Help with Copperband

[nancy3549]

hello all. a rookie here. i have a 45g hex. tank. i have been treating my fish with cupramine for the last 2 wks. have lost my powder blue and pineapple bf. i am now worried about my copperband. it still eats well and seems to be okay but i've noticed some discoloration on its head and mid torso (reddish brown). also, some white smears on its tail. the rest of its tank mates (panther, coral hogfish, saddleback BF, tomato clown) are well and seems to be cleared of any parasites. just worried that i might lose him as well. i welcome any input and advice. thanks.

[leebca]

WELCOME TO REEFLAND!

At this stage, I'm afraid all I have is a lot more questions than answers.

Regarding the treatment: Where are the fish being treated? In the Hex? What else is in the Hex (substrate, rocks, decorations, etc.)?

Are you sure of the diagnosis? How are you controlling the copper content in the water?

The 'smears' are usually secondary bacterial infections. The original parasite allows other pathogens and bacteria to infect. Such fish need an antibiotic treatment that will get along with the Cupramine. In Canada you have limits on what is available, so I can't guide you too well on this. You need a topical antibacterial agent that targets Gram Negative bacteria. Here in the USA I'd recommend Spectrogram, or Maracyn 2 for Saltwater Fishes.

[Ninong]

Hello Nancy,




While Lee is helping you with the medications, I would like to offer some comments and suggestions for your consideration on the suitability of the fish you have chosen for your 45-gallon hex aquarium.

hello all. a rookie here. i have a 45g hex. tank. i have been treating my fish with cupramine for the last 2 wks. have lost my powder blue

This fish, (Acanthurus leucosternon), requires at least a 135-gal, 6-ft long aquarium. It's just not suitable for anything smaller than that.

and pineapple bf.

You probably mean Chaetodon auriga. That fish grows to 9" and should be kept in nothing smaller than a 90-gal aquarium.

i am now worried about my copperband.

Chelmon rostratus grows to 8" in length and requires at least a 90-gal aquarium to do well.

panther

Do you mean the panther grouper? If so, that fish (Cromileptes altivelis) has a maximum adult size of 27". Is it sort of white with black polka dots? This fish requires a much larger tank than your 45-gal hex. Another point to remember is that as it grows larger, it will very likely eat any other fish in the tank that are small enough to fit in its mouth.

coral hogfish

This fish, Bodianus mesothorax, requires at least a 90-gal aquarium, mimimum. It has an adult size of up to 8".

saddleback BF

The saddleback butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium) is a gorgeous butterflyfish but it requires a lot of swimming room. It has a maximum adult size of 12" I don't think I would even think about putting one of these fish in anything less than a 180-gal tank.

tomato clown

We have finally arrived at a fish (Amphiprion frenatus) that will work in a 45-gal aquarium, minimum. This is one of the larger, more aggressive species of anemonefishes but you would be able to keep a pair of them in your 45-gal hex aquarium. You would have to be careful about your selection of tankmates because tomato clowns might be fairly aggressive (territorial) in a 45-gal hex.

You might want to consider turning your 45-gal hex aquarium into a species tank for a pair of A. frenatus with their host anemone, Entacmaea quadricolor. I would wait at least a year before adding the anemone. Let the tank mature first and get a little more experience maintaining a stable aquarium. What I mean by a species tank is just a pair of tomato clowns with their host anemone -- no other fish.

One of the most important things to learn about this hobby is that you have to make compromises. You can't keep fishes, even juveniles, in tank's that are too small for them. Most of these fish grow quite fast and a 3" juvenile could be 7" long in less than 18 months. And it's not just their size now or their adult size that has to be taken into consideration. You have to think about their swimming habits and whether they are aggressive (meaning territorial) with other fish. The smaller the tank, the more aggressive these fish will become.

One of the problems you are having right now is that your 45-gal hex aquarium is overstocked. The other problem is that virtually all of the fish you have chosen are not suitable for a 45-gal hex. For one thing, your aquarium has an extremely limited swimming space because its longest dimension is so short.

[nancy3549]

Hello, Ninong. Thank you very much for all the info. I decided to replace the 45g hex. and purchased a 120g tank. My question now is what would be the most cost effective way to set up a proper filtration system for such a big tank? I'm planning on a FO tank. As always, any input, comments and advice is always welcome.

BTW, the 45g is still running with one resident, the saddleback.

Cheers,
Nancy.

[Ninong]

Nancy, I think I would rather let Lee respond to your questions about how to best set up filtration for a FO tank, especially one without live rock.

[leebca]

When you get into that sized aquarium, it usually turns into a 'system' which includes a sump and return pump, with overflows in the main tank.

Look over some books on the subject. There are three filters I recommend you put in: mechanical, biological, and chemical.

Putting 100 micron filter bags on the pipes that carry the overflow water to sump is most effective and low in cost. Putting carbon in mesh bags in the sump can be good enough for chemical, and the biological filter needs to be sized for that aquarium. To size this properly, most LFSs know the right size and will usually steer you correctly. This part of the filtration can be reduced in size when you have more aquascaping (surface area for bacteria) and if you plan to have substrate (about 1.5 to 2 inches deep) in the aquarium. Any type of trickle filter will suffice and also be the least expensive.

Just don't cut back on circulation pumps inside the aquarium AND the return pump. You want to have at least 8X total system volume (gallons) turnover per hour, up to 10X or more (but don't exceed 20X).

Read this thoroughly, in case you haven't already, and decide on your design before you go much further: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium Don't let the title scare you off. The difference between the two is only live rock and many of the micro flora and fauna that come with it. Unless you want a predatory tank, you'll need the clean-up crew.