Wrasses Coming in Tomorrow - Feedback on QT Approach?

[Dr Jimmy]

So, I've finally gotten ready after losing a couple fish from the LFS that came in with what presented like velvet and ultimately lost 2 of 3 within 30 hours of purchase. The last wrasse died around the 2 week mark with progressive nerve damage from what I understand is likely internal parasites.

I was reading pretty obsessively at that time and have read dozens of threads here likely over a hundred pages. I am hoping to get some feedback on expected QT procedure for a Melanurus Wrasse and Carpenter's Wrasse that are due to arrive tomorrow (this time, I went with LiveAquaria).

I've had the QT tank setup for a week and a half and cycled with ammonia chloride and Biospira. Ammonia alert badge has shown the tank is capable of recovering from the caution area to safe within 2 days. This isn't ideal but I do have the ability to add something from the DT where everything went through QT and has zero signs of issues OR adding Amquel if no copper present.

Things on hand:
Focus, Metroplex, Kanaplex, General Cure, Methylene Blue, Ruby Reef Rally, PraziPro, Spectrogram
Copper Power, Cupramine, Hanna Copper Checker
Ammonia Alert Badge

There seems to be a couple disagreements on medications with wrasses and maybe I'm just missing something. Some recommend dropping the fish into 1.0 ppm Copper Power on day 1.
The difficult to QT guide recommends: flukes and internal worms as areas of attention for likely treatment, treatment with Prazi, CP seems to work well for the wrasses that are coming in (I have General Cure), General Cure for 10-14 days with Focus

HotRocks general QT protocol:
1) Food soaked in General Cure + Focus for 14 days (from Day 1)
2) Raise copper level (Copper Power for me) by 0.25 ppm per dose to 2.0 ppm over 3 (often recommended 4-5 days for wrasses) days
3) Watch for bacterial infections (if present, dose Spectrogram)
4) Two rounds of Prazi (General Cure or PraziPro) - dosed into the water
5) 14 days of additional observation


I'm thinking of the following:
1) Temp and Salinity match (float bag and salinity match QT tank), lights off/down
2) Drop into QT tank with no copper
3) Feed unmedicated food on Day 1 to observe the fish eating "normally" with frozen foods to determine if feeding behavior changes
4) Day 2 - food soaked in General Cure + Focus for 14 days while observing for velvet/ick
5) Day 4-5 assuming good eating - Start dosing Copper Power at 0.5 ppm per day *max* to 2.0 ppm (Hanna Checker) - maintain for 14 days
6) Transfer to new QT tank

I don't want to overthink it but I also don't want to kill fish. Would really like some input.

 

[Big G]

@HotRocks has the treatment dialed. If you are not seeing evidence of velvet, I'd consider slowing the Copper Power down and do the 5 day spread. Small doses a couple of times per day.

And a wide variety of food mixed + vitamins (Beta Glucan preferred). I usually use 6-8 assorted frozen fish cubes. Place them into a bowl in the fridge and allow to slump. Mix and strain off the excess liquid as it will spike the nitrates and phosphates, especially in your QT as it is not consuming the ammonia within 24 hours yet. Mix in the vitamins. Can also add this in with the GC + Focus you are planning. Works pretty good.

Best of luck with your fish.

 

[Dr Jimmy]

@HotRocks has the treatment dialed. If you are not seeing evidence of velvet, I'd consider slowing the Copper Power down and do the 5 day spread. Small doses a couple of times per day.

And a wide variety of food mixed + vitamins (Beta Glucan preferred). I usually use 6-8 assorted frozen fish cubes. Place them into a bowl in the fridge and allow to slump. Mix and strain off the excess liquid as it will spike the nitrates and phosphates, especially in your QT as it is not consuming the ammonia within 24 hours yet. Mix in the vitamins. Can also add this in with the GC + Focus you are planning. Works pretty good.

Best of luck with your fish.

Would Selcon work? I do have that. I just want to make sure I'm following a protocol that won't kill the wrasses right out the gate. Thanks!
Do you think I should do the GC+Focus from the first feeding?

 

[Big G]

Do you think I should do the GC+Focus from the first feeding?

Sure, mixed with the good variety of foods it will both entice the fish to eat and treat for internal parasites that are all too common.
Selcon is excellent, alternating with Beta Glucan, it's a win-win. This is the brand of BG I use, it's algae based:

Beta-glucan as an Immune Stimulant in Marine Aquaria

By Christine Williams Inevitably as reefkeepers we do things that stress our fish and invertebrates: bringing new animals in, moving them from tank to tank,

reefs.com

 

[daybreaksky]

@Dr Jimmy curious how you plan worked out for you

 

[Dr Jimmy]

I ended up doing H2O2 baths every 36 hours with Tank Transfer for 14 days. I fed General Cure in their food as recommended. I experienced zero issues with that approach with all fish healthy and happy. A month or so after, the female melanurus decided it was in charge and started picking on the McCosker's so he was re-homed to a reefer that lives close that had lost his wrasses due to old age. The peroxide method was painless and all fish did excellently. Not a single issue with any of the fish in the tank even though this has been months ago.

 

[daybreaksky]

I ended up doing H2O2 baths every 36 hours with Tank Transfer for 14 days. I fed General Cure in their food as recommended. I experienced zero issues with that approach with all fish healthy and happy. A month or so after, the female melanurus decided it was in charge and started picking on the McCosker's so he was re-homed to a reefer that lives close that had lost his wrasses due to old age. The peroxide method was painless and all fish did excellently. Not a single issue with any of the fish in the tank even though this has been months ago.

congrats!

I'm picking up few carpenters that my lfs ordered for me. do you have a link to H2O2 method that you used by chance?
it sounds like TTM with added baths. how long were the baths, standard 5min?

 

[Dr Jimmy]

I did them for 5 minutes. I believe I used Humblefish recommendation on the peroxide. I suspect they are not super sensitive to peroxide, at least in my experience (I dosed on the higher side of recommendation without negative consequences). All of them left QT eating like pigs.

 

[daybreaksky]

found it! thanks a bunch. how large were your ttm tanks, did you cycle each one or did transfer rate prevent spikes enough no to need to?

 

[Dr Jimmy]

Transfer rate prevented any spike. I have a 10 gallon and a 20 gallon tank I used. I cleaned each with bleach and then a quadruple rinsing with RO... and then sun/air dry for the next 36 hours... then started again. No cycling needed.

Granted, I didn't load them with big fish. It's a lot of water, but it worked and was very simple.