Cupramine in ST

[Captain Bucket]

Had an ich outbreak last Christmas season during which I lost all my fish except for one percula.

Most of those deaths I do not attribute to the ich, but rather to the hypo process, which I performed in a 30 gal plastic container, which I realize is small, but I monitored my water quality closely, and my fish were all mellow species, so I don't believe stress was a factor. Most died in the last few days of hypo.

Determined not to go down that road again I have since quarrantined my new livestock religiously, nevertheless I believe ich has again raised its ugly head (I think). Some of my fish started flashing, and soliciting my cleaner shrimps for cleanings whereas they normally just ignore them. All in all I could tell my fish seemed bugged. I then noticed a few spots which might be ich on the tail of my YLN butterfly.

Upon seeing that, I removed all the inverts from my ST and fuge to a seperate quarrantine, and have cupramined my ST along with all the remaining inhabitants.

Tank has been in Cupramine for four days now, and fish seem much more relaxed and happy.

My question is, I had to turn off my skimmer, to avoid skimming off the cupramine (as recommended in Seachems FAQ on their website). How long can I safely go without skimming, as the Cupramine treatment is to last two weeks?

Any strategies I can use to keep my water quality high?

BTW, the aforementioned YLN butterfly manifested ich totally covering body within the first two days of quarrantine when I originally got him about four months ago. I treated him with cupramine in QT, and he seemed totally recovered in a couple days after treatment. He seemed fine at the end of his stay in the QT, but I'm wondering if some rode in on him anyway? Is that possible?

 

[Percula9]

Since your not skimming you will need to do frequent water changes. Make sure you put an appropriate amount of meds to compensate for the water change.

 

[wooden_reefer]

If nitrification is good, it is not necessary to change water frequently in a FO tank w/o a skimmer.

Cycle your QT and ST very thoroughly and you don't have to do much more for FO tanks, in terms of ammonia and nitrite.

 

[kevin2000]

People have kept fish tanks long before skimmers - no big deal.

Water quality issues in QT are best kept with water changes .. if your using your ST as a QT then expect to use alot of water .. if your using copper then expect to add copper every time you make a water change and make sure you test the water concentration using a copper test kit that can measure Cupramine (some don't).

Ich naturally leaves the fish usually within a week and often within a few days .. copper doesn't kill ich on the fish but interupts the ich cycle by killing it in other stages. Make sure you keep the copper concentration at the correct level for at least 3 weeks and preferably 4