reappearance of Ich during Copper treatment?

[lapoza]

I have had all of my fish in QT since Jan 30th. using Cupramine I brought the levels up to what appeared to be .50 using API test kit. Ended up losing around 5 fish which I think was due to velvet not ICH.

Since then I was doing water changes and bought a Hanna tested for copper. Upon testing my Copper level was actually .30 based off of the Hannah checker. Within ten days of starting the fish that survived had no signs of ICH whatsoever, but this morning I noticed the Tomini tang has white specks again. Eating very well just has the spots. Is this due to being below the .5 level or just that ICH takes longer than 30 days to not reappear.

Not sure if I should raise the level to .50 and then continue to treat for 46 more days or start the 76 days over again once hitting .50

 

[Humblefish]

IMO&E; you need to treat at 0.5ppm w/Cupramine to get all the free swimmers.

 

[lapoza]

IMO&E; you need to treat at 0.5ppm w/Cupramine to get all the free swimmers.

One of the fish I lost was my Emperor angel and a Pink square Anthias, I am thinking they had bacterial infections as well which I had no way of treating in time before I lost them. I also bought some copper power as after I started reading about QT some advise it is easier on the fish. Eventually I want to replace those two fish and will use Copper power the next time I do this.

Would you recommend I start my QT time frame over once I hit .5ppm or will 46 days be sufficient?

 

[RamsReef]

Clock starts when you hit the therapeutic value, 0.5 ppm.
30 days

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/copper-treatment.193343/

76 is for fallow for your main tank not time in QT.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

One of the fish I lost was my Emperor angel and a Pink square Anthias, I am thinking they had bacterial infections as well which I had no way of treating in time before I lost them. I also bought some copper power as after I started reading about QT some advise it is easier on the fish. Eventually I want to replace those two fish and will use Copper power the next time I do this.

Would you recommend I start my QT time frame over once I hit .5ppm or will 46 days be sufficient?

I would start the clock once you hit the 0.5ppm therapeutic levels.

 

[NoobReeefer]

i would use copper power and a hanna checker.....the therapeutic range of copper power is 1.5-2.5 so you have way more wiggle room

 

[Humblefish]

I agree with restarting the clock once you hit 0.5 w/Cupramine.

I also agree that Copper Power + Hanna Checker is usually the better option. I personally treat @ 1.75ppm using Copper Power; therapeutic range for that product is 1.5-2.0 ppm.

 

[lapoza]

Should I use a copper removing compound and then re dose with copper power? Having .30 cupramine and then dosing copper power will give me an in accurate reading of the copper level in the tank. I’m currently QT the fish in a 240 gallon tank so a complete water change is not feasible

 

[Humblefish]

Should I use a copper removing compound and then re dose with copper power? Having .30 cupramine and then dosing copper power will give me an in accurate reading of the copper level in the tank. I’m currently QT the fish in a 240 gallon tank so a complete water change is not feasible

I would just raise Cupramine to 0.5 ppm this time. Next time around maybe consider switching to Copper Power.

 

[HotRocks]

Just catching up in this. Cupramine and the API test kit is likely the issue here. That test kit is very hard to read even at higher levels with chelated copper. Cupramine would be easier to monitor with either the seachem test kit or the salifert if you want to use a visual method.

The Hanna checker dies work with both ionic and chelated copper.

I use the same as @Humblefish recommended above.