Sick Blue Hippo!

[Ammirati]

Please someone help. My blue hippo isn't doing well. He has been in a QT tank in coppersafe since 11/10 at a 2.0 level confirmed with Hanna meter. He has ich, velvet or something else now for the last few days. He's also loosing color. I added Prazi 3 days ago too to see If it was something else. Today he wouldn't eat. My numbers are all good 8.2ph, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite and 5 nitrates. What else could it be. Can he have a strain of ich that is resist to copper? Wouldn't he have shown ich earlier if he's been in there since 11/10? Is there anything I should treat with that can be done with the copper in there? I have 3 other fish in there (yellow watchman goby, firefish and clown fish) and they currently look OK. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you all!

 

[Dierks]

Have you done a freshwater dip? If you can I would suggest following this to start.

Freshwater Dip

Freshwater Dip What It Treats – Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases: 1) Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum) 2) Brooklynella hostilis 3) Uronema marinum 4) Flukes (Monogeneans) 5) Black Ich (Turbellarians) Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes (see video...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Ammirati]

Have you done a freshwater dip? If you can I would suggest following this to start.

Freshwater Dip

Freshwater Dip What It Treats – Provides temporary relief for a wide range of diseases: 1) Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum) 2) Brooklynella hostilis 3) Uronema marinum 4) Flukes (Monogeneans) 5) Black Ich (Turbellarians) Can be used to confirm the presence of Flukes (see video...

www.reef2reef.com

I have to grab more RO water tomorrow and can try that. What does it look like to you? I thought it was ich but I thought it would have showed earlier. It's been in the QT since 11/8 and the coppersafe got to therapeutic level 11/10

 

[Dierks]

Looks like it could be flukes, you will know if they are. With it being in therapeutic copper for that long we know its not Ich. we also know its not velvet as it would have killed that fish and spread to the others. It also doesn't look like velvet at all. Its not in the right location for Lymphocystis.

Do the spots look fuzzy at all?

 

[Ammirati]

Looks like it could be flukes, you will know if they are. With it being in therapeutic copper for that long we know its not Ich. we also know its not velvet as it would have killed that fish and spread to the others. It also doesn't look like velvet at all. Its not in the right location for Lymphocystis.

Do the spots look fuzzy at all?

The whole fish almost seems to have a fuzzy look. Not smooth like when I got it.

 

[Dierks]

Well if it is velvet it would have to be this strain and I would think it would have moved to the other fish in the tank. I just don't think that is the case here though.

BAD NEWS - Velvet Strain Survives 1.75 PPM Copper!

Breaking News: We believe we have discovered at least one strain of velvet that survives 1.75 PPM copper, we recommend increasing to 2.0PPM to eradicate it. @HotRocks and I have quarantined hundreds of fish over the past year and we've unfortunately learned a lot of hard lessons we can pass to...

www.reef2reef.com

Lets call in the experts!
@Humblefish @HotRocks #reefsquad

 

[Ammirati]

Well if it is velvet it would have to be this strain and I would think it would have moved to the other fish in the tank. I just don't think that is the case here though.

BAD NEWS - Velvet Strain Survives 1.75 PPM Copper!

Breaking News: We believe we have discovered at least one strain of velvet that survives 1.75 PPM copper, we recommend increasing to 2.0PPM to eradicate it. @HotRocks and I have quarantined hundreds of fish over the past year and we've unfortunately learned a lot of hard lessons we can pass to...

www.reef2reef.com

Lets call in the experts!
@Humblefish @HotRocks #reefsquad

Thank you for the information. I'll try the freshwater dip in the morning. If fluke are present would I just continue prazi or is there something better?

 

[DLHDesign]

The white dots are actually not the parasite - they are the wounds from the parasite’s point of entry. They can take a bit longer to heal than the parasite takes to be eradicated.

Are those pictures from the QT tank? How often have you been testing the water during the past few weeks?

 

[Ammirati]

The white dots are actually not the parasite - they are the wounds from the parasite’s point of entry. They can take a bit longer to heal than the parasite takes to be eradicated.

Are those pictures from the QT tank? How often have you been testing the water during the past few weeks?

That is from the qt tank. I've been testing every 2 days.

 

[DLHDesign]

Have the levels been consistent? I’d worry about the copper being absorbed by the decor and dropping the levels below treatment strength. Did you have to keep adding copper to keep the levels even?

 

[LAReefer4Life]

It does look like flukes. I'd start with FWD and go from there. Have you conduct a FWD before?

 

[Ammirati]

Have the levels been consistent? I’d worry about the copper being absorbed by the decor and dropping the levels below treatment strength. Did you have to keep adding copper to keep the levels even?

All other decor is pvc pipe. Copper levels are definitely at 2 for about a week, before this tje number was actually higher. I bought the Hanna meter because I couldn't make out the color on the test kit. All partial water changes have coppersafe added as well before going into the tank.

 

[HotRocks]

If the fish has been in copper since 11/10 if you have a secondary QT that is parasite free you could transfer the fish out of copper. Based on your levels and length of time in therapeutic copper I don’t believe this is parasitic in nature. Tangs will sometimes get these skin tag looking spots you are seeing. We call it the “mystery” disease. It usually will go away on its own once the fish is removed from the immunosuppressant (copper). Blue hippos seem to get it most commonly. If you have treated with both copper for at least 14 days and then a dose of prazi it could be the combination of medication is suppressing the appetite. If you don’t have a second QT the fish needs to stay in copper for 30 days in your current tank. I would do a couple large WCs still adding copper and see if you can reduce the prazi concentration and get the fish eating again.

 

[GoldeneyeRet]

Flukes, lympho,bacterial infection and copper sensitivity are all possibilities IMO

 

[Ammirati]

It does look like flukes. I'd start with FWD and go from there. Have you conduct a FWD before?

I haven't done one before but I saw the instructions posted on r2r so I'll give it a shot today

 

[Ammirati]

If the fish has been in copper since 11/10 if you have a secondary QT that is parasite free you could transfer the fish out of copper. Based on your levels and length of time in therapeutic copper I don’t believe this is parasitic in nature. Tangs will sometimes get these skin tag looking spots you are seeing. We call it the “mystery” disease. It usually will go away on its own once the fish is removed from the immunosuppressant (copper). Blue hippos seem to get it most commonly. If you have treated with both copper for at least 14 days and then a dose of prazi it could be the combination of medication is suppressing the appetite. If you don’t have a second QT the fish needs to stay in copper for 30 days in your current tank. I would do a couple large WCs still adding copper and see if you can reduce the prazi concentration and get the fish eating again.

Thanks, I'm running coppersafe in both QT now. I got ich in my DT before so now everything gets quarantined. I learned the hard way. The main tank is fallow since 10/6. I will do the dip and if no flukes I'll do the large wcs. Thanks

 

[LAReefer4Life]

I haven't done one before but I saw the instructions posted on r2r so I'll give it a shot today

Checking in. How is your fish?

 

[Ammirati]

Checking in. How is your fish?

Thanks for checking. Nothing came off in the freshwater dip. Still looks the same. Being a little active so I'll see if he eats today.

 

[sagee]

Blue hippos are magnets for ich especially small ones. If you can keep that bad boy eating he will pull through. I dont like freshwater dipping because 1 it freaks me out and 2 it had to stress out the fish that's already having issues I know some people have had success with it but idk not for me. I see blue hippos get it all the time and it also passes 90 percent of those times.

 

[Ammirati]

Here is the current update on what he looks like. He ate yesterday...didn't really see him eat today but still swimming normal. Sorry there are a ton of micro bubbles from the filter I have running. Copper is still at 2.0 tested on the Hanna checker meter since 11/10. Other fish still not showing any signs that resemble this. Still think "mystery" disease @HotRocks ?