QT tank ammonia spike and hurt fish

[Cobrasvt1999]

Heya all!

So I have a new fish (firefish) in qt who has been doing great for days now on cupramine. Today when I went to work everything looked fine, but when I got back, the fish was gasping at the water level and ammonia was through the roof (.8 or higher) I immediately did a 50% water change and im mixing more water now to do more because there is still ammonia detectable.

The fish is still at the water surface gasping. Is there anything else I can do at this point to help it recover that I may be missing?

I do have API Ammo lock, but im hesitant to use it because of the cupramine. But I also have Seachem Prime laying around

Thanks!

setup:
10 gal qt tank with HOB filter stuffed with filter floss that I though had time to cycle in the main tank...

 

[oldbones]

Is there enough surface agitation to oxygenate the water properly?

 

[Cobrasvt1999]

Is there enough surface agitation to oxygenate the water properly?

I think so. the HOB filter keeps the water flowing well... its a bit oversized for the tank

 

[gone fishin]

Do not add any thing like prime to help with the ammonia while using copper. This could make matters worse.

At this point WC's are your friend here. I am assuming that your not adding more copper during the WC's.

 

[Marchillo]

Id also add more oxygenation. But as tony says water changes and no prime with copper. Also grab a SeaChem ammonia badge. You could haven been at .2 this morning and not have known and could have done some water changes earlier.

 

[iluvmyfishes]

Cupramine become toxic with Prime . Just keep changing the water and add some live rock

 

[Cobrasvt1999]

Yah, I have been doing quite a few water changes lately... He seems alright so far this morning. I thought so with the copper being poison when mixed with prime.

Id also add more oxygenation. But as tony says water changes and no prime with copper. Also grab a SeaChem ammonia badge. You could haven been at .2 this morning and not have known and could have done some water changes earlier.

yup! im picking up one of those badges this morning. not taking any more chances!

 

[Sk8r]

Cupramine will do in the live rock.
And any bioactivity in the filter.
If you have not changed the filter, do so, and do as much as 100% water change with new dose of med. Was the fish sick to begin with? If not, withdraw the cupramine entirely and let it recover.

 

[Cobrasvt1999]

Cupramine will do in the live rock.
And any bioactivity in the filter.
If you have not changed the filter, do so, and do as much as 100% water change with new dose of med. Was the fish sick to begin with? If not, withdraw the cupramine entirely and let it recover.

The fish was not sick so far as I could tell, However It was in the qt tank getting 2 weeks of copper because it was a new fish. Just hoping to kill anything that was tagging along with the fish.

If copper kills the bio filtration, how should I go about keeping to ammonia down?

 

[jrr98002]

If copper kills the bio filtration, how should I go about keeping to ammonia down?

Big WCs are really good here.

 

[Sk8r]

Change the filter daily.
Copper is a poison that kills the parasite before it kills the fish, hopefully.
Personally I am not in favor of treating 'well' fish by any method except tank transfer, clean water, and changed filters. Prazipro seems safe as a prophylactic, but I have never used it.