need help with HT

[Mariebaby21]

I just set up (in process of setting up) a HT. My fish are infected with ich and or velvet. I think it's both. I saw spots and now a velvet like sheen on them. either way they need to be treated. It's a 30 gallon BB acrylic tank. I've already made 12 gallons of my own salt water.
1. Should I fill up the rest of the tank with DT water or would adding filter media from my existing tank filter be enough so the HT won't go through a new cycle?
2. Should I use cupramine or a chileated (sorry for misspelling) that wont precipitate out?
3. I have a flame angel that probably won't fare well with the copper treatment..any thoughts on that?

I'm really nervous about doing this as I have never done this before... I don't know if my HT will go through a cycle and further stress the fish.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Sounds like velvet; if that's right, you need to act ASAP. I prefer Cupramine, but that's just my experience. The Flame is sensitive to copper; but, with velvet, I don't know any alternative that would be safer AND effective. The water source has nothing to do with cycling a tank, the water isn't "cycled'', the tank is. DT water is fine and use the seeded filter media. You'll need a stick-on ammonia badge, ammonia test kits don't work with Cupramine----do WCs as needed. Be sure to add Cu to the new water when doing a WC; keeping Cu at treatment level is vital. Any "stress'' will be nowhere near the stress of the velvet. Ammonia/nitrite is easy to control with WCs, nitrate isn't an issue with fish. When done; use the QT on all new fish and never go through this again.

 

[Mariebaby21]

Thank you so much! You even answered the question i didnt ask which was if i needed to dose the copper to new water as i change it. Do you recommend I get a copper test kit or as along as i follow instructions to the T, I won't need one? I've never seen an ammonia stick on badge before...I hope my lfs has one.
and...this is a huge lesson learned for me. I will never add a fish without QT first! Luckily I have a FO.
I have to leave the tank fallow for 8 week?

 

[Mariebaby21]

i got the ammonia alert, cupramine, salifert copper test kit, digital thermometer, pvc, put filter media from existing tank into HT filter and I'm just waiting for the HT tank to get to the same temp as the DT. Then, all the fish will be moved to HT and let the healing begin...
Two weeks cupramine but the DT has to remain fallow for 6 weeks for velvet correct?

 

[Mariebaby21]

ok, everyone is safely in the HT. 2 casualties before I was even able to make the transfer,
my flame angel and my spotted hawk

 

[Mariebaby21]

i just posted a new thread. the cupramine treatment wiped out all my fish in the HT after 4 hours. please go see the thread

 

[10g reef]

Sorry for your losses. If all died that quickly they must have been very far in the life cycle, as even the stress of catching them proved too much.

 

[Mariebaby21]

but they were in the part of the cycle where the parasites had dropped off. my strongest fish was my trigger and he was happy as a clam for the entire time and then out of no where he just died. and, they were fairly easy to catch. i took all the deco out and used a huge net and i just dont know... should i try and buy a healthy cheap fish and see if it does the same thing? I don't want to put a fish in danger but I have to scientifically figure this out..

 

[MrTuskfish]

Assuming this was velvet and copper was properly dosed, that's what killed your fish----not the stress of treatment. This isn't unusual with velvet, you don't have the luxury of a 'grace period' like you do with ich. IMO & IME, if velvet isn't caught in a QT, wipe-outs are very likely.