Lost my Sailfin about to lose my Hippo and Chromis

senormatt

senormatt

Member
Yesterday I checked my levels and amonia was up, fisrt time i've seen that. I removed the piece of lettuce that was in the for 3 days. Amonia was at 0.5 So I performed a water change. So everything was going fine last night went fish world went to bed. This morning my sailfin took its last dive when i walked by my tank. all the other fish were hidding in the corner. So we did emergency water change(@8:30) and then checked levels amonia was at 1 and Nitrites .5 Nitrates at 20 ph at 7.6. I added Amolock 2(@9:00) to the tank and Seachem marine buffer. 10 o'clock fish start to come out from corner a bit. Breathing heavilly. time goes by I just took readings at 3 and Amonia is at .5 Nitrites .25 and Nitrates 10. Now still hidding in the corner a bit and looks like they are coming to the top for air. The tank now has a a faint white film on the inside of it.
I dont want to loose any more fishy's could someone help me.
Oh my Hippo has white patches on each side of his mouth just above the corners. looks like lose of color. Also treating for ick with Cupamine on my Hippo
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
um yes. I ordered a qt but lfs keeps saying the supplier is out of stock. oh and LFS said to use that and gave me API test kit which does not work for Cupramine
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
In my opinion you have just nuked your tank. Cupramine is a copper based medication. Copper will kill your inverts. You probably have snails hermits whatever dying and that is what is driving your ammonia. Also know that once the copper is in your rocks you cannot get it out and you cannot use that rock for a reef tank again.
This is all said not knowing what you have in the tank because all you have talked about is the fish.
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
ok I had Turbo snails they died i took em out right away, I have 5 hermits 4 are still alive doing their thing 5th I can not find anywere
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by spanko
http:///forum/post/2479257
In my opinion you have just nuked your tank. Cupramine is a copper based medication. Copper will kill your inverts. You probably have snails hermits whatever dying and that is what is driving your ammonia. Also know that once the copper is in your rocks you cannot get it out and you cannot use that rock for a reef tank again.
This is all said not knowing what you have in the tank because all you have talked about is the fish.
This is what I am thinking as well. Please tell us how much rock is in the tank and what else is in there.
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
No i do not have a QT.
I know that the Copper would get in the silicone but everywhere i have read states that the LR will not be affected by the copper.
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
I have 40lbs of LR and a scooter who does not seemed to be affected as much as the other 4 fish.
The copper was put in 8 days ago
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by SenorMatt
http:///forum/post/2479276
No i do not have a QT.
I know that the Copper would get in the silicone but everywhere i have read states that the LR will not be affected by the copper.
I do not know where you read that, but quite the opposite is true. Ther rocks soak up the copper which throws off your test. Copper will kill any inverts in the tank or growing on your rock.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by SenorMatt
http:///forum/post/2479278
I have 40lbs of LR and a scooter who does not seemed to be affected as much as the other 4 fish.
The copper was put in 8 days ago
You have no other inverts in the tank? Can you remove the rock into a rubber maid tub with a heater and a power head? The tank has already been dosed so there is really no going back now, you will not be able to house inverts anymore though. You will need a sea chem test kit to measure the copper in the tank. You need to know what your copper is reading. Copper can be lethal if it is over dosed.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Why is the LFS saying they don't have a QT? Just go to wally world and get a 20 gallon kit. That isn't a bad emergency setup.
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
no other inverts in the tank except for the living crabs.
Ok so i nuked my tank, killed my SAilfin and pretty much killed my hippo cause copper affects the intestines in Tangs, can no longer put inverts in my tank, anyone want to buy a fish tank?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by SenorMatt
http:///forum/post/2479302
no other inverts in the tank except for the living crabs.
Ok so i nuked my tank, killed my SAilfin and pretty much killed my hippo cause copper affects the intestines in Tangs, can no longer put inverts in my tank, anyone want to buy a fish tank?
Tangs can be treated with copper, but you have to monitor the level of copper in the tank. The sailfin likely died from a combination of poor water quality, because of the spikes, and who knows what copper level. I know this is incredibly frustrating. I am sorry.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Originally Posted by sepulatian
http:///forum/post/2479309
Tangs can be treated with copper, but you have to monitor the level of copper in the tank. The sailfin likely died from a combination of poor water quality, because of the spikes, and who knows what copper level. I know this is incredibly frustrating. I am sorry.
Another sad LFS story. I thought I read that a tank could be used again though, that the copper in the silicone was an urban legend kind of a thing. I will do some searching and see what I can find.
I too am sorry about this SenorMatt. I still like sepulations ideas about the rubber maid type tub and all the rock work going in it. Also check one of the large chain pet supplies places for Iodine test kits, or other LFS's.
 
stdreb27

stdreb27

Active Member
Originally Posted by SenorMatt
http:///forum/post/2479305
never thought of walmart i try to avoid them as much as possible, but go figure they have what i needed
yeah they sell cheap setups, which is all you need right now, to get the fish out of your DT and QT them.
 
senormatt

senormatt

Member
ok I screwed up. i still have fish to try and save. i have to get rid of amonia and trates can i add more amo-lock2 ?
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by SenorMatt
http:///forum/post/2479356
ok I screwed up. i still have fish to try and save. i have to get rid of amonia and trates can i add more amo-lock2 ?
I would remove the rock and do some water changes. The ammo lock is going to skew your ammonia readings. The ammonia will still be there but in a non toxic form. The problem is that you cannot tell how much of the ammonia is non toxic and what is toxic by the api test results.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top