Filtering my HT

[Pigpen17]

Hey
It's me again.

So I bought a new tank. A 56 gal. It is going to be fish free for 72 days to eradicate the ich problem. I have my Raccoon Butterfly in a 10 gal hospital tank with cupramine treatment underway.

Everything seems to be going well, but the HT is needing water changes about every other day. I have a 29 gal emergency tank that I can set up, but I need a few questions answered first.

1: I want to add a filter. What can you use as media that will be helpful, and not interfere, counter act the copper treatment. Ammonia remover? Bio filtration will take awhile to get going.

2: I read that you should not use water conditioner with copper. That it turns it toxic. Is that so? What do you do then? I read that you mix saltwater and let it sit for 2 days.

I am worried about messing this up, but my fish has proven out to be a trooper. This guy has been though a ton and keeps going. I don't want to let it down.

 

[Pigpen17]

Pulling my fish out of copper treated tank. Not sure if it will make it through the day. The ich is not active on it anymore, and I know it's not gone, but the treatment is killing my fish. It just sits on the bottom and today it was uninterested in food. Pulling it out and seeing if I can get it back to Heath before stating again.

 

[Deinonych]

How quickly did you raise the copper level, and to what concentration? Seachem's instructions are too aggressive IMO & IME. I have found that ramping up the concentration slowly over 5-7 days is much easier on the fish and enables them to mitigate copper's toxic effects better. I also only treat at 0.35 - 0.40mg/l, not 0.50mg/l like Seachem recommends.

Definitely do NOT use an ammonia detoxifier in conjunction with Cupramine. These products break the amine complex in Cupramine, increasing the free Cu+ concentration to toxic levels. Pick up some ceramic media for your HOB filter (I use Seachem Matrix) along with some Bio-Spira to seed the biofilter. These will not interfere with the Cupramine concentration. Be sure to test for copper daily to make sure you have the correct therapeutic dose at all times.

 

[Pigpen17]

I brought the copper to full strenght over about 2 days. I don't have a test kit, but measured very carfully and under dosed if anything. If the bottle is wrong though, than yeah, I goofed. I will buy a test kit. I am not 100% sure the copper is at fault, but the HT water went foul fast. I feel like Filtration is a must.

I am shutting down the HT, and starting over. The ceramic media is a good idea and I'll try the Bio-Spira. I want to get this set up and running for a few days, get the fish healthy and eating, before I reintroduce the fish. I hope the Ich stays dorment for the duration.

 

[Deinonych]

Definitely pick up a test kit - either Seachem or Salifert work best for Cupramine. Maintaining a therapeutic dose is critical, so test every day to make sure the level is correct.

 

[Pigpen17]

It's over.

Came home from work and the fish is done. Sucks. Thanks to you and humblefish for your help through this. This has been by far the most difficult and troubling time I have had with a fish.

I will be using your advice on the filtration to set up my QT.

 

[Deinonych]

Sorry for your loss. It's tough losing a fish, especially one you've grown attached to. Since your DT is lying fallow right now, take the time to regroup, come up with an effective QT plan and start anew. It's good therapy.

 

[Pigpen17]

Yup. I have 2 months to figure it out. Much better than the frantic, emergency pace I have been though the last 3 weeks. Regoup FTW.