how did this happen!?!?!?!

[aanthony]

Ok, so i think i may be finished with saltwater, a few months back i bought my 90 gallon, ich then entered my tank because i never quarantined my fish, anyways because of this i lost my powder blue, and my bi-colour anthias.
So that was 5 weeks ago, since then i had taken all of my fish out of their tank, and put them in a 35 gallon (hippo tang, yellow tang, and true percula) now i had then at a solution of 1.11 for about 2 weeks, and for the other 2 weeks i used copper. So my dt was fishless for 5 weeks, and the fish went through a full copper treatment. I put the fish back in 2 days ago, and i saw what looked like a white spot on my hippo tang. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN, last week i added ONE hermit crab.

 

[dinogeorge]

Don’t get discouraged man. I know it can be frustrating, but give it some time.
When you added your crab, did you pour any of the water he came in, into your tank? In most fish stores, the tanks are all interconnected with the same filtration and water system. So your crab, and the water he was bagged in, may have been living in an ick-filled world. If you poured that water into your tank, then you may have reintroduced the ick that way. There is also the chance the the crab itself was a carrier. They are immune to ick, but they can still carry the critters on their shells.
Something else to consider. If I read your comments right, did you say you had your fish in a salinity of 1.11 for 2 weeks and then copper for the other two? If I read that correctly, then there is your problem. You have to keep your fish at 1.009 to kill the ick. Anything above that will be ineffective. The copper treatment was good for killing those ick that are in the free swimming stage, but they cannot kill those that are still on the fish, or in the dormant stage laying at the bottom of your tank. Although your fish may have appeared to be rid of them, their immune system may have only fought them off for a while. But once you removed your fish from your QT and moved them back into your display tank, the stress of the move may have been enough to trigger another ick outbreak. So in short, the ick may not have ever been gone from your fish…just not as visible to you.
The fact that you are so frustrated about this proves that you sincerely care about your livestock. We need more people like you as part of this hobby. Don’t give up man. Just move your fish back into your QT and give the hypo method a try. It is very effective in killing those worthless ick critters, and you’ll be happy with the results. There are a TON of good people on here who will help you through anything you need.
Good luck man.

 

[renogaw]

i agree-- you did hypo incorrecty, then treated copper incorrectly.
please, read up the instructions in the stickied post at the top of the disease forum. make sure you're using a refractometer.

 

[aanthony]

yes i know i incorrectly used hypo, i had it down tio about 1.09 and then realized that i dont have refractometre, i just had this cheap plastic thing, so i decided to raise it a little, but still keep it low, figuring maybe that the parasites would be weaker at this salinity, anyways so that was just a temporary solution till i got my copper, so i know i used hypo incorrectly, but how did i use copper incorrectly????

 

[renogaw]

Originally Posted by AAnthony
Ok, so i think i may be finished with saltwater, a few months back i bought my 90 gallon, ich then entered my tank because i never quarantined my fish, anyways because of this i lost my powder blue, and my bi-colour anthias.
So that was 5 weeks ago, since then i had taken all of my fish out of their tank, and put them in a 35 gallon (hippo tang, yellow tang, and true percula) now i had then at a solution of 1.11 for about 2 weeks, and for the other 2 weeks i used copper. So my dt was fishless for 5 weeks, and the fish went through a full copper treatment. I put the fish back in 2 days ago, and i saw what looked like a white spot on my hippo tang. HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN, last week i added ONE hermit crab.
Copper Treatment is highly effective when applied precisely and monitored closely. The drawbacks to copper, however, unlike hyposalinity, is that copper is a toxin---to both parasite, as well as your fish.
In this treatment, the hobbyist will use use [best choice] Cupramine which is manufactured by Seachem. You will also need a compatible copper test kit that will “work with” the copper. If you use Cupramine, then also select Seachem’s copper test kit.
You should always set up a hospital tank, never adding copper directly to your display. At all times, maintain therapeutic copper levels in the hospital, using the copper test kit daily. READ THE LABEL of your medication and follow the directions. Like hyposalinity, copper treatment requires precision. Not enough copper, and the treatment is ineffective. Too much copper, and the treatment could be lethal to your fish. Take care, be attentive.
The treatment course for copper is 3 weeks after you have attained therapeutic levels. Following treatment, you should leave your fish in the hospital tank for an additional week for observation.

 

[dinogeorge]

Hey Anthony,
Renogaw offered some very good advice. I used to be the “king of copper” before I learned the benefits of hypo, and the potential danger of copper if used incorrectly. I know money does not grow on tree, but if you can invest in a good refractometer, it could mean the difference between life and death for your fish.
The problem with copper test kits is that you are relying on your ability to compare colored water with a color stripe on a piece of paper. It’s not very scientific. But if you use a refractometer, you are looking at an exact number. It’s just so much more accurate.
I hope everything works out ok for you.
Good luck man.