URGENT HELP PLEASE

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

I get home from the fire station in the morning, and my girlfriend dosed the copper tonight instead of waiting till tomorrow. I'll do a Freshwater dip for each of them in the morning, and keep testing the copper levels.

On a separate note, I know they say not to use hyposalinity and copper together because the lower salt causes lower pH, which causes the copper to become toxic. However I'm currently running a protein skimmer , running with a CO2 scrubber. Do you think that would keep the pH elevated enough to lower the salinity as well?

 

[Joey waid]

I get home from the fire station in the morning, and my girlfriend dosed the copper tonight instead of waiting till tomorrow. I'll do a Freshwater dip for each of them in the morning, and keep testing the copper levels.

On a separate note, I know they say not to use hyposalinity and copper together because the lower salt causes lower pH, which causes the copper to become toxic. However I'm currently running a protein skimmer , running with a CO2 scrubber. Do you think that would keep the pH elevated enough to lower the salinity as well?

At this point ph is not a issue, ammonia is. you don't do hypo and copper because it would be very stressful and they are doing the same thing, but in your case you need a solution now and hypo takes way too long and is way too hard to hold that exact number due to evaporating and salt leaching. Copper is you best bet. If they had ich and it was only a few spots I would be to me a viable option.

 

[Joey waid]

I think I read your post wrong and gave a crazy answer, but still true.

 

[Humblefish]

However I'm currently running a protein skimmer , running with a CO2 scrubber. Do you think that would keep the pH elevated enough to lower the salinity as well?

I still think you'd need to use buffer to maintain pH at some point. Combining copper + hypo makes little sense, because copper is more effective than hypo at eradicating ich. The only benefit would be eliminating flukes, which copper does not treat. However, you can combine copper + Prazipro if you suspect flukes as well.

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

I still think you'd need to use buffer to maintain pH at some point. Combining copper + hypo makes little sense, because copper is more effective than hypo at eradicating ich. The only benefit would be eliminating flukes, which copper does not treat. However, you can combine copper + Prazipro if you suspect flukes as well.

At this point I'm trying to treat everything and anything before I lose anyone else. The thought of the hyposalinity was to reduce stress of the fish (from my little research it's less stress on them). My other question is can you mix antibiotics with copper?

 

[Joey waid]

At this point I'm trying to treat everything and anything before I lose anyone else. The thought of the hyposalinity was to reduce stress of the fish (from my little research it's less stress on them). My other question is can you mix antibiotics with copper?

It's not recommended.

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

*UPDATE*
Spanky the cowfish is starting to look a little better and is acting more like himself. Definately not out of the woods but at least something positive.

It's not recommended.

Thanks, I'll wait till the ich is treated, then treat my dragon goby with antibiotics

 

[Humblefish]

My other question is can you mix antibiotics with copper?

Yes, but you need to add extra gas exchange to compensate for O2 depletion when combining meds: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/oxygen-while-using-meds.258949/

There is also a risk of appetite suppression when using antibiotics; combining them with copper exacerbates the issue.

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

My house is newly built and does not "breath" very well. On my reef tank I needed to connect a CO2 scrubber to my skimmer to raise the O2 and pH. Since I'm more concerned about my fish's health then coral growth at the moment I took the skimmer with the CO2 scrubber off the reef and placed it on the qt. Obviously I will have to sterilize the skimmer when all is done, but do you think that will give enough gas exchange to keep the fish breathing?

 

[jeffrey holloway]

Good luck, hope you save them all. Don't forget that if its ick its still in your DT.

 

[Pole04]

Sorry to hear you lost your Kole, but I am so glad Spanky is doing better! Best of luck with the continuing treatment!

 

[Humblefish]

My house is newly built and does not "breath" very well. On my reef tank I needed to connect a CO2 scrubber to my skimmer to raise the O2 and pH. Since I'm more concerned about my fish's health then coral growth at the moment I took the skimmer with the CO2 scrubber off the reef and placed it on the qt. Obviously I will have to sterilize the skimmer when all is done, but do you think that will give enough gas exchange to keep the fish breathing?

I think you'll be fine so long as you add an airstone or point a powerhead towards the surface, in your QT.

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

Thanks , I'm going to be keeping all these fish out of the display tank for at least 2 months

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

Side note, would a protein skimmer remove antibiotics? Just curious because I added the antibiotics as well as topped of the tank higher then I had before (higher then the skimmer was set for) and the skimmer overflowed. Pretty sure it was just the added water but got to ask.

 

[Joey waid]

Side note, would a protein skimmer remove antibiotics? Just curious because I added the antibiotics as well as topped of the tank higher then I had before (higher then the skimmer was set for) and the skimmer overflowed. Pretty sure it was just the added water but got to ask.

I run my skimmer then let it overflow back in to the sump/tank. With all the meds the more air the better. My skimmer has a drain on it and I put a Pastic cup and stuffed it full of three different flosses and let the skimmer drain in that. The cup has hole and it drained to the tank.

 

[melypr1985]

Side note, would a protein skimmer remove antibiotics? Just curious because I added the antibiotics as well as topped of the tank higher then I had before (higher then the skimmer was set for) and the skimmer overflowed. Pretty sure it was just the added water but got to ask.

It might not, but the skimmer may overflow and go crazy on you with meds in thew water.

 

[Humblefish]

Side note, would a protein skimmer remove antibiotics? Just curious because I added the antibiotics as well as topped of the tank higher then I had before (higher then the skimmer was set for) and the skimmer overflowed. Pretty sure it was just the added water but got to ask.

I don't know if it would pull antibiotics out (other than what is in the water in the skimmer cup); but it will cause it to overskim.

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

It's a hob skimmer for the qt... just have to keep a close eye, maybe turn it off immediately after dosing

 

[Joey waid]

It's a hob skimmer for the qt... just have to keep a close eye, maybe turn it off immediately after dosing

I have a skimmer on two of my qt tanks. I rigged up a cup with filter floss of three different kinds and put them on the drain hole of the skimmer cup, the cup has holes in it, then I let it drain back into the tank. It puts air in to the tank and the cup filters too, maybe??

 

[Mr_Banana_Pants]

I have a skimmer on two of my qt tanks. I rigged up a cup with filter floss of three different kinds and put them on the drain hole of the skimmer cup, the cup has holes in it, then I let it drain back into the tank. It puts air in to the tank and the cup filters too, maybe??

I'll have to try to create a filter on Friday when I get home. I just shut off the skimmer because it was drawing mostly clear water, no skimmate really. Unfortunately I'll only have sponge filters with an air pump to oxygenate the water, better then nothing