Help needed with CP Treatment

[finrod2]

I have a 375g that recently had a nearly complete SPS die off. I've lived with crypto in my tank ever since I added a Achilles tang about 2.5 years ago. I lost a few fish since that time but only the achillies shows visible crypto. I know all my fish have it however so I'd like to get rid of this issue if possible.

Now that I have very little coral in tank I am planning to remove my LR and pull all of the sand and go bare bottom to help with nutrients and also reduce a vermetid snail issue I have that is aggravated by blowing sand in my tank. I thought that it might give me an opportunity to treat the fish at this time. I plan on putting my fish in a 100g rubbermade trough and treat the fish in that sump with CP. I plan to keep all of my LR in water to keep the bacteria colonies intact. I have never used copper or anything to treat tank except prazipro.

Questions:
Should I use CP and hyposalinity both or just CP?
What is best dose and length?
Will 1 dose do the job?
I plan to use a big skimmer on my treatment sump, is using a skimmer ok with treatment?
Can I also treat the liverock as well and do I still need to have the tank go fallow after treatment?
If my existing LR is kept in un-heated water will the bacteria die? I can always find a few heaters if so.
Thank you all for your help.
Mike

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by finrod2

I have a 375g that recently had a nearly complete SPS die off. I've lived with crypto in my tank ever since I added a Achilles tang about 2.5 years ago. I lost a few fish since that time but only the achillies shows visible crypto. I know all my fish have it however so I'd like to get rid of this issue if possible.

Now that I have very little coral in tank I am planning to remove my LR and pull all of the sand and go bare bottom to help with nutrients and also reduce a vermetid snail issue I have that is aggravated by blowing sand in my tank. I thought that it might give me an opportunity to treat the fish at this time. I plan on putting my fish in a 100g rubbermade trough and treat the fish in that sump with CP. I plan to keep all of my LR in water to keep the bacteria colonies intact. I have never used copper or anything to treat tank except prazipro.

Questions:
Should I use CP and hyposalinity both or just CP? You can use both if you want to although it isn't necessary
What is best dose and length? For a active infection I would treat 60mg/gallon for at least 21 days, 30 is better
Will 1 dose do the job?Depends on how much nitrifying bacteria and sand you have. You said you are removing the sand so that will help but nitrifying bacteria "eats" up the CP. I have had to treat once a week for 3 weeks to rid fish of ich in the past. Also depends on how pure your source of CP is.
I plan to use a big skimmer on my treatment sump, is using a skimmer ok with treatment?Yes no need to stop skimming
Can I also treat the liverock as well and do I still need to have the tank go fallow after treatment?You can treat the liverock but it will kill off the algae that is on it and anything that isn't a hermit crab, isopod or copepod. You still have to get the remaining tomonts off of the surfaces of the tank like the glass so you can either drain and dry the tank or nuke it with some meds
If my existing LR is kept in un-heated water will the bacteria die? I can always find a few heaters if so.No the rock that isn't heated will not have bacteria die off, at lower temps the bacteria just grows slower
Thank you all for your help.
Mike

[finrod2]

Dmorty,
Thanks for the information. I am completely draining the tank, only leaving a connected sump filled with water. I recently drained and cleaned out the sump. I guess I could overdose the sump with rock and the other containers since there is no coral to worry about. I will keep my rock in while I treat the fish separately in another sump with no rock. Do you still purchase CP from Dr Fishman? Also did you ever figure out why your treatment levels were dropping in your tank (from a previous thread). Thanks again.

[HumbleFish]

Everything I know about CP can be found here: https://humble.fish/chloroquine-phosphate/

[ThRoewer]

Originally Posted by finrod2

Should I use CP and hyposalinity both or just CP?

My choice would be hyposalinity alone as it is easiest to control.

Originally Posted by finrod2

Can I also treat the liverock as well and do I still need to have the tank go fallow after treatment?

Since any treatment kills most life on and in the rocks you might as well take the nuclear option and strip them clean in a tub with NaOH solution.
Though, if your rock is wild collected and you want to keep some of the critters that live in or on it, I would advise against it.

Originally Posted by finrod2

If my existing LR is kept in un-heated water will the bacteria die? I can always find a few heaters if so.

I wouldn't worry so much about the bacteria but rather that the Cryptocaryon cysts might be going into "hibernation" and therefore render the entire fallow period futile.
I would heat the tank with the rocks to 28°C and make sure the water is well oxygenated. Temperatures below 19°C and/or low oxygen levels induce a dormancy stage in Cryptocaryon in which it can remain for months, a year or even longer while waiting for better conditions.

[Dmorty217]

Originally Posted by HumbleFish

Everything I know about CP can be found here: https://humble.fish/chloroquine-phosphate/

Super helpful info, especially if you’re using a established QT

[finrod2]

thanks THroewer, not ready for the nuclear option. i’m going into this for three reasons: Nutrient control (removing all sand), get better control of my pet vertmetid snails, and the crypto. If I take care of 2 of 3 I’d be happy. Thanks

[ThRoewer]

Originally Posted by finrod2

thanks THroewer, not ready for the nuclear option. i’m going into this for three reasons: Nutrient control (removing all sand), get better control of my pet vertmetid snails, and the crypto. If I take care of 2 of 3 I’d be happy. Thanks

If you have the rocks out of the tank and time, Vermetid snails are best removed mechanically with pliers and screwdrivers. I really wish I would have had the time to go diligently after the ones on my rocks. Doing it later in the tank is nearly impossible and my rocks have way too many desirable things like little feather dusters worms, sponges, and the like on them to treat the rocks with CP and kill them all. So mechanical or biological are the only options and biological has failed me so far.

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