Wrasse not eating w/Cupramine

[MellowReefer]

For the first time I seem to have a fish with a bad reaction to Cupramine. I had the wrasse for almost a week in QT and it was eating like a big before I started adding Cupramine for a target dose of .45 over 5 days. I had noticed it flashing a little so I'm pretty sure it has ich although it doesn't have any spots and it looks healthy otherwise. It was at the LFS for 3 weeks. Anyway, since I got up to the full dose it was not swimming much, just hiding in the tubes, and not coming out for food. Not laying on its side or breathing heavy, just not coming out. So yesterday I removed 4 gallons of the 30 gallon QT water to reduce the cupramine concentration. But the fish did not eat tonight. Should i give it a few days, will it get used to it? Or remove more of the cupramine? Not sure what else to use, I have had great luck with Cupramine in the past.

 

[Mrscribbled]

What test kit are you using, and whats the current copper level at?

 

[MellowReefer]

I use Salifert. It's hard to tell exactly but definitely well under .5 concentration since I changed out some water. Based on what I put in there and took out it should be around .35 now. I know even if he will adjust to this level its a little low and I'll add a few drops a day until I get back to .4. Just wondering if anyone's had the experience where it takes a few days and they get better (without lowering it more)? Or if I should remove all of it and try again after he starts eating again, this time increasing the dose over 10 days? By the way, I also have a chalk bass in this 30 gal tank who is still eating, fat and happy. They like each other, no agression whatsoever.

 

[Mrscribbled]

Would also like to know what kind of wrasse? Being there is a thousand species orso, they vary. I'd give it a couple more days and see if he comes around before doing any changes. Let us know in two days. .35 ppm cupramine is effective btw.

 

[MellowReefer]

Sorry, forgot to mention it's a solar wrasse, aka red head solon fairy wrasse. He was eating everything I put in until I started cupramine. Last night I tried garlic-soaked mysis, still didn't come out of his tube.

 

[MellowReefer]

Nevermind Came home from work and he's lying on his side now, not moving and still breathing but near death. I don't suppose there's any point in trying to remove it now, its too late. This is my second wrasse that I got that died. The first was an exquisite wrasse from LA, looked very small and weak when I got it but was eating. Got up to only .2 cupramine and it died. All my other fish treated with it were fine. Is it common for wrasses to be so sensitive to it?

 

[MellowReefer]

After reading a post on flukes, I think he had flukes in addition to ich. Because he was suddenly jerking his head. Because he was also flashing I assumed it was another ich symptom. Maybe if I had treated with Prazipro first he would have lived. I thought because of the ich I should start cupramine asap. But if flukes are more deadly, then from now on I will treat with prazipro first, and then cupramine after.

 

[triggreef]

Prazi first is what I like. Ich is not very deadly. I see lots of fish live a good amount of time with it. Prazi works for internals, which I think us what gets most wrasses early on. But I dont know squat really, so take it for what its worth.

 

[MellowReefer]

Thanks, at least I'm getting another response on this post from 4 months ago. Coincidentally I'm having trouble with my current fish in QT and would love a response on the post I made today, the fish that are still alive at the moment! (see post right below this one)