jduck
Member
I've use it, as have many others. Works great
My journey using Chloroquine Phosphate begins...
- Thread starter b0bab0ey
- Start date
I've use it, as have many others. Works great
Randyp79
Member
I started the chloroquine phosphate I received from alprazo's supplier last week and now it appears my yellow tang has the classic symptoms of HLLE and some redness around his dorsal fin, suggesting septicemia. His appetite has lessened in the past couple of days and I was wondering if I should begin treatment with an antibiotic? In this case, what would your recommended course of treatment be? Which particular antibiotic would you choose and use in combination with the chloroquine?
If you think the fish is septic, add antibiotics immediately. I've used enrofloxacin and nitofuran with no adverse effects. If you have injectable Baytril, that works best. PM me for dosage if you need it. Sepsis is usually secondary from the trauma of the damaged caused by the parasite.
As for HLLE. Very common in tangs and in hospital setting. Carbon is a definite cause, everything else is a possibility. I've never correlated it with CP though. Good to document this case.
As for HLLE. Very common in tangs and in hospital setting. Carbon is a definite cause, everything else is a possibility. I've never correlated it with CP though. Good to document this case.
Randyp79
Member
I definitely think the fish is septic. It has the classic presentation of red/pink dorsal fin and has stopped eating the past 24 hours (it was eating nori like a pig before).
I have two antibiotics on hand, furan 2 (Nitrofurazone + Furazolidone) and cephalexin. I want to start treatment in the next hour but I am unsure of which antibiotic to use. Remember, the QT is already being treated with chloroquine phosphate. Which antibiotic do you guys think would be the best? Also, will either have an ill effect on the nitrifying bacteria, in other words should I be on the lookout for an ammonia spike?
I have two antibiotics on hand, furan 2 (Nitrofurazone + Furazolidone) and cephalexin. I want to start treatment in the next hour but I am unsure of which antibiotic to use. Remember, the QT is already being treated with chloroquine phosphate. Which antibiotic do you guys think would be the best? Also, will either have an ill effect on the nitrifying bacteria, in other words should I be on the lookout for an ammonia spike?
Randyp79
Member
I just read where alprazo has used chloroquine phosphate and cephalexin in combination on bony fishes with no ill effects, so I decided to go with the cephalexin. I also researched the recommended dosage for marine aquariums and everything I could find said to dose 250mg/10 gallons. If anyone has any other dosage information contrary to what I have found please let me know. Otherwise, I will keep everyone posted...
Randyp79
Member
It has been a rough 24 hours. Last night at 10pm I dosed cephalexin @ 250mg/10 gallons. This is in addition to the chloroquine phosphate I am already running. I have been monitoring my ammonia closely for fear that the cephalexin would destroy my biological filtration. I have two Seachem Ammonia Alert badges in the QT and both show ammonia levels at 0 ppm. However, when I did and API ammonia test it shows an ammonia level of 1.0 ppm. Additionally, the two purple firefish in QT seem to be stressed and are hiding under the one rock I have in QT (they are usually out and about). Therefore, I have stopped all treatment and started running activated carbon to remove meds and then I am going to add a small rock from the sump on my DT to try and help lower the ammonia levels. Does anyone else have any suggestions?
Just a thought... but it's possible that CP and/or cephalexin will give false positives when testing for ammonia. Like copper does.
Randyp79
Member
That is a good thought and I had even thought the same thing, especially since both Seachem Ammonia Alert badges are reading 0 ppm. I am running carbon now and I am going to retest with the API kit shortly. If the drugs are giving a false positive, then removing the drugs with the carbon should result in a lower ammonia reading on the API test. Also, it's a 29 gallon QT and I have a fresh 10 gallons of water mixing for a water change, which I will do in about an hour.
Randyp79
Member
So, I mixed up some fresh saltwater and added both chloroquine and cephalexin to see if it would result in a false positive on the API ammonia test kit. When I tested the mix it came back 0 ppm, thus the meds in combo do not give a false positive.
Anyway, I continued with a 10 gallon WC and added a medium sized rock from the sump on my DT. Within 10 minutes the yellow tang's color and behavior improved dramatically. It started to pick at the rock I just placed the QT and seemed more relaxed. The two purple firefish are still hiding, but they peek out every now and then to see what's going on (just looked over before hitting submit and they are both out swimming in the powerhead flow).
An additional API ammonia test after the WC and the new rock showed an ammonia level just below .5 ppm. I have another 10 gallons mixing as we speak and I plan on doing another WC just before bed. I don't want to do too much too quick and "shock" the fish. Also, I think the bacteria on the new rock from my sump should help kick start the breakdown of the ammonia.
Stay tuned...
It's probably the cephalexin then. Because I've used CP w/a seeded sponge countless times and never gotten an ammonia spike.
ironwill723
Well-known member
Most antibiotics kill the biological filtration in a tank. CP is one of the rare exceptions. I would guess it was the cephalexin.
Psionicdragon
New member
Does CP get rid of Flukes?
Randyp79
Member
Well, I was finally able to get my ammonia levels down in QT by doing 3 different 30% water changes in the past 24 hours. I also added a medium rock from my DT sump and a cup of sand from my DT. Test kits are now reading between 0 and .25 ppm ammonia, and the two Seachem ammonia alert badges are 0 ppm.
The yellow tang and the two purple firefish still seemed stressed. Honestly, I can't blame them with as much attention their tank has been getting lately.
I think I must be the unluckiest aquarist in the world. Tonight while eating dinner, I look over at my DT and I notice that both of my clownfish them, are scratching on the rocks. They were treated in QT over a year ago with copper and have been the only fish in my DT for almost a year. While they were in QT last year I allowed the DT to go fallow for 12 weeks. They had never showed any signs of ich until today. My only guess is somehow I cross contaminated my DT with something from my QT, which I don't understand how that could happen since I never mix tools, equipment, or containers from my QT and DT. I can only assume that somehow ich remained on my hands even after rinsing with ro water and was transferred to my DT. I have come up with two ways I can handle this and I would like some feedback on which plan you guys think is the best...
1. I can remove the two clownfish and place them in my 29 gallon QT with the 2 purple firefish and the yellow tang (I am afraid this is too many fish for a 29 gallon QT). I would treat with CP while in QT and allow DT to sit fallow for 12 weeks.
or...
2. Since there are not corals in my DT I could move the yellow tang and firefish from QT to the DT and treat the DT with CP. I have no coral in there yet, but someday would like to add coral to my DT. I don't think treating the DT with CP would restrict the addition of coral at a later date as long as the CP was removed with carbon and UV. BTW, DT is 90 gallon with 30 gallon sump.
Those are two options I have come up with. If you have any other suggestions, please advise.
The yellow tang and the two purple firefish still seemed stressed. Honestly, I can't blame them with as much attention their tank has been getting lately.
I think I must be the unluckiest aquarist in the world. Tonight while eating dinner, I look over at my DT and I notice that both of my clownfish them, are scratching on the rocks. They were treated in QT over a year ago with copper and have been the only fish in my DT for almost a year. While they were in QT last year I allowed the DT to go fallow for 12 weeks. They had never showed any signs of ich until today. My only guess is somehow I cross contaminated my DT with something from my QT, which I don't understand how that could happen since I never mix tools, equipment, or containers from my QT and DT. I can only assume that somehow ich remained on my hands even after rinsing with ro water and was transferred to my DT. I have come up with two ways I can handle this and I would like some feedback on which plan you guys think is the best...
1. I can remove the two clownfish and place them in my 29 gallon QT with the 2 purple firefish and the yellow tang (I am afraid this is too many fish for a 29 gallon QT). I would treat with CP while in QT and allow DT to sit fallow for 12 weeks.
or...
2. Since there are not corals in my DT I could move the yellow tang and firefish from QT to the DT and treat the DT with CP. I have no coral in there yet, but someday would like to add coral to my DT. I don't think treating the DT with CP would restrict the addition of coral at a later date as long as the CP was removed with carbon and UV. BTW, DT is 90 gallon with 30 gallon sump.
Those are two options I have come up with. If you have any other suggestions, please advise.
I would do this. Take some LR from the DT to control the ammonia if need be. Toss it when you're done. But I wouldn't use CP in your DT if you plan on housing corals/inverts down the road. I would be too worried about CP leaching out of the rocks (like copper does).
ironwill723
Well-known member
According to the "experts" CP does not absorb into live rock or sand like copper. I know many aquarists that have dosed CP in their DT and then run carbon/UV to remove. Corals were then added with no problems if I recall.
Randyp79
Member
Are there any people out there that have treated a DT with CP and then added corals at a later date. If so, were your coral additions affected by the previous use of CP.
It is my understanding that CP is very stable in solution and doesn't precipitate out like Cu can. Additionally, I have read that some people noticed that CP wiped out their aiptasia, which would be a wonderful unintended consequence...
I've never used it in a DT, but I did use it once in a permanent QT with crushed coral & dead coral skeletons. Even after running carbon and numerous WCs, I never could grow algae in that tank. Just a white film. Presumably due to CP's algaecide properties. However, I never tried removing it with a UV... so maybe that's the trick to take it completely out of the water.
