Last Ditch Effort - please advise

jasonmarc

jasonmarc

Member
Ok - I've posted about my ongoing struggles with ick. I don't have a resolution, and this is my gameplan - any advice from those much more experienced than me would be great.
I have been in hypo (and carefully maintaining 1.009) for 34 days now (main tank, it's fish only). Ich hasn't gone away. If anything, now I'm noticing a couple of new spots. I know there can be other things that look like ick, but the idea that it's just resistant to hypo is what I think I have to go with at this point.
The Plan:
I'm starting to raise the level back this evening. I should have it in a acceptable range by next week, and then I'm going to set up a 10gal hospital tank with the main tank water. I have 2 ocellaris and a firefish left. I'll pull them out, and get them in the hospital tank. Give them a copper treatment (which I hate to do... but I feel like I'm out of options...). Let the display run fishless while this is going on. Hopefully not kill them off in the process, stay vigilant on the water quality of the hospital tank, etc etc etc. Then once all is said and done, pull them out and re-acclimate them to the main tank.
Any words of wisdom/advice/alternate ideas? I'm ready to make this tank a planter after all of this! lol
Thanks in advance,
Jason
 
jasonmarc

jasonmarc

Member
I'm using a refrectometer - it has ATC. I calibrated it with distilled water, and I checked and doubl checked to make sure it was done properly, and every time I used it I cleaned it off with distilled and a clean soft towel.
 
lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
Yeah, if that is the case, copper might be your last resort. Your plan sounds perfectly fine, though.
 
jasonmarc

jasonmarc

Member
Thanks guys - the biggest concern I had was the copper with the clowns - I thought I had heard somewhere that copper and clowns don't mix... even more so than with other fish......
 
beth

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Where are you treating your fish?
While copper is effective, it is not appropriate for the display tank. The best choice for copper is Cupramine, with accompanying Seachem copper test kit.
 
jasonmarc

jasonmarc

Member
Hi Beth - thanks for responding. I've been doing hypo in the main tank - seeing as how it's a FO/no LR or anything...
I'll be setting up a hospital tank for the copper dosing. This is in spite of my LFS's advice (which normally they have been very good) about "if you don't want inverts, just go ahead and treat your main tank with copper" lol
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Your plan sounds good. Be sure to follow the directions exactly and have a copper test kit on hand. Too much is toxic and not enough won't be effective. Keep us posted
 
thejeweler

thejeweler

Member
next time just use garlic extreme all the thime just a little on there food i have a powder blue, yellow and a blue hippo no problems
 
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