So confused!

[lkc]

I have been treating my fish in a 20L hospital tank for ten days now with Crypto-Pro. They have been clear for 8 days. However, they are still scratching. I've got a copperband and two wrasses.

I was planning to go ahead a treat with Cupramine for 14 days. But now I'm not so sure.
For economy, I use dechlorinated tap water and Instant Ocean in my hospital tank, rather than RO water/Tropic Marin that i use for my reef.

Therefore, I must dechlorinate the water before adding the salt. I have Prime and I have Amquel. I've read there are issues with using de-chlorinators with Copper. (Fish killer combo).

How am I supposed to mix my make-up water if I can't use a de-chlorinator :headwallblue:

Shall I forget the Copper and go with Paragard or something similar?
Any advice?

 

[dunc101]

I have been treating my fish in a 20L hospital tank for ten days now with Crypto-Pro. They have been clear for 8 days. However, they are still scratching. I've got a copperband and two wrasses.

I was planning to go ahead a treat with Cupramine for 14 days. But now I'm not so sure.
For economy, I use dechlorinated tap water and Instant Ocean in my hospital tank, rather than RO water/Tropic Marin that i use for my reef.

Therefore, I must dechlorinate the water before adding the salt. I have Prime and I have Amquel. I've read there are issues with using de-chlorinators with Copper. (Fish killer combo).

How am I supposed to mix my make-up water if I can't use a de-chlorinator :headwallblue:

Shall I forget the Copper and go with Paragard or something similar?
Any advice?

Cupramine is by far the "copper" med of choice here. The consensus is that it tends to be "easier" on the fish than other forms of copper.
Most definitely do NOT use Prime or Amquel if you use Cupramine. Instead, I would suggest you do a WC on your main tank and use that for the QT even if the fish were in the main tank to begin with (you have to be fallow at least 8 weeks and a good cupramine regimine takes 4 weeks which you would need to start "over" in this case"). The only problem would be if your ammonia levels get high in your QT and you need to perform another WC.

I "believe" it is OK to use them both if you use the Prime well in advanced (2 days prior or more to doing the wc) but please verify and don't take my word for it!

If it were me, I'd just use RO/DI on my QT as well (that's what I do).

Now to the "treating for 14 days part." I know that is what it says on the bottle.... but that is not long enough as some ich lifecycle can be much longer (read up on the life cycle of ich to find out why). I usually do a 4 week cupramine treatment around .4 for the entire duration.

 

[lkc]

Understand Dunc. Yes, I've been doing almost a hundred percent water changes every other day. Obviously I have no bio filtration in the tank. I didn't want to use the water from the main display because it's infected. I'll have to keep my RO unit going 24 hours to keep up with the water changes. I think I may have to go with another medication. I don't want to take the chance with the water conditioner and copper not getting along. Or I could go with hypo. Decisions, decisions........

 

[MrTuskfish]

I'm sure you can find a safe way to de-chlor tap water and use cupramine.If its just chlorine in your tap water, you can use one of the drop-a-gallon dechlorinators (Wal-Mart). These are just sodium thiosulfate and are safe (at 1 drop/gal) with Cupramine. There is a difference in using dechlorinators at a level to remove chlorine and at a level to neutralize ammonia. The tiny dosages should be safe. I'm not sure about Chloramamine, its in a lot of tap water and is a little different. Your water co. can tell you what's in your water and SeaChem tech support, they make Cupramine, can help if you're not sure how to treat it. (1888-seachem, I think).Aerating tap water, or mixed salt water,for 24 hrs will remove chlorine too. It will start an argument, but (IME) much tap water is fine for FOWLR tanks (and much isn't). But you just don't know how your fish will handle your local water and finding out using an already weak & sick fish, just isn't the way to go. You really can't "go with another medication"; because there isn't any med, other than copper, that will do the job on ich. Copper, Tank-Transfer, and possibly hypo are the only cures, IMO. I thought quinine sulfate (Crypto-Pro) was looking like a possible cure---but it sure isn't working for you (and others). Don't rely 100% on my comments, call Seachem tech support, they're great.

 

[lkc]

Thanks Tusk, I'll check that drop a gallon out. The tapwater here in Orlando is okay. I've use it before to raise discus fish etc. I can't imagine I am the only person in the world who uses tap water. BTW, the fish are active, robust and eating like hogs so no worries about that. They are really irritated to be in quarantine tho. They've been spoiled.
Thanks again.

 

[Chipie]

I would put the tap water in a bucket and aerate with a powerhead for 24 hours and the chlorine will be all gone. That's what most freshwater keepers do when they don't want to use dechlorinators. That is if you really want to use tap water.
I personnaly would go and get RO/DI water for this.