppm, I added some carbon to remove the rest for now.

This morning it still didn't look well, lying at the edge of the tank (instead of hiding in the pvc pipe) and it didn't react to food at all. There is a white patch of discoloration on its tummy. I did a quick FW dip but get nothing. What should I do next?

 

[nkyreef]

Could that be a bacterial infection? If so I would think you'd want to treat that first. When I QT'd my pintail the LFS already had him in copper so I started copper right away. Their copper level was too high (measured 2.47 ppm with Hanna). I lowered and kept my level @ 2.0 ppm. It did take a couple of days for him to get used to the QT tank and start to eat. I used frozen mysis then later got him to eat Hikari pellets for carnivores. Good luck they are great additions to the tank.

 

[maroun.c]

Wrasses are tricky to treat and can react weirdly. I try to raise copper very slowly to therapeutic levels. If they stop feeding I stop adding meds and give them few days to get used and go out and eat normally before continuing to raise temp. I've had pintails react bad to fw dips as well so avoid long fw dips.

 

[Big G]

Sure looks like a bacterial infection. A bath in Ruby Reef Rally and then follow up with antibiotics would be a good idea: Sulfaplex, Furan2, NFG powder (amazing product that works quickly)

 

[ReefBeta]

Sure looks like a bacterial infection. A bath in Ruby Reef Rally and then follow up with antibiotics would be a good idea: Sulfaplex, Furan2, NFG powder (amazing product that works quickly)

OK, that's the part I'm not sure. I will try with antibiotics first then.