Adding new fish during copper treatment

[Groovebox303]

Hi,

Recently due to an ich outbreak have had a few fish die. I have setup a QT have only the following fish remaining Blue tang, Flame angel and 4 small green chromis. I will be starting the copper treatment very soon and wanted to know can i add fish before starting the treatment to the QT so any new fish added will also be going through the Quarantine treatment while im doing the copper treatment for the existing fish as well? Since otherwise i will have to wait 6-8 weeks for the treatment to finish and the dT to run fallow and then basically quarantine any new fish all over again...so would it be ok to add the fish to the quarantine tank and treat them and add all the fish back to the DT then instead of starting over with the new fish? Thanks for your advice in advance!!

 

[Mrscribbled]

Use poly filters in between treatment to remove copper. Therefore newly purchased fish can be acclimated to copper slowly. The poly filters will turn blue when copper is absorbed.

 

[Groovebox303]

Hi Mrscribbled, thanks for replying but what I was asking was if i can get some new fish and add it to the QT while im treating the other ones in there as well. That way the new fish will be treated at the same time as the others and I wouldnt have to start all over doing quarantine for adding new fish...Hope that makes sense..

 

[Mrscribbled]

Ah, yes you can but I would re start the clock again. Example, you put your current fish in for treatment, your goal is to copper treat them a full month minimum. Two weeks into treatment you decide to add another fish, you have to start the clock again and follow through another month. You are going to want the main system fishless minimum 9 weeks before introducing the fish again.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Ah, yes you can but I would re start the clock again. Example, you put your current fish in for treatment, your goal is to copper treat them a full month minimum. Two weeks into treatment you decide to add another fish, you have to start the clock again and follow through another month. You are going to want the main system fishless minimum 9 weeks before introducing the fish again.

Yeah. Slow down, rushing anything in the hobby is bad news. Any time you use copper; fish should be used to the QT and eating (unless you're treating velvet or extreme cases of ich) before you add any copper. New fish are always the most sensitive, they need time to adjust before adding copper.