Quarantining and could use some advice.

[akma]

Hello~
I picked up couple fish and while quaratining/treating running into some problems.
Was going the 14 day treat and quarantine from fishotel.

QT Tank: 40 Breeder
HOB and sponge bubbler
Salinity 1.022 Temp 78 degrees
Copper testing at least once a day with hanna copper checker.

On
6/26/25 My copper was at 2.45 And dosed seachem metroplex
6/28/25 dosed seachem metroplex - ick hit hard but fish still eating.
6/30/25 dosed seachem metroplex
7/1/25 did a 20 gallon water change with copper at 2.44. Rechecked tank copper at maintained at 2.45 (Fish looked good and eating)
7/2/25 dosed API General Cure
7/4/25 Dosed seachem metroplex
7/5/25 Today wokeup to full blown (ick/velvet/brooke) and looks like fluke in the eyes.

I'm not sure what to do. I believe I made a mistake on 6/30-7/1 I miscalculated dosing metro and did it a day late.
Should I pull and try a freshwater dip?
I have one more API general cure treatment I have to dose on 7/9, but not sure if that will take care of the flukes if the first didn't.
Crazy as it sounds I believe this ick outbreak is still better than the first one I had in the beginning of treatment.

Thank you.

 

[Should I]

Did this breakout in your tank please don't tell me a vendor sent you a fish in that condition . . .

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello~
I picked up couple fish and while quaratining/treating running into some problems.
Was going the 14 day treat and quarantine from fishotel.

QT Tank: 40 Breeder
HOB and sponge bubbler
Salinity 1.022 Temp 78 degrees
Copper testing at least once a day with hanna copper checker.

On
6/26/25 My copper was at 2.45 And dosed seachem metroplex
6/28/25 dosed seachem metroplex - ick hit hard but fish still eating.
6/30/25 dosed seachem metroplex
7/1/25 did a 20 gallon water change with copper at 2.44. Rechecked tank copper at maintained at 2.45 (Fish looked good and eating)
7/2/25 dosed API General Cure
7/4/25 Dosed seachem metroplex
7/5/25 Today wokeup to full blown (ick/velvet/brooke) and looks like fluke in the eyes.

I'm not sure what to do. I believe I made a mistake on 6/30-7/1 I miscalculated dosing metro and did it a day late.
Should I pull and try a freshwater dip?
I have one more API general cure treatment I have to dose on 7/9, but not sure if that will take care of the flukes if the first didn't.
Crazy as it sounds I believe this ick outbreak is still better than the first one I had in the beginning of treatment.

Thank you.

What is the ammonia level and what test kit are you using for that?
What copper product are you using?

Metroplex and General cure both have metronidazole in them, so together, that creates an overdose. Combined with copper, the fish may well crash from that.

 

[akma]

Did this breakout in your tank please don't tell me a vendor sent you a fish in that condition . . .

Not in my tank. Everything in my tank is clean and disease free.

I received these fish a few weeks ago.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do not mix meds especially an

Hello~
I picked up couple fish and while quaratining/treating running into some problems.
Was going the 14 day treat and quarantine from fishotel.

QT Tank: 40 Breeder
HOB and sponge bubbler
Salinity 1.022 Temp 78 degrees
Copper testing at least once a day with hanna copper checker.

On
6/26/25 My copper was at 2.45 And dosed seachem metroplex
6/28/25 dosed seachem metroplex - ick hit hard but fish still eating.
6/30/25 dosed seachem metroplex
7/1/25 did a 20 gallon water change with copper at 2.44. Rechecked tank copper at maintained at 2.45 (Fish looked good and eating)
7/2/25 dosed API General Cure
7/4/25 Dosed seachem metroplex
7/5/25 Today wokeup to full blown (ick/velvet/brooke) and looks like fluke in the eyes.

I'm not sure what to do. I believe I made a mistake on 6/30-7/1 I miscalculated dosing metro and did it a day late.
Should I pull and try a freshwater dip?
I have one more API general cure treatment I have to dose on 7/9, but not sure if that will take care of the flukes if the first didn't.
Crazy as it sounds I believe this ick outbreak is still better than the first one I had in the beginning of treatment.

Thank you.

Do not mix meds especially anything with coppersafe and bring salinity to at least 1.024 and take a water sample to a store that does not use api test kits and see what readings they come up with and to compare with yours

 

[akma]

What is the ammonia level and what test kit are you using for that?
What copper product are you using?

Metroplex and General cure both have metronidazole in them, so together, that creates an overdose. Combined with copper, the fish may well crash from that.

The General Cure and metroplex I was not dosing on the same days.

Test kit I am using an api ammonia kit and it's reading an ammonia of .25. Will do a water change tomorrow. Also a Seachem test strip.
For copper I am using copper power.

I've only treated a few fish myself and so far haven't had a problem. This time i'm surprised at what came out.

 

[vetteguy53081]

The General Cure and metroplex I was not dosing on the same days.

Test kit I am using an api ammonia kit and it's reading an ammonia of .25. Will do a water change tomorrow. Also a Seachem test strip.
For copper I am using copper power.

I've only treated a few fish myself and so far haven't had a problem. This time i'm surprised at what came out.

If .25, extremely high or was it .025?
Metro makes food taste bitter and has to be used precisely by weight and will break down binder in copper power

 

[MnFish1]

0.25 ppm total ammonia on an API test kit is low - and likely is 'zero' depending on how you're reading it and whether you're following the instructions. The protocol recommended here is 30 days of copper followed by 2 doses of prazipro 8 days apart. There is no need for metronidazole based on what you're saying. It's hard to answer the rationale for what another site is using for their quarantine protocol - but - since you're only 2 weeks into copper it's not unheard of that there would be spots.

As already stated - mixing medications is not a good idea without some extraneous reason. I would follow the protocol here, unless there is a compelling reason to use other medications. If you have flukes as well as ich - you can add prazipro carefully - maintaining oxygenation and water quality.

As you can see from the chart - the lowest API ammonia reading (total) - is 0 - the next is 0.25 ppm,

API Ammonia Test Kit - $19.95

API Ammonia Test Kit - Ammonia (NH3/MH4+) test kit for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Why Test for Ammonia? Fish continually release ammonia (NH3) directly into the aquarium/pond through their gills, urine, and solid waste. Uneaten food and other decaying organic matter also add...

angelfins.ca

 

[akma]

0.25 ppm total ammonia on an API test kit is low - and likely is 'zero' depending on how you're reading it and whether you're following the instructions. The protocol recommended here is 30 days of copper followed by 2 doses of prazipro 8 days apart. There is no need for metronidazole based on what you're saying. It's hard to answer the rationale for what another site is using for their quarantine protocol - but - since you're only 2 weeks into copper it's not unheard of that there would be spots.

As already stated - mixing medications is not a good idea without some extraneous reason. I would follow the protocol here, unless there is a compelling reason to use other medications. If you have flukes as well as ich - you can add prazipro carefully - maintaining oxygenation and water quality.

As you can see from the chart - the lowest API ammonia reading (total) - is 0 - the next is 0.25 ppm,

API Ammonia Test Kit - $19.95

API Ammonia Test Kit - Ammonia (NH3/MH4+) test kit for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Why Test for Ammonia? Fish continually release ammonia (NH3) directly into the aquarium/pond through their gills, urine, and solid waste. Uneaten food and other decaying organic matter also add...

angelfins.ca

I used media from my main tank to cycle the quarantine tank so I believe that helped with the ammonia. I had filters for about 6 months in my sump. The API test kit read .25 yesterday.

I thought everything was fine until I believe I dosed the API General Cure. They were eating, all the ick had fallen off. I think that's where I made the mistake.

I usually just copper power for about 30 days and then prazipro after the copper treatment is done while in observation tank.

Flow I was running a HOB filter and a sponge filter.

Unfortunately, I lost the little guy. Will probably just go back to 30 days of copper and then treating after for anything else.

 

[MnFish1]

I used media from my main tank to cycle the quarantine tank so I believe that helped with the ammonia. I had filters for about 6 months in my sump. The API test kit read .25 yesterday.

I thought everything was fine until I believe I dosed the API General Cure. They were eating, all the ick had fallen off. I think that's where I made the mistake.

I usually just copper power for about 30 days and then prazipro after the copper treatment is done while in observation tank.

Flow I was running a HOB filter and a sponge filter.

Unfortunately, I lost the little guy. Will probably just go back to 30 days of copper and then treating after for anything else.

Sorry to hear about the fish. I think it's extremely important to pick a protocol (that has been backed up somewhat) and stick to it. Some of the problems that come in the hobby are not just with mixing protocols for disease but also for cycling. Where Dr. Tims ammonia is being used with something else. etc etc. Again - sorry about the fish.

 

[skiracer8148]

Sorry to hear about the fish. I think it's extremely important to pick a protocol (that has been backed up somewhat) and stick to it. Some of the problems that come in the hobby are not just with mixing protocols for disease but also for cycling. Where Dr. Tims ammonia is being used with something else. etc etc. Again - sorry about the fish.

Anytime I have ever dosed praziquantel or general cure in QT it killed my fish too, so I am trying just copper power and metro

 

[MnFish1]

Anytime I have ever dosed praziquantel or general cure in QT it killed my fish too, so I am trying just copper power and metro

There is no reason for 'metro'. And - General cure is metronidazole and praziquantel. So - given that my philosophy is rarely to mix medications - I agree with you. There are thousands of QT 'episodes' where praziquantel has not caused a problem - I would consider what you're doing.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Anytime I have ever dosed praziquantel or general cure in QT it killed my fish too, so I am trying just copper power and metro

Prazi or General Cure won’t kill fish outright if dosed properly. Copper and metro target different diseases so they are not a substitute for prazi.

Here is a post on properly dosing prazi:

Dosing Praziquantel (PZQ)

Using Praziquantel (PZQ) to treat flukes Overview In the early 1990’s, a researcher at the New York Aquarium published a paper on using Praziquantel (PZQ) to help control flukes, a parasitic flatworm. Also known as monogenean trematodes, these fish parasites can cause significant mortality in...

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