Protrusion on Copperband Body and Hazy White Spit on Tail

[Alvi]

Greetings, my DT tank broke out with ich about tree weeks ago and the few dishes that survived have been in a QT being treated with coopersafe since that time. Today I noticed a protrusion on my Copperband Butterfly and white hazy film on his tail. Has anyone encountered this or have an idea on how to handle? Thank you.

 

[Big G]

CBBs are notorious for displaying Lymphocystis. It's a harmless virus very similar to the human herpes virus in that once the fish displays it, it has it the rest of its life. Seems that stressors like copper, poor water, disease, poor quality food, etc. almost any stress can bring it to display.
Best way to ID is the white cottony/fibrous growths usually on the fins at first.
You treat the "condition" with pristine water quality, high quality and a large variety of frozen foods rich with proteins, fats, vitamins. Can add a vitamin like Selcon, Zoecon, etc. to the food.

Lymphocystis

Lymphocystis What You Need To Know: * This is a virus that many fish carry for life. The white nodules (cauliflower-like growths) can grow both externally and internally; so symptoms are not always visible. * There is no known cure for Lympho. However, feeding vitamin-enriched foods and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Alvi]

CBBs are notorious for displaying Lymphocystis. It's a harmless virus very similar to the human herpes virus in that once the fish displays it, it has it the rest of its life. Seems that stressors like copper, poor water, disease, poor quality food, etc. almost any stress can bring it to display.
Best way to ID is the white cottony/fibrous growths usually on the fins at first.
You treat the "condition" with pristine water quality, high quality and a large variety of frozen foods rich with proteins, fats, vitamins. Can add a vitamin like Selcon, Zoecon, etc. to the food.

Lymphocystis

Lymphocystis What You Need To Know: * This is a virus that many fish carry for life. The white nodules (cauliflower-like growths) can grow both externally and internally; so symptoms are not always visible. * There is no known cure for Lympho. However, feeding vitamin-enriched foods and...

www.reef2reef.com

Thank you very much for the response. I have always fed the best quality frozen foods only, but in going through the copper treatment there have have been water quality issues. I have been changing 25% from 2 to 3 times per week but it is apparently not working.

 

[Big G]

Thank you very much for the response. I have always fed the best quality frozen foods only, but in going through the copper treatment there have have been water quality issues. I have been changing 25% from 2 to 3 times per week but it is apparently not working.

Please don't beat yourself up about this. It's very common. Copper is after all a poison. And it effects the fish's immune system. Your fish looks fat and healthy.

Remember if you are dealing with ammonia problems you can use Seachem's Prime as long as you are using a chelated copper like Coppersafe, Copper Power. But not with Cupramine.

 

[Alvi]

BigG, thank you again for the encouraging words. I'm using Coppersafe and because of that the LFS directed me to use Frtiz's ACCR Water Conditioner and Ammonia Remover. However, despite of using the recommended dosages I'm still showing high amounts ammonia. I just did a 50% water change and there is still ammonia. It's a 30 gallon QT with my 8 remaining fish, a HOB dual filter system (no carbon) and a sponge filter. I also have 32 pounds of live rock in it to put the fish at ease and for biological filtration. Do you have any other suggestions to improve the water quality?

 

[Thaxxx]

That live rock should be removed. It will absorb the copper possibly bringing it down below the levels needed to cure your fish. Have you tested your copper since you started the treatment? I'm surprised your ammonia is high if that live rock is truly live.
Also, some ammonia treatments can give some ammonia test a false positive. Read the label to see if it mentions this.

 

[Thaxxx]

Look for high ammonia symptoms in your 8 fish.
Any heavy/fast breathing, lack of appitite?

 

[Big G]

BigG, thank you again for the encouraging words. I'm using Coppersafe and because of that the LFS directed me to use Frtiz's ACCR Water Conditioner and Ammonia Remover. However, despite of using the recommended dosages I'm still showing high amounts ammonia. I just did a 50% water change and there is still ammonia. It's a 30 gallon QT with my 8 remaining fish, a HOB dual filter system (no carbon) and a sponge filter. I also have 32 pounds of live rock in it to put the fish at ease and for biological filtration. Do you have any other suggestions to improve the water quality?

Things to consider. Some of the ammonia may be coming from the critters dying off from your live rock due to the effects of the copper. I have seen this occuring with bio-balls and marinepure plates. Bad die offs.

With that many fish in a 30 QT, lots of water changes may be necessary. I'm always amazed how many water changes it takes to remove copper from a QT - around 150% or more as the dilution effect decreases each time. So it's not surprising that you may have to do frequent wc.

Do you have any ceramic media in bags within your HOB? I have had great results using a mesh bag with Fluval BioMax media that has been either soaking in my sump or soaked overnight with BioSpira, etc.

 

[Alvi]

That live rock should be removed. It will absorb the copper possibly bringing it down below the levels needed to cure your fish. Have you tested your copper since you started the treatment? I'm surprised your ammonia is high if that live rock is truly live.
Also, some ammonia treatments can give some ammonia test a false positive. Read the label to see if it mentions this.

Thank you Thaxxx. I will get rid of the live rock and replace with PVC pipes and hopefully that will help the ammonia like you suggested. However, I don't understand the copper situation either. I have been testing the QT with API copper test every day and it is still not where it should be. I thought it may be the live rock like you mentioned so I performed a controlled test. I took a 1 gallon container and mixed the recommended dose of Coppersafe which is supposed to take it to 2.0 ppm. When I ran the test the color was still closer to 1.0 ppm.

 

[Alvi]

Things to consider. Some of the ammonia may be coming from the critters dying off from your live rock due to the effects of the copper. I have seen this occuring with bio-balls and marinepure plates. Bad die offs.

With that many fish in a 30 QT, lots of water changes may be necessary. I'm always amazed how many water changes it takes to remove copper from a QT - around 150% or more as the dilution effect decreases each time. So it's not surprising that you may have to do frequent wc.

Do you have any ceramic media in bags within your HOB? I have had great results using a mesh bag with Fluval BioMax media that has been either soaking in my sump or soaked overnight with BioSpira, etc.

Thank you again. I will get rid of the live rock and replace with PVC. I will also look into getting the ceramic media as you suggest.

 

[Alvi]

Look for high ammonia symptoms in your 8 fish.
Any heavy/fast breathing, lack of appitite?

No none of these symptoms. Only odd thing I am noticing is that the Yellow Tang keeps his dorsal fin down and hides more often.

 

[Alvi]

Hello. I removed all 32 lbs of live rock today and replaced it with some PVC along with doing another 50% water change because the ammonia and nitrite parameters were so bad. However, before doing this I noticed that my yellow tang, the dominant fish in the tank is slowed down and has a cloudy eye. Can I treat him with API Melafix while they are in the hospital tank with Coppersafe?