2024 Ohio Reef Frag Swap

2024 flyer

Author Topic: adding fish after ick  (Read 1814 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline larrynews

  • Posts: 1,716
adding fish after ick
« on: May 29, 2017, 19:03:38 »
so i had only my second ick out break in 15 years, last time it was a reef so i lost everything this time i lost a few, because i treated with copper (fowlr) my question, when its time to add another fish, for the first fish only, do i need to qt him or just put it in the main tank since it still has copper in it then take the copper out after he is in it for awhile, it wont be a butterfly or angel. guessing a harliquan tusk since that is one i lost. just spit balling right now, still a few weeks away, its been 3 weeks now since copper is a treating strength

Offline Humphrey

  • Lifetime Premium Member
  • Adult
  • *****
  • Posts: 400
Re: adding fish after ick
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2017, 19:47:00 »
What kind of copper?  It takes 5-30 days to eradicate ick employing copper I think. if it's untreated, ionic copper, 30 pls 30 days for your new fish may be too long at therapeutic levels, plus these are difficult to consistently maintain. I use Chloroquine Phosphate now, but I used to used 4 weeks when treating as a preventative measure with chelated copper like coppersafe or cupramine with is bound ionic.

Fish only system, I think you could add a fish and continue to treat for 4 weeks if it's a gentle copper solution maintained at therapeutic levels, and everyone is eating good. My favorite would be to treat the main tank for your original planned period, and employ quarantine for 30 days for all new arrivals; though I acknowledge this isn't always possible.  Harlequin tusk is technically a wrasse I think...  I have employed copper with wrasses with no ill effects, but I've heard some complain they are a gentle fish. Your experience may differ.

Before I religiously QT'd, I had ick and velvet each 1 time, and 30 days copper worked, with all fish returned to a 60 day fallow tank with no reoccurace. Perhaps someone with longer term copper treatment could offer some suggestions as to when too long is too long.


Offline larrynews

  • Posts: 1,716
Re: adding fish after ick
« Reply #2 on: May 29, 2017, 20:06:02 »
Thanks I'm using Cupramine. I'm getting ready to go on vacation so that makes it easier to wait. I still have5 fish in the tank that seem to be fine now. I was just trying to take the qt step out for the first fish

 

Powered by EzPortal