Treating powder blue tang

N

newhobbybar

New member
I have a powder blue tang on QT for about 4 weeks on hyposalinity at 1.010
He still show signs of either crytocaryan or oodium.
How do I tell which one it is and should I start raising the salinity and administer copper?
 
hyposalinity kills ONLY ich, so if you suspect velvet, raise the salinity slowly over the course of 1 week and administer cupramine.

also, 1.010 is not low enough. we usually recommend 1.008-1.009. make sure your refractometer is calibrated to a known salinity calibration solution, such as the american pinpoint one @ 1.026.
 
I had the refractometer recalibrated before I started the treatment.
So, 1.010 isn't enough?
I don't think it is velvet, because they are just like ich... In fact, there are only 2 white spots, but 2 nonetheless.
The fish doesn't present any signs of irritation. I haven't seen it breathing abnormally and no scratching against anything.
I think I'll just go for copper.
 
Do these spots come and go? you have to make sure that this is ich for sure.

You may switch to copper. First raise the salinity SLOWLY (0.002 per day) back to 1.02x. It should take you a week to achieve that.

For cupramine, i'd recommend my usual 0.35ppm dosage instead of the 0.5ppm as instructed on the bottle. the therapeutic range for ich is 0.25-0.35ppm so I usually run it at 0.35ppm since tangs are more sensitive to copper. Make sure the PBT is eating well before you start the treatment. Take 3 days to ramp up to 0.35ppm. You can calculate the amount in mL that correspond to 0.35ppm, then divide by 3 and add that each day.

salifert kit is the right test kit for cupramine. if at any time the PBT displays high stress, lower the copper concentration immediately.
 
sandwi54 said:
hyposalinity kills ONLY ich, so if you suspect velvet, raise the salinity slowly over the course of 1 week and administer cupramine.

also, 1.010 is not low enough. we usually recommend 1.008-1.009. make sure your refractometer is calibrated to a known salinity calibration solution, such as the american pinpoint one @ 1.026.
Click to expand...

Excellent advice. If it were velvet, however, after four weeks it would be dead.
 
newhobbybar said:
I had the refractometer recalibrated before I started the treatment.

How was it calibrated?

So, 1.010 isn't enough?
I don't think it is velvet, because they are just like ich...

Actually not. Similar, but not just like

In fact, there are only 2 white spots, but 2 nonetheless.
The fish doesn't present any signs of irritation. I haven't seen it breathing abnormally and no scratching against anything.
I think I'll just go for copper.
Click to expand...

If it were velvet, it would be dead after this long
 
Oh, he's been eating a lot.
He was in isolated tank at the fish store for 4 weeks. When I got him, just saw a few white spots. He was already eating pellets, flakes, mysis, nori and whatever you gave it.
Jess at Diablo coral sold me. You probably know him if you are in the Bay Area.
Anyway, Since I got him, he's been in my QT for about 4 or 5 weeks.
I guess it was my mistake to not actually inspect him closely while in QT. I was just observing his behavior and he's always been very alert and eats like a pig!!
I just assumed by being in the hypo, it would break the ich cycle.
I just noticed the white spots on his body a couple days ago.
So, I guess my salinity wasn't low enough.
My refractometer was calibrated using 35ppt standard at 2 different LFS. They both matched.
So, I guess I'll head out to LFS to buy copper stuff.
I already started raising the salinity.
Thanks
 
newhobbybar said:
Oh, he's been eating a lot.
He was in isolated tank at the fish store for 4 weeks. When I got him, just saw a few white spots. He was already eating pellets, flakes, mysis, nori and whatever you gave it.
Jess at Diablo coral sold me. You probably know him if you are in the Bay Area.
Anyway, Since I got him, he's been in my QT for about 4 or 5 weeks.
I guess it was my mistake to not actually inspect him closely while in QT. I was just observing his behavior and he's always been very alert and eats like a pig!!
I just assumed by being in the hypo, it would break the ich cycle.
I just noticed the white spots on his body a couple days ago.
So, I guess my salinity wasn't low enough.
My refractometer was calibrated using 35ppt standard at 2 different LFS. They both matched.
So, I guess I'll head out to LFS to buy copper stuff.
I already started raising the salinity.
Thanks
Click to expand...

I haven't been to Diablo Coral. Actually, I haven't been to Concord for quite a while, but I will make sure to pay it a visit whenever I get a chance to drive up there.

If the PBT is eating like a pig and acting fine, then I don't think you have to worry much. Just finish the cupramine treatment and you should be good to go!
 
It's been about 10 days into the copper treatment and I decide to go with the full .5ppm
It looks so much more alert and active.
It's still eating like a pig!! lol
I saw a speech from Kevin from liveaquaria that he doesn't recommend keeping fish for more than 14 days in QT with copper.
What do you think?
 
newhobbybar said:
I saw a speech from Kevin from liveaquaria that he doesn't recommend keeping fish for more than 14 days in QT with copper.
What do you think?
Click to expand...

I've kept fish in copper for more than a month w/no problems. IME it takes one full month in copper to eliminate Ich completely.
 
At a minimum, keep it in there for 3 weeks. though, i never go to the full 0.5ppm. i usually do 0.35-0.4ppm.
 
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