Ich in Display Tank

[btkrausen]

Well, I have a 40B QT tank, but it looks like I got ich in the display probably from using the same cup to feed the fish or the same mixing pump and tubes for moving water around for changes and such.

My tank is a FOWLR so I'm thinking about taking out my 3 cleaner shrimp and running Coppersafe in my display. Fish include:

many types of flasher/fairy wrasses
black/orange shoulder/thompsons tang
bellus angel
orange spotted blenny
larger blueface angel

Do you forsee any issues with doing coppersafe in the DT besides having to take out my cleaner shrimp and the snails/crabs?

 

[b0bab0ey]

Well, I have a 40B QT tank, but it looks like I got ich in the display probably from using the same cup to feed the fish or the same mixing pump and tubes for moving water around for changes and such.

My tank is a FOWLR so I'm thinking about taking out my 3 cleaner shrimp and running Coppersafe in my display. Fish include:

many types of flasher/fairy wrasses
black/orange shoulder/thompsons tang
bellus angel
orange spotted blenny
larger blueface angel

Do you forsee any issues with doing coppersafe in the DT besides having to take out my cleaner shrimp and the snails/crabs?

Two downsides IMO:

- I would probably never put inverts in the tank again without breaking it down. Even if you get all the copper out of the water it will always be leaching a little out of the LR.

- LR is only suitable for a FO system from here on in due to copper leaching, unless you want to go through the very arduous process of cleaning it all with muriatic acid.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks. You don't think I could have inverts even with running carbon 24/7 in the tank..which I do? Think biggest thing I would want back is cleaner shrimp since I'm fish only and usually run a higher bioload.

Regardless of what I do, it needs to be done to the DT since I don't have the room for the fish in another setup. Two other options I have:

Quinine Sulfate treatment - have it on hand already (does it hurt inverts?)

Hyposalinity - Not too bad but would take me weeks to get the salinity down - mostly since I can't run my RO all day while at work and it would take a while to get enough water to change out for about 250 gal total right now.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Thanks. You don't think I could have inverts even with running carbon 24/7 in the tank..which I do? Think biggest thing I would want back is cleaner shrimp since I'm fish only and usually run a higher bioload.

Regardless of what I do, it needs to be done to the DT since I don't have the room for the fish in another setup. Two other options I have:

Quinine Sulfate treatment - have it on hand already (does it hurt inverts?)

Hyposalinity - Not too bad but would take me weeks to get the salinity down - mostly since I can't run my RO all day while at work and it would take a while to get enough water to change out for about 250 gal total right now.

Well, I know that rock absorbs copper and then will leach it back out. I don't know when that leaching stops. Maybe running carbon 24/7 would keep that small amount of copper in check, but personally, I wouldn't trust it. If I were you I would at least test the tank out with some cheap pep shrimp or something before I put my cleaner shrimp back in.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with Quinine Sulfate or hypo.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks for the help so far. I'm really thinking hypo is going to be the best route but I would like to use copper as well since it'll probably be a bit faster although a bit more risky.

As I'm typing this out, I'm thinking I'm answering myself as the safest route will probably be hypo. What sucks is that I just dumped 20 cups of salt in new water for a water change tomorrow. haha.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Thanks for the help so far. I'm really thinking hypo is going to be the best route but I would like to use copper as well since it'll probably be a bit faster although a bit more risky.

As I'm typing this out, I'm thinking I'm answering myself as the safest route will probably be hypo. What sucks is that I just dumped 20 cups of salt in new water for a water change tomorrow. haha.

I would probably do hypo if I were in your shoes. And I'm saying that knowing I've never done hypo before in my life. Copper is just too "permanent" to be done in a DT you know you'll want to add inverts to down the road.

I've read that the key to success with hypo is an ATO and a perfectly calibrated refractometer. Your SG has to be kept at exactly 1.009 and there's no room for any margin of error. I've also read that you can expect some bacteria die-off in your LR but not enough to uncycle.

Any LFS around you sell f/w RODI? Might be worth it if you can't make enough of your own in time.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks. I'm actually running hypo in my QT right now because of ich, which is how my DT got it. I use the same cup for feeding both tanks - stupid mistake. Its almost been two weeks in hypo on the QT and there are still visible spots on there, but I read it can take a while for it to die off. The spots are back and forth - one day I don't see any, the next I see a few.

I have a refractometer that I just checked the calibration on before I started the hypo on the other tank. I also run a ATO on my QT with a float switch hooked to my Apex which has kept my salinity at a perfect level, and then have a Tunze Osmolator on my display tank which is awesome. I'm still running my skimmer just to keep the water oxygenated as well.

I think I'm going to do my 40gal water change tomorrow on the DT and then start making water for hypo. My RODI is 100gpd so I can make plenty this weekend. Plus, I have all brand new filters in my RODI unit.

I guess once I get my DT down to 1.009 I can move my QT fish over to the DT and let them go through hypo in there as well. That way I don't have to maintain both tanks at a strict level.

 

[reefjunkie42]

hey how did this turn out for you?

 

[btkrausen]

Still working on it. Changed out 18 gal yesterday and then just did another 18 gal about 20 min ago. The salinity was 1.018 before the change out this morning, so still a little way to go.

 

[Jeremy Blaze]

Agree, no way would I put Copper in the Display.
Some people say even if the tank is drained and dried, it will still have copper that will leach out, perhaps in the silicone. I can't say this is fact,. but many 'old timers' have said so.

I would try hypo, as you are.

 

[btkrausen]

Thanks Jeremy. Have it down to about 1.014 right now with another water change or two coming tonight which should get me pretty close.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Agree, no way would I put Copper in the Display.
Some people say even if the tank is drained and dried, it will still have copper that will leach out, perhaps in the silicone. I can't say this is fact,. but many 'old timers' have said so.

I would try hypo, as you are.

Copper can leach from LR, substrate, etc.; but the myth that silicone holds copper just won't die. Have the 'old timers" (like me) read this, you'l have to scroll down. SeaChem has great tech people, IMO, not just "sales-support".:http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/Cupramine.html