white spot (again)

[melissfish]

my blue tang has white spot again, had it in november and treated with cupramine in a QT for more than 12 weeks. my tank was empty and i did everything right, so why has it come back. my other fish look ok but i guess its just a matter of time. Could the whitespot have come back, or hitchhiked on live rock (thats all i put in the tank since then.) So i still have the QT set up but not sure when to put in the fish, and what copper level should be. i will test all the levels in the QT but i think it needs a water change too as its been sitting for a while, shall i put all the fish in ( i really dont want to catch them its not an easy task) or just pluck them out as they get it, and can my snowflake eel get it? how would i treat him? Thanks in Advance

 

[steve-s]

Can you give a bit more background. Was the tang ever in the main before treating with copper and when was the LR last added?

Cheers
Steve

 

[melissfish]

i added LR about a month ago, and about 3 weeks before that. Yes the tang was in the main before he was treated, my fish got ich from a coral beauty who i didnt QT, so i took them all out and left the tank fishless and watched them all get better except the coral beauty, he was the only one to die from either the copper or the ich, and yes it is ich (sugar grains) on the fishes body and fins. i am using cupramine ass i have heard this is the best treatment besides hypo which i think is too hard

 

[steve-s]

It is very very rare for an eel to get this kind of parasite. While it is possible, it's usually unlikely unless there is a high parasite densitity in the tank. Did you treated the eel with copper, was left in the main or an after the fact addition? Eels as a rule do not tolerate copper treatments at all. Not sure how well it would cope with Cupramine. If treatment was needed, hyposalinity is the best route with eels.

There is a possibility with the rock additions the parasite was carried in, that is providing the Cupramine treatment previously was done correctly. 0.5 mg/l tested daily and a duration of 14-21 days and all fish where in the QT for the 12 weeks?

No snail additions, corals or other inverts, items from another tank containing fish?

Irregardless of how it got there, you seem quite confidant it's C. irritans so the fish need treating again. If you plan to treat the eel, be sure it's not with copper but hyposalinity. Might even be a better idea to remove some of your rock to a QT pail (with powerhead and heater) and hypo the main tank. All inverts must be removed as well. The only reason I suggest this route is eels do not travel well nor do they tollerate change much. If it becomes stressed too much, it is quite common they will quit eating and starve to death. Also a good chance it could go carpet surfing. Hypo has a lowering effect on alk and pH so be sure they are tested twice daily in the beginning as the salinity is lower and daily after that, buffer as needed. pH problems can also adversely affect the eel.

Cheers
Steve

 

[melissfish]

the eel was added to the tank while it was fishless and had alrteady been empty 8 weeks, have added corals and rock but rock was most recent. should i treat all the fish or watch and wait. i plan on adding the fish 1 at a time to the qt to help the biofilters catch up.

 

[steve-s]

i plan on adding the fish 1 at a time to the qt to help the biofilters catch up.

In regards to the biofilter that may seem like a good plan. The only problem is each time a new fish is added, the ones already in the QT are effectively put back to day one of treatment. You must eventually treat all the fish or you risk allowing the parasite to continue it's life cycle as long as one remains. They cannot be treated one by one. It also means the possibility of the parasite getting a stronger foothold in the main and infesting the eel which you don't want.

You are much better off removing all the fish and treating. It's a challenge with water quality for sure but doing daily (sometimes 2x/day) water changes should keep that in check. If you choose hyposalinity, you can also use Polyfilters which will help with removing the nitrogenous wastes.

Cheers
Steve