Reinfection ICH/Velvet?

[superfastkyle]

I have wanted to setup a saltwater aquarium for 30 years and had finally had enough disposable income to do it. I setup my tank with dry rock/sand and properly cycled my tank with the fishless cycle. I bought two designer clownfish, and they were great for the first 14 days. No stress, just always clowning around together. Then I noticed the white spots on the female clown. That same day I tried starting treatment with metroplex which the store sold me. I didn't notice any visual changes all weekend. Very early Monday morning I hear the smaller male clownfish (no spots still) going crazy swimming into the lid and everything. He was dead by noon. So I assumed due to the other fish going so fast it was velvet and not ich. I ordered cupramine and started it on tuesday. I ran copper in the tank for around 28 days before removing with cuprasorb and large water changes. Which was longer than the instructions said so I assumed I would be fine. Now another two weeks later the remaining clown seems to be reinfected. The only strange thing is it looks different from the first time. Could it actually be ich this time? Even though I have not added a single live thing to the tank?

I'm devested and honestly to the point of giving up. How can my luck be this bad? I used a hannah checker during the copper treatment, so maybe I miss tested? Its almost impossible to get all the reagent from that package in the vial. Its just a poor design. Should I take the sand/rock out and treat copper again? The rocks seem to make it difficult to keep a constant level and wait even longer this time?

 

[superfastkyle]

this is from the fist time he was infected

 

[superfastkyle]

here is the best newest pic i could get since he wont leave the overflow area he has approx 13 spots of that same size

 

[vetteguy53081]

Did you treat for full 30 days?
Which med did you use and at what level of dosage?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

here is the best newest pic i could get since he wont leave the overflow area he has approx 13 spots of that same size

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

The first picture is certainly ich, the second picture, can't say for sure. Visual symptoms are not always enough to determine what disease is active. If you did a full dose of cupramine (0.50 ppm) for 28 days, with no new additions, this is unlikely to be ich. The two other possibilities would be bacterial (secondary infection from the previous ich infection) or flukes (worms). Copper doesn't cure flukes, but really, clownfish don't get them that often.

Can you post a short video of the fish?

I agree about the Hanna checkers, it is tough to get all the reagent out. Still, they are the most accurate home test for copper.


Jay

p.s. - I'll be travelling today so may not be able to respond...other Fish Medics will see this though.....