Cupramine or CP for whitespot

[lee_d_m]

Hi,

It's looking like my display has the dreaded whitespot. I added a baby Kole Tang a few weeks ago and over the last couple of days my Royal Gramma has been flashing and today I see a few spots on my McCoskers and my Foxface.

All fish are eating well and active at the moment.

I've started to treat the DT with Polyp Lab medic, but if this doesn't work, I am going to have to remove all fish and put into a hospital tank.

I have bought a 2ft cube for this purpose (about 200 litres). I have the following fish

2 small clowns
1 medium foxface
1 medium bellus angel
1 mccoskers
1 silver belly wrasse
1 peacock wrasse
1 purple firefish
1 baby kole tang
1 midas blenny

I would prefer to use live rock in the HT as I feel I can trust this for filtration better than I can a filter, I have about 10kg of matured live rock available to me.

I have in the past, successfully treated my Gramma for whitespot whilst in QT with CP, but I did find that it affected the filter a little, and my Gramma ended up with a bacterial infection, which it recovered from once in the display.

I have not used cupramine before.

So, with all that being said, and given my fish list, which treatment is likely to have a greater chance of success (or is there anything else I could consider). I am most concerned about my wrasses with CP, as I understand that they don't take too well to it.

I would very much appreciate the advice of this forum

Thanks

Lee

 

[HumbleFish]

Based upon anecdotal accounts, your wrasses are not good candidates for CP. I would treat those separately (either with copper or tank transfer). Also, live rock is a no go for both copper & CP - as both may be absorbed by the LR.

 

[lee_d_m]

Thanks for your reply, I hear what you're saying about the live rock, although I have treated fish with CP successfully in the past whilst live rock was in the tank.

Is CP with wrasses a definite no-no or have some people managed to treat them from what you've seen ?

If I go down the copper route, I wouldn't use live rock, but two of my wrasses sleep in the sand, wouldn't the sand also soak up some of the copper.

If I do use copper, can I use Prime if I get an issue with biological filtration ?

Many thanks

Lee

 

[HumbleFish]

Is CP with wrasses a definite no-no or have some people managed to treat them from what you've seen ?

Seems to be hit or miss. I recently had my first issue with one in CP, after several times of 0 problems. It seems sometimes they just stop eating and die a week later.

If I do use copper, can I use Prime if I get an issue with biological filtration ?

Unfortunately no; mixing any ammonia reducer with copper turns into a toxic stew. You can use an ammonia reducer with CP though - I've done it many times.

 

[lee_d_m]

ok thanks, what type of wrasse was the one you had problems with ?

 

[Mightyfish]

Hi Lee, I will be interested to know whether polyplab medic works for you or not because it didnt work for me
I was using double dose for 19 days but white spots still came back during treatment period.

 

[lee_d_m]

Hi Lee, I will be interested to know whether polyplab medic works for you or not because it didnt work for me
I was using double dose for 19 days but white spots still came back during treatment period.

Hi,

that's interesting. So far, my Royal Gramma, who was the first to show signs appears to be improving, the occasional flash but less than before

My flasher wrasse and Foxface have about 10 spots between them today, which is more than they had previously, neither are flashing or scratching and all are eating well so far. All other fish seem ok thus far.

I'm on day 3 of Polyplab medic, currently dosing 4 scoops (my tank is 170US gal).

What did you do in the end, did you see any improvement or did your fish gradually get worse ?

Thanks

Lee

 

[HumbleFish]

ok thanks, what type of wrasse was the one you had problems with ?

Sixline. FWIW; flasher & fairy wrasses I have QT'd with it have all been fine.

 

[lee_d_m]

Sixline. FWIW; flasher & fairy wrasses I have QT'd with it have all been fine.

thanks again, was that with the 40mg/Gal dosage strength ?

 

[Mightyfish]

Hi,

that's interesting. So far, my Royal Gramma, who was the first to show signs appears to be improving, the occasional flash but less than before

My flasher wrasse and Foxface have about 10 spots between them today, which is more than they had previously, neither are flashing or scratching and all are eating well so far. All other fish seem ok thus far.

I'm on day 3 of Polyplab medic, currently dosing 4 scoops (my tank is 170US gal).

What did you do in the end, did you see any improvement or did your fish gradually get worse ?

Thanks

Lee

Hi Lee,

I should rephrase myself. I have "just" completed 19 days treatment of polyplab medic but because the fact that white spots did come back during the treatment period, i conclude that it did not work. I am in dilemma now in regards to what to do next. I have five fish only and only an juvenile angel shows white spots. She is the meanest fish in the tank and eats the most but unfortunately she is also the only one has white spots. I am thinking either flush her down the toilet or perhaps do other treatments like hypo the whole tank or do tank transfer for her and then keep her in QT for many weeks later to observe. Deep down i know that ich must exist in my tank so i should treat every tenant in it but i am curious about why other fish have not shown any white spots after now twenty odd days?

 

[HumbleFish]

thanks again, was that with the 40mg/Gal dosage strength ?

Yes

 

[Dmorty217]

I'm a CP only guy. Never cared much for cupramine

 

[lee_d_m]

Quick update on this. Been treating with Polylab Medic now since 16th October. Since 20th October all fish have been spot free and have kept eating throughout.

My Royal Gramma who was flashing a lot and had a good dusting of spots is now looking in pristine condition.

I realise this treatment won't have completely eradicated ich from the tank but hopefully it has reduced it to a level which my fish can cope with.

I would add that all my fish were very fat and healthy before the outbreak, so I suspect that has helped them cope as well

 

[Yarm79]

Thats good
Mixed views
I have just started myself
Did you use the recommended dose or higher?