Help help....Cupramine and testing-ICK

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fishman

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I bought a velvet dottieback and a regal tang last month and they have been in a QT tank since I bought them. Ionly saw a couple of spots on the regal a couple of days after I got it home. Since that time they both have been doing great. however I came home tonight to find my regal covered with white spots. Im positive its ICK for sure this time.
SO I tested all of my levels and all are 0, PH around 8-8.2. Temp 81-82. Do water changes of 3-4 gallons per week. Running bio wheel and no substrate. Also this is a 20 gallon
So I bought the Cupramine and Seachems test kit. My question is: who the heck said this cupramine was easy to use per the instructions? The instructions dont say a ^*&%^( thing!
1)It says to does the first day at 1 ML then wait 48 hours. Then is says to treat .5 ML per gallon...is this every day?
2)Also what do I measure for with the test kit? Should I keep it at .5 and no higher than .6?
3) Do I treat both the dottieback and regal since they are in the same QT tank?
Anything else I need to know? Has very many people had success with this?
 
1)It says to does the first day at 1 ML then wait 48 hours. Then is says to treat .5 ML per gallon...is this every day?
No what it was saying that you'll treat a TOTAL of .5mg/l.
You use 1ml per 10.5 gallons of water for the first dose. There is a mark at the top medicine doser. Then you wait 48 hrs, and repeat the same dose. 1ml per 10.5 gallons. You do not dose the water anymore. You do however put the medicine in your water changes, so that it does not dilute. Example: If you take 10 gallons of water, then before you add the newly made water, you make sure you have put the cupramine into it. So if you were putting back in 10gallons you would have treated it with about a dropper full of the medicine. Also if you top off the water with say a gallon. Make sure you have medicated that water. You put 2 drops of cupramine per gallon of water.

2)Also what do I measure for with the test kit? Should I keep it at .5 and no higher than .6?

The test is used to measure the concentration of copper in your aquarium. A range of .15 to 0.2mg of copper must be maintained for 10-14 days to be considered an effective treatment. After 14 days, if they have been ichless for a while, you can stop dosing the water. Also remember that in your qt make sure you have NO substrate or carbon filters running. Bare bottom and PVC id the only way to go.

3) Do I treat both the dottieback and regal since they are in the same QT tank?

Yes you treat both fish since they both have been together in the same tank. The other fish has been exposed. Also this is consider to be a very effective treatment, and YES it works. I have been doing the same thing for my fish in a 20g QT. My fish have been in qt for almost 5 weeks now, and are ichless. Also since you didnt introduce them to the main tank you can put them into the main tank after the ich is good and gone. I would wait a couple of weeks after the last sign of ich disappears.

Whew, I know this is alot, but it's worth it. It does work. Do it right the first time and you'll have nothing to worry about. Oh and remember you'll have to do ALOT of water changes because the copper destroys any kind of biological filter that is present. Just remember to treat the water with the copper. :wink:
 
Im very confused....
1)If I have a 20 gallon tank, I use 2 cap fulls then from what I read on the first day. It says "Use 1ML (Mark at top of cap) per 10.5 gallons. So I use 2 cap fulls...right
2) then it says to wait 48 hours and repeat for a total dose of .5 ML. And to leave at this concentration. So I use 1 cap full basically...right
3) how often on the water changes....I have a 20 gallon and I normally do 3-5 gallon changes per week..is this enough??
 
Sorry about your confusion. When I was first learning how to do this, I was the very same way. I felt helpless. But there was AA!! You will get it, and I'll try to help you understand better.
1)If I have a 20 gallon tank, I use 2 cap fulls then from what I read on the first day. It says "Use 1ML (Mark at top of cap) per 10.5 gallons. So I use 2 cap fulls...right
Do you have a dropper that came with the medicine?

) how often on the water changes....I have a 20 gallon and I normally do 3-5 gallon changes per week..is this enough??

I had a couple more fish in the qt than you do, so the load was bigger. I change about 25 to 30g a week. My nitrites are always sky high, so I have to keep on doing the water changes. Maybe you wont have to do as much, but I am sure you will have to do more than 3-5 a week. You will have to judge if you need a change or not by your water test results. :wink:
 
I have no dropper...What now?? ARG! I checked my packing and nothing!!
 
Im sorry I do!! Inside the bottle...So was I right on the dosings above?? 2 dropper fuls which would be 1 ML x 2 for 20 gallons?
 
Also I did have some LR in the QT and have moved this to my main tank before starting the copper...I assume ICK cant be transferred this way right?? on the LR to my main tank?
 
2 dropper fuls which would be 1 ML x 2 for 20 gallons?

Yes!!

Also I did have some LR in the QT and have moved this to my main tank before starting the copper...I assume ICK cant be transferred this way right?? on the LR to my main tank?

Good, and No ich cant live on the lr. Make sure that none of your qt water gets into your main.

Sounds like your on your way!! :wink:

Did you understand about dosing the water change water to keep the level of copper up?

Also what all do you have in your qt as far as filters, decorations, ect..?
 
Well I didnt dry my LR off before I put it in the main tank so it had some water on it...guess Im screwed!!
 
I have a biowheel with no carbon in it and PVC pipes. I just KNOW im going to get ick in my main now that I didnt rinse the LR off....crap!
 
Well I didnt dry my LR off before I put it in the main tank so it had some water on it...guess Im screwed!!

Dont kill your self just yet, it is very possible you didnt get it into your main tank. I am not to sure about the little bit of water on your LR. We will let someone else post about that. :wink:

You'll be OK! :wink:
 
revhtree said:
Well I didnt dry my LR off before I put it in the main tank so it had some water on it...guess Im screwed!!

Dont kill your self just yet, it is very possible you didnt get it into your main tank. I am not to sure about the little bit of water on your LR. We will let someone else post about that.
Actually C. irritans can live on any hard surface in which it uses to encycst and multiply. That is one reson you should never use the same equipment between the QT and main. The potential to transfer the parasite is very high.

If the main tank is left fallow for 6 weeks, you should be just fine. Also make sure the Cupramine treatment is maintained in the QT for a full 14 days, longer if parasites are still present.

What copper test kit are you using?

Cheers
Steve
 
I am using Seachems multi test copper test kit.
Also I am just going to watch and see if I get ick in my main tank. So far so good. The regal just came down with ick yesterday as far as the signs of it so I think I might be ok. I dont have the ability to leave the main tank fallow for 6 week as I have 4 fish in there so Im going to wait and see.....Hopefully I dodged a bullet!! Im leaving for Mexico on the 21st of this month so I am hoping nothing else is bad. I will barely be done treating the QT tank by the time I leave.
 
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