Trouble in Hospital Tank

[PietschBR]

Hello guys,

So I'm doing a cupramine treatment in a 80g hospital tank, with 1 hepatus tang, 1 yellow eye tang, 1 yellow tang, 1 melanurus wrasse, 3 squamipinis anthias and 2 ocelaris.
Recently the hepatus is breathing too fast and keeping at the bottom, with very decreased apetite since today. So I'm starting to worry.
I found that ph is arround 8.0, kh 7,8, salinity 1026, temp 78, phosphate 0,5-1 and ammonia undetectable in ammonia alert. Copper is at 0.3.
I have a 6000L/h pump facing the water surface, so oxigen is probably not the cause.

What could be causing the fish stress??
Could the high phosphate be the cause?
Maybe the low ph? I already starded to increased it.

I appreciate any help from your experience. Thank you.

 

[thegrun]

The pH at 7.8 is not the problem. How large is your hospital tank? Are you providing adequate hiding places for all the fish? That's a big bioload, I wouldn't trust just the ammonia alert badge, conduct a proper test for ammonia. Is there a specific disease you are treating the fish for? cupramine is hard on fish, it's not unusual for it to adversely effect some of your fish.

 

[hkgar]

How long have you been treating? You might consider treating with PraziPro for parasites.

Check out the reef disease forum

 

[PietschBR]

How long have you been treating? You might consider treating with PraziPro for parasites.

Check out the reef disease forum

I had an ich outbreak 2 months ago, so I moved all my fishes to the hospital and have been waiting for the parasite cycle to end.

I think my mistake was placing two more tangs (YT and Yellow eye) at once 4 days ago, that must have messed with the biology.
I’m dosing Stability too.

I did a 30% water change yesterday and will be doing another today. Hopefully it will stabilize the HT again.

Bouth a seachem ammonia test online (regular tests get messed up when dosing cupramine), It’ll arrive tomorrow or the next day.

I’ll check for prazipro, thank you.

 

[saveafish]

That's a big bio-load to just whoop in at once. Keep doing water changes. With it being bare there is not much bio to help alter that. Water changes is the best you can do. Smaller changes more often if better than bigger ones every few days.

 

[PietschBR]

So yesterday I did another water change and the water seems to be more clear.
I’m waiting for the ammonia test to arrive, maybe the badge isn’t working and I’m
Having an ammonia spike.

Curiously I noticed white spots on the yellow eye tang, even with copper being mantained at 0,3.
Is it possible that the newly added fishes brought some disease that could be affecting the hepatus?

 

[Uncle99]

Yup, lethargicness, rapid or difficult breathing, cloudy eyes, and when visable, what looks like a smattering of fine sugar, all signs of ick. Tangs are Ick magnets.

The parasite gets in the gills, usually earlier than body because they take in the free swimming parasites when respirating.

If you treating for Ick, follow manufactures dosing guidelines exactly, to less won't work, too much will kill the fish. Are you sure your dose is the correct level? I though it was a range, but it's been some time since I used cupramine, but the stuff worked great.

Ammonia badges don't work, ammonia is your enemy, fight him with water changes daily, vacuum up uneaten foods and crap. Make sure you careful maintain the required levels of cupramine.

Feeding is your friend, feeding creates strenght, and strenght fights Ick!

 

[PietschBR]

I think it was ammonia after all.
The test didn’t arrive yet but after two big water changes the water is cristal clear and fishes are happy again. I’ll be doing more often WC, complete the treatment and soon they will be in DT.
Thank you for your help.

 

[bitwise]

I think I read somewhere that those ammonia alert mechanisms have a limited life span of about 1 year. Something to consider.

Happy to hear the fish are doing better.