Using chloroquine phosphate to treat new fish

[Shooter6]

You may want to check in your profile to see if there's a delete account option there

It's not that it's hard to test, its the fact that you need to test at all... It takes at least 2 tests to get the copper levels where it needs to be. You guess how much copper it takes to get to 2.5ppm, right out the get you're at 2.2ppm, add a little more then test again, dang now I'm at 2.4, add a little more and test again to ensure that you're at 2.5. Same thing when you make a water change batch, test, off a bit, add more, test again, test again... This is an expensive endeavor as the regent refill kits are expensive.

The mg/L(gal) with CP is absolute, no testing required whatsoever. It's faster, treats a wider range of parasites and is less lethal to fish... A win across the board other than the fact that it is more expensive and harder to get than copper.

I don't mind paying $150 for a lifetime supply of the stuff.

Copper is not safe for a few species, and chloroquine has that same issue. Luckily most of the time, the fish that are sensitive to one are not sensitive to the other.

Hypo after the safety stop dips really seems to be the easiest to accomplish, and probably the cheapest as well.

A hyposalinity 10g qt with weekly safety stop dips, during which the qt could be fully cleaned will probably be a great option and simple. I'm sure there's a few fish who would not handle the safety stop, which in that case that step can be skipped, but still an easy cheap alternative to the copper and chloroquine treatments.

 

[Sean W.]

Just remember that the therapeutic level for copper power is better 2 and 2.5. So I add 1.5 mL of copper per gallon. Then I test once. Usually comes close to 2.5ish. If I’m a bit under I add an mL or two of copper and call it a day. I don’t keep retesting. You don’t have to be exactly at 2.5. Just be in the range between 2-2.5 and all is well. The only other time I retest is when I’m changing water and redosing which is usually every 4 days or so when the nitrate has built up.

These are good points, I did not know it was between 2 and 2.5... Everything I've read says it needs to be exactly 2.5...

Even still... CP is less toxic to fish and they get in and out of the medicine faster with CP than copper.

10 days in the medicine and 2 weeks in unmedicated water for observation.

Again, aside from the higher cost and it being more difficult to get, it seems better than copper?

 

[Shooter6]

In the humblefish article, he says just hippo tangs.

There's a few others other then hippo tangs.

 

[Sean W.]

There's a few others other then hippo tangs.

i plan on keeping a sailfin tang... or a purple tang. Would they be okay in CP?

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

It is definitely an alternative. I’ve ran 3-4 batches of fish through copper thus far, including my snowflake eel, and I’m getting pretty comfortable with it. But maybe one of these days I’ll try CP. It would be nice to have a variety of quarantine techniques.

 

[Shooter6]

 

[Shooter6]

i plan on keeping a sailfin tang... or a purple tang. Would they be okay in CP?

I've used it on both without issue

 

[Shooter6]

Chloroquine Phosphate

Chloroquine Phosphate (updated 9-06-2023) What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans), Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum), Brooklynella hostilis and Uronema marinum. Please Note: Chloroquine is unlikely to eliminate internal (or intracellular) Uronema. How To Buy...

humble.fish

Here is the screenshot from the linked article that shows at least some of the fish not to use chloroquine phosphate to treat. Anthias are one .

 

[Sean W.]

Well... I'm not hearing anyone run up a big red flag saying " DOOOO noTott UuseEEee CP WhHAt3verrr you DoooooOo "

Seems to be viable, albeit expensive alternative to copper...

 

[Shooter6]

Well... I'm not hearing anyone run up a big red flag saying " DOOOO noTott UuseEEee CP WhHAt3verrr you DoooooOo "

Seems to be viable, albeit expensive alternative to copper...

I use it, and prefer it over copper. I use hypo for all new fish, along with the black mollies. If the mollies break out with ich or velvet, during hypo qt, or after raising salinity I dose the qt with chloroquine unless it's fish that cannot handle it. In that case I restart the hypo and extend it am additional 3 months. . The formalin and methaline blue ( safety stop) baths really help to clean up the fish before putting them into qt.

 

[mehaffydr]

There are multiple ways to do QT. I have done 2.
I have done Hypo with great success its easy and cheap but you have to be very accurate with teh Salinity level so testing but that testing is free.
I have also done copper and I really believe this myth about a lot of fish dying from copper is just not up to date info. I am by far no expert in QT and I have not lost any fish to copper.
You seam to want to do CP so that is what you should do because you will most likely be most successful with what you are comfortable with.
You say copper test is expensive and I would say if you consider copper test expensive your in the wrong hobby, 25 packs of reagent are like$12.00 and your planning on paying $150 for CP. Thats a lot of copper tests.
When I QT in copper I use less that 10 tests during the entire process. Once you do it a while you quickly learn how much copper it takes to get the proper level you don't need to do 3 test every time you change water. Maybe 1 just to be sure.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

There are multiple ways to do QT. I have done 2.
I have done Hypo with great success its easy and cheap but you have to be very accurate with teh Salinity level so testing but that testing is free.
I have also done copper and I really believe this myth about a lot of fish dying from copper is just not up to date info. I am by far no expert in QT and I have not lost any fish to copper.
You seam to want to do CP so that is what you should do because you will most likely be most successful with what you are comfortable with.
You say copper test is expensive and I would say if you consider copper test expensive your in the wrong hobby, 25 packs of reagent are like$12.00 and your planning on paying $150 for CP. Thats a lot of copper tests.
When I QT in copper I use less that 10 tests during the entire process. Once you do it a while you quickly learn how much copper it takes to get the proper level you don't need to do 3 test every time you change water. Maybe 1 just to be sure.

Can you please describe how hypo QT is done exactly? Thanks.

 

[Shooter6]

Can you please describe how hypo QT is done exactly? Thanks.

Yes set up a qt with fresh sw mixed to 1.09 temp acclimation of fish to qt tank, then put new fish in it.

Monitor ammonia. Do water changes to keep ammonia under control. Keep fish in hypo for a minimum of 30 days. I put black mollies from freshwater into the qt, as they will show if there's ich ect since they have no immune system for marine parasites. After the set hypo time, raise salinity slowly over a minimum of a week. Two is preferable. Then keep fish in the qt for an additional week to verify no breakout of parasites.

 

[Shooter6]

Now I will explain my hypo qt.

I use 2 40g qt tanks, because I qt multiple fish at a time for myself and local friends. I temp acclimation the fish, then I run them through the safety stop baths. Afterwards I put them into a 40g if ammonia raises to high I transfer fish to the second qt. In between the tanks I do another safety stop bath.

Clan out the first and refill it.

Then repeat the move as needed. If the ammonia doesn't raise I still transfer fish after the first week.
And on the 4th week.
I keep the fish in hypo for around 45 days or more, feeding them, getting them used to seeing me ect. It really helps them when I transfer them to the display, to be less stressed from the shipping ect.

 

[Sean W.]

Now I will explain my hypo qt.

I use 2 40g qt tanks, because I qt multiple fish at a time for myself and local friends. I temp acclimation the fish, then I run them through the safety stop baths. Afterwards I put them into a 40g if ammonia raises to high I transfer fish to the second qt. In between the tanks I do another safety stop bath.

Clan out the first and refill it.

Then repeat the move as needed. If the ammonia doesn't raise I still transfer fish after the first week.
And on the 4th week.
I keep the fish in hypo for around 45 days or more, feeding them, getting them used to seeing me ect. It really helps them when I transfer them to the display, to be less stressed from the shipping ect.

What are these safety stops you're mentioning? I've never heard of those before

 

[Shooter6]

What are these safety stops you're mentioning? I've never heard of those before

Safety Stop - Rapid Fish Quarantine Bath

Safety Stop is a simple and effective way to help protect your fish from serious unwanted disease outbreaks caused by external parasites, and bacterial and fungal infections. New fish are often the source of infectious diseases that can wipe out an entire aquarium. Be proactive and give your...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Sean W.]

Safety Stop - Rapid Fish Quarantine Bath

Safety Stop is a simple and effective way to help protect your fish from serious unwanted disease outbreaks caused by external parasites, and bacterial and fungal infections. New fish are often the source of infectious diseases that can wipe out an entire aquarium. Be proactive and give your...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Seems aggressive...

 

[Shooter6]

Seems aggressive...

Why do you say that?

 

[Shooter6]

Seems aggressive...

Formalin and methalene blue have been used for many years to treat fish. Saftey stop is a simple premeasured treatment.

 

[Sean W.]

Why do you say that?

Reading the directions, it seems like every step of the process says,"if the fish seems to be stressed, move onto the next step".