Can i dose copper in Display Tank

[frankieg2293]

Can i dose copper in Display Tank???
I currently have no corals But id like to asap ... I'm dealing with some type of ich on my tangs with high nitrate/phosphates with that being said once I get NO3 and phos under control I want to start throwing some softies in there..... the question is, once I dose copper is there a way of getting all the copper out in a timely fasion. or is the QT and fallow the only way?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Can i dose copper in Display Tank???
I currently have no corals But id like to asap ... I'm dealing with some type of ich on my tangs with high nitrate/phosphates with that being said once I get NO3 and phos under control I want to start throwing some softies in there..... the question is, once I dose copper is there a way of getting all the copper out in a timely fasion. or is the QT and fallow the only way?

What is in the tank?

Any rocks or substrate?

 

[theMeat]

Can i dose copper in Display Tank???
I currently have no corals But id like to asap ... I'm dealing with some type of ich on my tangs with high nitrate/phosphates with that being said once I get NO3 and phos under control I want to start throwing some softies in there..... the question is, once I dose copper is there a way of getting all the copper out in a timely fasion. or is the QT and fallow the only way?

Don’t know of any way of getting rid of the copper in a timely fashion. Personally would feed well, use a uv, keeps things on the low stress side, and lower salinity before I treated with meds

 

[frankieg2293]

What is in the tank?

Any rocks or substrate?

yes rocks and substrate the tank is just starting to grow some nice coralline.

 

[frankieg2293]

Don’t know of any way of getting rid of the copper in a timely fashion. Personally would feed well, use a uv, keeps things on the low stress side, and lower salinity before I treated with meds

how long does it normally take to get copper out, i have a 220 gal tank

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

What are you doing to lower your nutrients? I'd turn lights off. Feed a nice healthy food. Maybe some garlic drops with the food and let it soak prior to feeding.
D

 

[vetteguy53081]

Can i dose copper in Display Tank???
I currently have no corals But id like to asap ... I'm dealing with some type of ich on my tangs with high nitrate/phosphates with that being said once I get NO3 and phos under control I want to start throwing some softies in there..... the question is, once I dose copper is there a way of getting all the copper out in a timely fasion. or is the QT and fallow the only way?

Do not- do it in quarantine. Silicone, rocks, etc will absorb and hold it. If this will always be a fish only tank- you can . You will not be able to house snails-shrimp-crabs-corals

 

[frankieg2293]

Do not- do it in quarantine. Silicone, rocks, etc will absorb and hold it. If this will always be a fish only tank- you can . You will not be able to hosue snails-shrimp-crabs-corals

i think thats the answer im looking for

 

[JumboShrimp]

As much as would like to say ‘do it’— it would be the tank’s kiss-of-death far, far into the future. Sorry. You need to get the fish into a separate QT tank for your copper.

 

[frankieg2293]

What are you doing to lower your nutrients? I'd turn lights off. Feed a nice healthy food. Maybe some garlic drops with the food and let it soak prior to feeding.
D

why turn lights off? im running refugium light in sump 24/7 its actually bringing down nutrients well i was well over 75 ppm on nitrates a week ago with the help of some supplements like "SEED"(good bacteria) i got it down to 50 ppm. Phos was at >2 now its at .9

 

[theMeat]

how long does it normally take to get copper out, i have a 220 gal tank

Can’t give you a time frame. Can say that this urban legend that you can’t have corals in a tank once you treat copper just isn’t true. Had a tank with lotsa rock and sand that was treated. Always heard that omg you can never have coral again, yet after 9 months started running carbon and doing frequent water changes. After 3 months of that tried some hermits and snails and they lived. Then tried some hardy softies and they did too.
With that said would say don’t treat. Feed well, low stress, uv…
Idk what it is but ime ich and other problems are more prevalent these days. Some do the qt thing, treating thing, and try to keep every type of possible problem from getting in their tank. I did too, for decades. It never worked for long. Now, for the last several years, I don’t qt, or treat. I feed well, keep things peaceful and run a slightly undersized uv and my success when through the roof. Now my fish die from trauma or old age.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

My friend uses the tropic marine phosphate ez eater or something.
Id use activated charcoal. Carbon. Chemi pure elite or blue. Gfo. Ect.
Maybe even a large wc if your up to it...
Although this may cause the ich to just outbreak more...
Turn the lights off to keep the fish from being stressed. U said they're stressed and have ich? Stress fish is an unhealthy fish. Just like us. Our body's immune system and mental health go hand and hand. So do theirs. My thoughts.
D

 

[Jedi1199]

Do not- do it in quarantine. Silicone, rocks, etc will absorb and hold it. If this will always be a fish only tank- you can . You will not be able to house snails-shrimp-crabs-corals

Vetteguy beat me to it. DO NOT add copper to a tank you wish to keep inverts of any kind.

You said you wish to add corals asap, There is no way that I am aware of to quickly remove copper from a tank. It can be done, but it is a lengthy process where you perform water changes while also introducing additives that will bind the copper on a molecular level. This takes a LOT of time. Your best solution is to set up a QT system where you can treat your infected specimens, and run the main DT fallow. There are other ways to treat ich, but this is the most efficient to eradicate an existing infection.

In the future, quality feeding, proper water conditions are key. A healthy fish with a strong immune system will be far more resilient to ich.

This disease advances quickly! Once you notice the first signs, the clock is ticking! Get your fish into a hospital tank ASAP, an extra day may be the difference between life and death.

Good luck

 

[frankieg2293]

Can’t give you a time frame. Can say that this urban legend that you can’t have corals in a tank once you treat copper just isn’t true. Had a tank with lotsa rock and sand that was treated. Always heard that omg you can never have coral again, yet after 9 months started running carbon and doing frequent water changes. After 3 months of that tried some hermits and snails and they lived. Then tried some hardy softies and they did too.
With that said would say don’t treat. Feed well, low stress, uv…
Idk what it is but ime ich and other problems are more prevalent these days. Some do the qt thing, treating thing, and try to keep every type of possible problem from getting in their tank. I did too, for decades. It never worked for long. Now, for the last several years, I don’t qt, or treat. I feed well, keep things peaceful and run a slightly undersized uv and my success when through the roof. Now my fish die from trauma or old age.

i have a nice big uv. i was wondering if keeping it on 24/7 like i do. do you think its killing all the good bacteria that would normally take care of nitrate issues.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

how long does it normally take to get copper out, i have a 220 gal tank

Forever

 

[Jedi1199]

Can’t give you a time frame. Can say that this urban legend that you can’t have corals in a tank once you treat copper just isn’t true. Had a tank with lotsa rock and sand that was treated. Always heard that omg you can never have coral again, yet after 9 months started running carbon and doing frequent water changes. After 3 months of that tried some hermits and snails and they lived. Then tried some hardy softies and they did too.
With that said would say don’t treat. Feed well, low stress, uv…
Idk what it is but ime ich and other problems are more prevalent these days. Some do the qt thing, treating thing, and try to keep every type of possible problem from getting in their tank. I did too, for decades. It never worked for long. Now, for the last several years, I don’t qt, or treat. I feed well, keep things peaceful and run a slightly undersized uv and my success when through the roof. Now my fish die from trauma or old age.

Basicly exactly what I said, just in a different way. You CAN remove copper, just not FAST.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

No. Your beneficial bacteria will colonize and repopulate at a faster rare than your uv could destroy them... I always say you can't over filter a fish tank. Others might argue this. Lol
D

 

[Jedi1199]

Forever

Not true!!

Copper CAN be removed!

Not to single you out, but this post is concerning to me. Why do you say "Forever"? What is your personal experience with removing copper from a running system?

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

I've had friends lower copper and other metal.levels on their tanks with purigen I think it was or some kind of absorbent pad they had placed in a baffle section.
D

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Not true!!

Copper CAN be removed!

Not to single you out, but this post is concerning to me. Why do you say "Forever"? What is your personal experience with removing copper from a running system?

As I recall, not only does it leach into the rocks and sand, but the tank silicone as well. Had an empty tank years ago that someone had used as a hospital tank (and used copper); I cleaned it every which way but loose (vinegar, bleach, etc) but i still couldn't keep inverts alive in it.