Treating clowns

[TvanB1]

I'm looking to put 3 of my clown pairs through QT before they go into their permanent tanks. Some of them are still scratching after two rounds of PraziPro. They are all eating and putting on weight.
I have a 40-gallon observation tank that is divided into 3 segments. I was planning on using Chloroquine Phosphate as not to stain the tank and equipment with copper, but I have heard it is not very consistent. I am concerned with the effects of copper in regards to the longevity of the fish. They will be my broodstock and are relatively young so I hope to have them for many years.
If I use CP I would cut off the sump to the observation tank and turn it into QT to treat them all together. If I did use copper I would separate them into 3x 10-gallon tanks. How would you proceed with treatment?

Thanks!!

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I would put them in QT tanks and treat them with cheleted copper around 1.75ppm but don’t go below 1.50(bare minimum therapeutic level). I would FW dip all of them on their way to QT. If you don’t see flukes after the FW dip you may consider adding Metro to the regimen to cover brook as well. You can do 14 days copper/metro then transfer to a sterile tank to observe. I would also feed GC laced food for the 14 days to cover internal parasites.
I forgot to add after the 14 days of copper/ metro I would do 2 doses of Prazi 5-7 days apart to ensure no flukes.

 

[TvanB1]

I would put them in QT tanks and treat them with cheleted copper around 1.75ppm but don’t go below 1.50(bare minimum therapeutic level). I would FW dip all of them on their way to QT. If you don’t see flukes after the FW dip you may consider adding Metro to the regimen to cover brook as well. You can do 14 days copper/metro then transfer to a sterile tank to observe. I would also feed GC laced food for the 14 days to cover internal parasites.
I forgot to add after the 14 days of copper/ metro I would do 2 doses of Prazi 5-7 days apart to ensure no flukes.

This is likely the route I will take. Ill pick up some 10 gallon tank from petco this week. The rack that they will be going in is 9 feet away from where the QT would sit. Hopefully, this is far enough to prevent aerosol transmission. I will put acrylic pieces next to the rim of the tank to further prevent it. The rack will also have a UV sterilizer if anything does make it through.
Some of them are showing signs of ich but they seem to be managing it for now.
The white stringy poop has also returned. I was feeding 2x a day with medicated food and 4x a day with non-medicated food. Im thinking this may have flushed the medication out too soon. Ive read that it is not recommended to exceed 2 feedings per day with medicated food but I am unsure.

Does anyone have any experience with long term effects of copper? I would hate to see these fish die prematurely.
Most of them are less than 4 years old and can easily live over 20 years with good care.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

This is likely the route I will take. Ill pick up some 10 gallon tank from petco this week. The rack that they will be going in is 9 feet away from where the QT would sit. Hopefully, this is far enough to prevent aerosol transmission. I will put acrylic pieces next to the rim of the tank to further prevent it. The rack will also have a UV sterilizer if anything does make it through.
Some of them are showing signs of ich but they seem to be managing it for now.
The white stringy poop has also returned. I was feeding 2x a day with medicated food and 4x a day with non-medicated food. Im thinking this may have flushed the medication out too soon. Ive read that it is not recommended to exceed 2 feedings per day with medicated food but I am unsure.

Does anyone have any experience with long term effects of copper? I would hate to see these fish die prematurely.
Most of them are less than 4 years old and can easily live over 20 years with good care.

With cheleted copper kept at a safe level (1.75ppm) you shouldn’t have any issues.

 

[TvanB1]

Ordered everything over the weekend and now im just waiting on the hanna copper checker.
I have cycled marinepure balls that I can use for the quarantine tanks but I think it will absorb too much copper.
I think an air driven sponge filter might be the way to go.
What do you use to cycle quarantine tanks?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Ordered everything over the weekend and now im just waiting on the hanna copper checker.
I have cycled marinepure balls that I can use for the quarantine tanks but I think it will absorb too much copper.
I think an air driven sponge filter might be the way to go.
What do you use to cycle quarantine tanks?

I use a filter sponge and a bottle of biospira. I usually set up same day and do a WC every 4 days (25%) and I’ve never had an ammonia issue.

 

[TvanB1]

I use a filter sponge and a bottle of biospira. I usually set up same day and do a WC every 4 days (25%) and I’ve never had an ammonia issue.

Thanks

 

[TvanB1]

I use a filter sponge and a bottle of biospira. I usually set up same day and do a WC every 4 days (25%) and I’ve never had an ammonia issue.

Its on its way.
Unfortunately, my male Spotcinctus is covered in what appears to be velvet.
I have the copper and tanks on hand. The hanna copper checker will be here tomorrow and the biospira, sponge filter, and ammonia alert badges will arrive this Thursday.
Wondering if I should continue to wait it out until everything else arrives or move and try to dose copper. I would hate to blind dose but he looks pretty bad and doubt he will survive without intervention. I did a freshwater dip early this morning and the number of spots have decreased. He is eating very little.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

Its on its way.
Unfortunately, my male Spotcinctus is covered in what appears to be velvet.
I have the copper and tanks on hand. The hanna copper checker will be here tomorrow and the biospira, sponge filter, and ammonia alert badges will arrive this Thursday.
Wondering if I should continue to wait it out until everything else arrives or move and try to dose copper. I would hate to blind dose but he looks pretty bad and doubt he will survive without intervention. I did a freshwater dip early this morning and the number of spots have decreased. He is eating very little.

Are you using copper power? If so here is a link to get you rough idea of dosing. You’ll want to ramp it over 24-36 hours or so anyways. Shoot for 1.75ppm but you can estimate it to get to .75-1.0ppm to start.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ratios-for-dosing-copper-power.385871/

 

[TvanB1]

Are you using copper power? If so here is a link to get you rough idea of dosing. You’ll want to ramp it over 24-36 hours or so anyways. Shoot for 1.75ppm but you can estimate it to get to .75-1.0ppm to start.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ratios-for-dosing-copper-power.385871/

Yep, using copper power. Ill shoot for .75 on the first dose and try to get as close to 1.75 as possible with the following doses.
Thanks again!!

 

[TvanB1]

Thomas labs metronidazole is coming in later this week as well so I am going to have to postpone that until after the copper treatment. No signs of brook or uronema so far. Is it advisable to combine prazi and metro. Im thinking after 14 days in copper they’ll spend another 14 days in the prazi/metro to eliminate any brook, uronema, black ich, etc.

 

[TvanB1]

I started dosing copper yesterday night and just noticed some of the clowns are showing signs of flukes again. They went through two rounds of prazi in the holding tank and seemed fine for weeks following the treatment.
I don’t want to discontinue the copper treatment because of the possible velvet. Are there any “copper safe” fluke treatments?

@Humblefish @Frtdrmrose7 @HotRocks

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

I started dosing copper yesterday night and just noticed some of the clowns are showing signs of flukes again. They went through two rounds of prazi in the holding tank and seemed fine for weeks following the treatment.
I don’t want to discontinue the copper treatment because of the possible velvet. Are there any “copper safe” fluke treatments?

@Humblefish @Frtdrmrose7 @HotRocks

You can dose Prazi with copper but watch for a bacterial bloom and make sure you aerate the water heavily.
What symptoms are you seeing?

 

[TvanB1]

You can dose Prazi with copper but watch for a bacterial bloom and make sure you aerate the water heavily.
What symptoms are you seeing?

One of them has a cloudy left eye and others are constantly shaking their heads and scratching. I was planning on doing a freshwater dip this morning to confirm.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

One of them has a cloudy left eye and others are constantly shaking their heads and scratching. I was planning on doing a freshwater dip this morning to confirm.

That sounds like textbook flukes

 

[TvanB1]

I will continue to ramp up the copper and do a 20% waterchange before adding prazi.
Should I stop dosing metro to minimize stress?

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

If the metro isn’t needed and you have time to dose it afterwards you could. The only two risks are further appetite suppression and greater possibility of a bacterial bloom. If you are treating brook or suspected Uronema then I would keep treating.

I will continue to ramp up the copper and do a 20% waterchange before adding prazi.
Should I stop dosing metro to minimize stress?

 

[TvanB1]

If the metro isn’t needed and you have time to dose it afterwards you could. The only two risks are further appetite suppression and greater possibility of a bacterial bloom. If you are treating brook or suspected Uronema then I would keep treating.

Haven’t noticed any symptoms consistent with brook or uronema. Ill pull the metro until they are done with copper and prazi.
Thanks!