Tang gaping mouth

[Rp8]

Currently QTing all my fish for ich outbreak, on the 43rd day. Been dosing copper and metroplex.
Copper <2
Nitrates 20 ppm
Ammonia 0

So last night they were fine active and eating right. Today not eating, lethargic, and tangs mouthbis out and gaping.
And bicolor angel died
Any suggestions? Ideas what could be going on? I've done a water change that's about it

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Currently QTing all my fish for ich outbreak, on the 43rd day. Been dosing copper and metroplex.
Copper <2
Nitrates 20 ppm
Ammonia 0

So last night they were fine active and eating right. Today not eating, lethargic, and tangs mouthbis out and gaping.
And bicolor angel died
Any suggestions? Ideas what could be going on? I've done a water change that's about it

What type of copper are you using and what test kit do you have? What has been the copper profile - length of time, dose?
Less than 24 hours from being fine to death is super serious. Two possibilities are: water quality issues or marine velvet. Are there other fish in the tank, how do they look? Is the tang breathing fast in addition to its mouth being open?
Jay

 

[Rp8]

Tang and butterfly is breathing fast. They all look to be covered in velvet. I have been using coppersafe keeping it around 2ppm. Salifert copper test kit. When I put them in qt, they appeared to get better. I have been monitoring qt tank water and maintaining good quality for habitants and testing before and after water changes. Then within the last 48, lost bicolor and now one clown. Fearing the worst at this point.

 

[Rp8]

What type of copper are you using and what test kit do you have? What has been the copper profile - length of time, dose?
Less than 24 hours from being fine to death is super serious. Two possibilities are: water quality issues or marine velvet. Are there other fish in the tank, how do they look? Is the tang breathing fast in addition to its mouth being open?
Jay

Other fish: lemon peel, coral beauty, banggai, another clown, and the butterfly.

 

[Rp8]

The clown is currently trying to poop and it’s solid white. They haven’t ate In 2 days now

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Tang and butterfly is breathing fast. They all look to be covered in velvet. I have been using coppersafe keeping it around 2ppm. Salifert copper test kit. When I put them in qt, they appeared to get better. I have been monitoring qt tank water and maintaining good quality for habitants and testing before and after water changes. Then within the last 48, lost bicolor and now one clown. Fearing the worst at this point.

It does sound like velvet. The rapid breathing and dusting, plus the improvement seen when you moved the fish to a new tank all point to that.

This is a bit of a chore, but what I would do is: mix up four gallons of seawater. Add exactly 5 ml of Coppersafe to it. Mix it well, wait an hour and test it. Use THAT reading to adjust the Coppersafe in the QT. (You can use the test water as a partial water change). My rationale is this: Coppersafe is tricky to use against velvet. You need to be at exactly a full dose. I'm worried you may be about 0.5 ppm too low. Running this test, using your test kit and an exactly proper amount of Coppersafe will get you to where you need to be.

Jay

 

[Rp8]

Ok thanks. Will do

 

[Rp8]

Lemon peel down

 

[Rp8]

Just tested water again. 2 ppm. Lemon peel is still alive barely, but not breathing to rapidly. No dusting on him like the others. But definitly on the way out.
I'll change out as discussed. But at this point I feel like this looks like it's going to be a nuked tank and almost complete loss.
Thanks.

 

[Rp8]

Since my last post I have lost 4 fish. I had fish in qt with coppersafe from 2.0-2.5. At first I thought it was just ich. Then signs of velvet. My final answer is flukes. So at day 45ish I put them back in DT. Looked good for a week. Now butterfly color is fading, and tang and butterfly have white spots. I thought it might have been a mucus cone. Did not fall off large conical shape. Could be flukes again. Truly truly frustrated. I have dosed copper, metroplex, api general cure, stress coat and paraguard. I get the fallow period facts. I moved them bc they were in dire straights. I used the meds systematically not all at once. I maintained lvls on DT and QT including salt and temp(82). My UV just arrived, but I am gone for a week. my wife is good at managing lvls, meds, &water. But not plumbing. Would a complete substrate change benefit or help put a dent in this when I get back?
Standing by…at my wits end
Thanks in advance

 

[Rp8]

Bump