Quarantine question

[reeferericb]

I’m currently quarantining my fish. Until a couple days ago they were all swimming and behaving normally. I have a juvenile clown that was swimming on his side at the bottom of the tank. I needed to top off the tank with RODI and when I added the water he immediately floated to the top, still swimming on his side. The fish have been swimming in Copper Power for 16 days now. This seems strange to still be ich this late in the process (Hanna readings have been steady at 2.13-2.20 for all 16 days). I can’t see him well enough to diagnose what’s going on, I’m just curious if anyone has a suggestion. Last Sunday I did a 20% water change and I’m planning on another 20% change next Sunday (day 30 of treatment). I have PraziPro I was going to dose after copper, I also have some medications as well (Focus+ and one other I don’t remember off hand). Can ich still infect a fish 14 days into treatment? He’s still swimming and eating (although not much), I don’t know what to do at this point. Thanks

 

[Jay Hemdal]

If it were ich, you would be seeing the classic white spots. What is the salinity/specific gravity of the tank? Do you trust your measuring device, or have a second one to use to confirm that it is accurate?

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

My Hanna checker says between 34.5-35.3 depending on how it feels.

 

[reeferericb]

I have a manual refractometer but I haven’t used it in a while. I think I have some calibration solution for it and I can see what it says.

My copper level tested the lowest today as well at 1.93. I haven’t checked the copper level in several days. I added more Copper Power and I’ll check it again this afternoon.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

O.K., I just wanted to rule out a salinity problem (due to the reaction you saw when you added RODI).

Sounds like this clown is in with other fish? What species and how are they doing?
Could you post a short video?

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

O.K., I just wanted to rule out a salinity problem (due to the reaction you saw when you added RODI).

Sounds like this clown is in with other fish? What species and how are they doing?
Could you post a short video?

Jay

Presently quarantined in 20 gallon tank. Tank has air stone and hang on back filter. Bare bottom with PVC fittings. No carbon, just sponges for bacteria growth. Ammonia badge is reading zero

Yellow tang
Yellow tang
Hepatus tang
Yellow tail damsel
One spot foxface
Blue watchman Goby
Two clownfish

all other fish are swimming and behaving normally. I’ll take a short video and post it when I get home.

The unaffected clownfish and yellow tail damsel both have what appears to be ich on them, but I’m not sure. The fish seem to have something that they pass between them. It seems like at least one fish always has spots on it. When that fish clears up another one takes it’s place.

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Presently quarantined in 20 gallon tank. Tank has air stone and hang on back filter. Bare bottom with PVC fittings. No carbon, just sponges for bacteria growth. Ammonia badge is reading zero

Yellow tang
Yellow tang
Hepatus tang
Yellow tail damsel
One spot foxface
Blue watchman Goby
Two clownfish

all other fish are swimming and behaving normally. I’ll take a short video and post it when I get home.

The unaffected clownfish and yellow tail damsel both have what appears to be ich on them, but I’m not sure. The fish seem to have something that they pass between them. It seems like at least one fish always has spots on it. When that fish clears up another one takes it’s place.

not sure why clown side swimming, but you are in good hands with @Jay Hemdal

Perhaps try to do smaller but more frequent water changes siphoning bottom of tank to help break marine ich cycle. Sounds like fish are rotating who is playing host to marine ich tromonts. They'll fatten up, drop off becoming protomont/tomonts and this is where siphoning can help get those 'ich eggs' out. Once those hatch in days-weeks, then this is stage medications are useful. You've probably reach about all this online, so not sure I'm adding anything new other than noticing you are doing 20% weekly water changes, when more frequent 5% water changes may be more beneficial.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Presently quarantined in 20 gallon tank. Tank has air stone and hang on back filter. Bare bottom with PVC fittings. No carbon, just sponges for bacteria growth. Ammonia badge is reading zero

Yellow tang
Yellow tang
Hepatus tang
Yellow tail damsel
One spot foxface
Blue watchman Goby
Two clownfish

all other fish are swimming and behaving normally. I’ll take a short video and post it when I get home.

The unaffected clownfish and yellow tail damsel both have what appears to be ich on them, but I’m not sure. The fish seem to have something that they pass between them. It seems like at least one fish always has spots on it. When that fish clears up another one takes it’s place.

Depending on their size, that could be a lot of fish for a 20 gallon tank. I don't always trust ammonia badges, I like to confirm with a ammonia test. That said, ammonia is unlikely to be an issue with just the one fish....

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

It’s a full tank but it’s all I had. I just bought a 52 gallon setup yesterday so my next round of quarantine will be better. All the fish seem
To be getting along well, so I don’t plan on moving them. I have a lot of work to do to be ready to set up the new tank anyway.

I guess I thought the ich tomonts shouldn’t stick to the fish in copper treatment. Am I mistaken on that? I figured once they dropped off the fish I wouldn’t see them on that fish any more. Maybe what I’m seeing isn’t ich and it’s something else?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Modern copper treatments are much safer to the fish, but they act pretty slowly. I generally don't see any improvement for at least 5 days. The copper really has no affect on the trophonts, only the free swimming theronts, and then, they don't all immediately die. Still, if you have been at full copper that long, I would expect the spots to have gone away by now.

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

Modern copper treatments are much safer to the fish, but they act pretty slowly. I generally don't see any improvement for at least 5 days. The copper really has no affect on the trophonts, only the free swimming theronts, and then, they don't all immediately die. Still, if you have been at full copper that long, I would expect the spots to have gone away by now.

Jay

That’s my curiosity. I was planning on full copper for 45 days anyway, but I was also hoping for no more visible signs by now.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

That’s my curiosity. I was planning on full copper for 45 days anyway, but I was also hoping for no more visible signs by now.

I typically don't run copper longer than 30 days. 45 days likely isn't an issue, but I don't have a lot of data on that length of time.

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

I typically don't run copper longer than 30 days. 45 days likely isn't an issue, but I don't have a lot of data on that length of time.

Jay

Here’s a video I uploaded to YouTube. The clown looks to be much improvement as he appears to be able to leave the surface at least a little. Prior to today he’s been pretty much stuck on his side at the top of the tank. He could wiggle himself along the glass, but that was it.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

At first I was wondering if the second clown was driving the first one to seek shelter at the surface, but that doesn't seem to be the case. I do think this is behavioral though, as opposed to a swim bladder issue.

Jay

 

[reeferericb]

Whatever was causing the swimming issue has just about worked itself out. He’s swimming much better but still not 100% yet.