Give up point?

[jason78]

OK so I have in a hospital tank

1 powder blue tang
1 blue hippo
1 scooter
1 coral beauty
4 anthias
3 clowns
1 lawnmower blenney

Is there ever a point you just let them go and sterilize the tank and start your fish collection from scratch? I am at 16 weeks I believe after ich in the display. I have done 4 rounds of copper, formalin and 4 rounds of Prazipro.

After each week round I get the fish fat and happy. Zero symptoms for two weeks and stop medications. Within two days it is back. I don't have a clue anymore. I have been doing this a while now and never had this issue before. TTM is not an option. I don't want to mess the fallow tank by adding them back.

What are your thoughts.

 

[snorvich]

It would be helpful if you would fill out your user profile including tank size and your experience.

 

[jason78]

Steve

Sorry u have been in the hobby for about 10 years took a small break the last 5.

Keeping a 125 gallon SPS.

But the QT is a 40 breeder with a 10 gallon sump. MP10 for flow. It is bare bottom. I do a 50‰ water change every 3rd day.

 

[snorvich]

Well, there are some fish compatibility issues with your tank and collection of fish but this thread is not about that. Describe what you did as far as "copper treatment".

 

[jason78]

4 drops per gallon to bring it to .5mg/l and confirmed it with a copper test kit adjusting as needed. When doing the water change I would immediately bring it back to the same levels.

 

[snorvich]

4 drops per gallon to bring it to .5mg/l and confirmed it with a copper test kit adjusting as needed. When doing the water change I would immediately bring it back to the same levels.

For how long? How often tested? The devil is always in the details, especially with parasite treatment and quarantine protocols.

 

[Dmorty217]

4 drops per gallon to bring it to .5mg/l and confirmed it with a copper test kit adjusting as needed. When doing the water change I would immediately bring it back to the same levels.

See Sk8r post in the new to hobby section, covers what everyone is looking for as far as info from you

 

[snorvich]

The problem is that with little to no information, we cannot begin to figure out what is happening. Second hand diagnosis and treatment is difficult under the best of circumstances.

 

[jason78]

4 weeks at .5mg/l testing every third day. It is bare bottom with only pic to hide. Nothing to filter the copper. I have done this now 4 times in a row. In the same tank. Temp is 78 degrees. Lights are led

 

[snorvich]

4 weeks at .5mg/l testing every third day. It is bare bottom with only pic to hide. Nothing to filter the copper. I have done this now 4 times in a row. In the same tank. Temp is 78 degrees. Lights are led

Tank transfer is the preferred way of eliminating ich since the back part of the cryptocaryon irritans life cycle is so non-deterministic. Copper for 4 weeks assuming it does not dip below therapeutic levels will work most of the time but testing every third day does not give me comfort that this was the case.

 

[Duke4life]

These other guys have way more knowledge as far as medicating and treating goes. But then again it all depends on what you are willing to do. If it was me I'd go get a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and do the TTM as suggested, I don't think people put enough into their hospital/QT systems, I haven't even started to add any fish and I'm already tripped out. On the flip if you've had enough, give someone a deal and include what you've done.

 

[ThRoewer]

What do your fish actually have?
Are you sure it is Cryptocaryon? There are other things that can look like it or you are at a point where everything starts looking like ich (I have been there before)

BTW: if I had a ich problem in my system I would refrain from adding tangs and other highly ich susceptible fish.

 

[jason78]

What do your fish actually have?
Are you sure it is Cryptocaryon? There are other things that can look like it or you are at a point where everything starts looking like ich (I have been there before)

BTW: if I had a ich problem in my system I would refrain from adding tangs and other highly ich susceptible fish.

This may be the case I just don't know anymore lol. It is a sad day as I have never been at a loss like this.

As for the tangs I had an inch free environment or so I thought.

 

[jason78]

Tank transfer is the preferred way of eliminating ich since the back part of the cryptocaryon irritans life cycle is so non-deterministic. Copper for 4 weeks assuming it does not dip below therapeutic levels will work most of the time but testing every third day does not give me comfort that this was the case.

Thanks Steve. Question for you. When doing great the water change I add the copper directly to the qt immediately after the water change. This would cause at max a 3 minute dip in copper. Do you think this could cause it?

 

[ThRoewer]

Copper levels need to be checked at least twice daily to be sure they are right. Going below for 3 minutes shouldn't do damage though.

 

[jason78]

My tank is bare. It is sump tank pump and pvc. What would make the copper drop?

 

[ThRoewer]

The alkalinity of the water.

 

[jason78]

Hmm OK learned something new.