Blue Tang QT

[cpalminteri]

I currently have a Blue Tang going through QT. It’s very little and basically I saved it from petco and it had ich a few weeks ago and they said might still have a bit. I haven’t really seen anything on it but I’m also a noob. Dosing cupramine & got a Hanna checker but was struggling to keep copper level low and also I read it’s a little harsh so I decided I’d remove the cupramine and when it’s all gone try copper power instead. I tried cuprisorb and I’ve done two water changes and the copper level is staying at .48 -_- there’s no sand or rocks in this tank it’s just PVC. Any tips? Don’t want to mix the two diff types of copper but I also want to get this fish thoroughly quarantined.

 

[fishguy242]

#fishmedic

 

[cpalminteri]

Oh and TTM isn’t an option

 

[Sharkbait19]

The bottle for cupramine says that it can be removed with activated carbon. Some say that this is true, others don’t feel that way. It’s worth a shot, in my opinion, though continued water changes should also get the copper level down.

 

[cpalminteri]

The bottle for cupramine says that it can be removed with activated carbon. Some say that this is true, others don’t feel that way. It’s worth a shot, in my opinion, though continued water changes should also get the copper level down.

Yeah I’ll continue doing them I guess the fish will be in quarantine for a longer time than expected but my issue is that getting it down isn’t the same as getting it to 0. And idk if mixing the two types of copper will kill the fish.

 

[Sharkbait19]

Yeah I’ll continue doing them I guess the fish will be in quarantine for a longer time than expected but my issue is that getting it down isn’t the same as getting it to 0. And idk if mixing the two types of copper will kill the fish.

So if you want to fully remove the copper, then I’d try to run carbon, see if that helps. If not, I believe there are chemicals that can break down the carbon. I see you are using cuprisorb, I’m not sure the effectiveness of that particular solution. Hopefully others can chime in with more experience here.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Yeah I’ll continue doing them I guess the fish will be in quarantine for a longer time than expected but my issue is that getting it down isn’t the same as getting it to 0. And idk if mixing the two types of copper will kill the fish.

Mixing the two types of copper is risky because you won't know, given any copper reading, how much is Cupramine and how much is Copper Power.

The thing that doesn't make any sense is that you've done two water changes and the Cupramine level is still at essentially a full dose...0.48. That is technically impossible. How large were the water changes? Your test method may be flawed, are you using a Hanna LR or HR test?

In a bare tank, if you change 50% of the water, the copper level will drop by 50%.

Carbon doesn't remove copper very well, water changes are the best way, followed by Cuprisorb or Polyfilter (there are some other removal agents as well).

Jay

 

[threebuoys]

I have successfully used cuprisorb to remove cupramine, however it's a slow process, definitely not overnight. To speed up the process, you definitely need to do water changes. I've had mixed luck using granulated activated charcoal. To me, it seemed to work much more slowly than cuprisorb to the point I gave up and just changed more water.

You will need to insure you have good water flow through the cuprisorb as constant contact is critical to its effectiveness.

 

[LeftyReefer]

I have given up trying to remove copper via cuprisorb or carbon.... it just takes too long.
Large water changes are the way to go.

 

[cpalminteri]

Mixing the two types of copper is risky because you won't know, given any copper reading, how much is Cupramine and how much is Copper Power.

The thing that doesn't make any sense is that you've done two water changes and the Cupramine level is still at essentially a full dose...0.48. That is technically impossible. How large were the water changes? Your test method may be flawed, are you using a Hanna LR or HR test?

In a bare tank, if you change 50% of the water, the copper level will drop by 50%.

Carbon doesn't remove copper very well, water changes are the best way, followed by Cuprisorb or Polyfilter (there are some other removal agents as well).

Jay

I have the Hanna HR. After first water change it went from .68 (I overdosed and immediately realized and did the change) to .48. Did a water 50% change about 3 days later after having the cuprisorb there for a few and it didn’t move this time. I’ll do another watcher change tonight and see.