Chloroquine Phosphate (CP), a replacement for copper sulfate

[Dogtown]

Chloroquine Phosphate (CP) is a replacement for copper sulfate and it is superior to copper sulfate in its effectiveness and safety. Chloroquine is used as a bacteriacide, an algaecide and as an antimalarial drug. It is superior in the fight against ICH and flukes and can be used as both a treatment and a preventative. It is much safer and easier to dose without causing harm to fish as the effective concentration range is rather wide and forgiving.

The effects of copper on aquatic organisms can be directly or indirectly lethal. Gills become frayed and lose their ability to regulate the transport of salts such as sodium chloride and potassium chloride into and out of fish. These salts are important for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. When the salt balance is disrupted between the body of a copper-exposed fish and the surrounding water the death of the fish can result. The presence of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the water column provides some protection from the effects of copper on the gills because copper forms complexes with DOC and will therefore be less bioavailable. Copper toxicity to fish gills will be higher if the pH of the water is acidic, the water has low buffering capacity or the water is soft, i.e., has a low concentration of calcium ions. The lower toxicity of copper in hard water compared to soft water is due to the protective effects of calcium ions on and in living cells. Copper also adversely affects olfaction (sense of smell) in fish. Detection of odours occurs when dissolved odorant molecules bind with olfactory receptor molecules. The direct contact of fish olfactory tissues with the surrounding water facilitates copper uptake. Copper can affect olfaction by competing with natural odorants for binding sites, by affecting activation of the olfactory receptor neurons or by affecting intracellular signalling in the neurons (Baldwin et al., 2003).

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Thank you.

 

[Dogtown]

Thank you.

You're most welcome.

 

[Dogtown]

Here is a good read on the topic. https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/fish.

 

[drawman]

It's a wonder drug for sure for multiple fish diseases. Sadly the biggest problem is access.

 

[Dogtown]

It's a wonder drug for sure for multiple fish diseases. Sadly the biggest problem is access.

It's readily available from multiple sources and has been put through the test.

Retail, no prescription required and is now my go to source as its readily available and has proven itself effective numerous times. Its active ingredient is in the Chloroquine group.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Powder-Ick-Shield/dp/B00MNQWACU

 

[Greenstreet.1]

It's readily available from multiple sources and has been put through the test.

Retail, no prescription required and is now my go to source as its readily available and has proven itself effective numerous times. Its active ingredient is in the Chloroquine group.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Powder-Ick-Shield/dp/B00MNQWACU

Hmmm so you have used this on sick fish with ich/velvet and it worked ?
If so did you follow the instructions on the bottle or your own ?

 

[ca1ore]

It's a wonder drug for sure for multiple fish diseases. Sadly the biggest problem is access.

That is correct. I have been using CP to treat ich and velvet for almost four years and until just this past year, it had not been consistently effective; a problem I chalked up to dubious sources. Now that I am able to secure a proper prescription for it, the results have been consistently effective. Just be carful using it with wrasses - they seen excessively sensitive to it.

 

[Dogtown]

Hmmm so you have used this on sick fish with ich/velvet and it worked ?
If so did you follow the instructions on the bottle or your own ?

Yes I have. I also treat all new fish (healthy or not) in a mediated QT as well. I also persuaded an LFS to start using it in their fish only display tanks about 18 months ago and they continue to do so. The survival rate of their fish has improved dramatically and the incidence of customers complaining about buying ich infected fish (or unhealthy fish in general) has gone down to near zero. It is now standard protocol to maintain all of their fish only tanks with CP.

I've never bothered to get a prescription for it. I certainly could get one from my vet, and she has offered it if I want it, but I see no need for the added expense or trouble. Its a very simple process to ask for a prescription from your vet if that provides more comfort. The cost is not a factor either as its relatively inexpensive.

As calore mentioned, I too have noticed a couple of cases where more delicate wrasses (blue star leopard wrasses in my case) seemed a bit lethargic and stopped eating after about 5 days while in a medicated QT tank. For those cases, I did three 25% water changes over the course of a few days without CP. They always recover and gain their appetites back. This is a much better experience than copper sulfate treatments of the past. In those cases, the outcome wasn't nearly as good.

 

[drawman]

It's readily available from multiple sources and has been put through the test.

Retail, no prescription required and is now my go to source as its readily available and has proven itself effective numerous times. Its active ingredient is in the Chloroquine group.

https://www.amazon.com/New-Life-Spectrum-Powder-Ick-Shield/dp/B00MNQWACU

Not to derail this thread but I did some math and at their recommended dosage it would bring the concentration to 30mg/gal (they say 0.6g treats 20gallons). I could not pull up their MSDS on their website due to a broken link so I'm not entirely sure if it is only chloroquine phosphate. If we assume it is you may be better off doubling this dosage I can only assume. @Humblefish would you agree?

 

[Dogtown]

Not to derail this thread but I did some math and at their recommended dosage it would bring the concentration to 30mg/gal (they say 0.6g treats 20gallons). I could not pull up their MSDS on their website due to a broken link so I'm not entirely sure if it is only chloroquine phosphate. If we assume it is you may be better off doubling this dosage I can only assume. @Humblefish would you agree?

Yes, I would rather not derail this thread if you are ok with that but if you would like to start another thread that is fine. The focus is CP in the general sense.

 

[blkhwkz]

CP has been discussed on here for a long time, it's in the stickies, and quite a lot of us use it. I am not using anything less than pharmaceutical grade CP. There are to many reports of the ebay stuff, the NLS stuff and other OTC not working. To each their own, but waste of money buying the NLS stuff or ebay stuff, especially if you can get a vet to give you a prescription through Diamondback.

 

[Dogtown]

For anyone interested in getting a prescription, my advice is to print out this article and make an appointment to see your vet. https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/fish

If your vet is like mine they may be intrigued and want to assist you with a prescription. A factor in prescribing meds is quantity. The first time you ask for a prescription it is best to ask only for a small quantity that you require at the time.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

This is the main post here on CP if you haven't seen it - great source of information and discussion: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chloroquine-phosphate.192309/

For anyone interested in getting a prescription, my advice is to print out this article and make an appointment to see your vet. https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013/2/fish

If your vet is like mine they may be intrigued and want to assist you with a prescription. A factor in prescribing meds is quantity. The first time you ask for a prescription it is best to ask only for a small quantity that you require at the time.

My vet could not have cared less about that article or any other because she "didn't specialize in exotics". The nearest vet I could find to San Antonio that would prescribe was in Austin. . . but I had to bring in the fish which was impossible. I had to take a chance on a clownfish breeder that had some he was willing to sell. Frustrating. Luckily it worked.

.

 

[Dogtown]

This is the main post here on CP if you haven't seen it - great source of information and discussion: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/chloroquine-phosphate.192309/



My vet could not have cared less about that article or any other because she "didn't specialize in exotics". The nearest vet I could find to San Antonio that would prescribe was in Austin. . . but I had to bring in the fish which was impossible. I had to take a chance on a clownfish breeder that had some he was willing to sell. Frustrating. Luckily it worked.

.

I’m familiar with the original post and have contributed to it in the past . I created this post today at the request/suggestion of greenstreet. My thought is that there are two categories or R2R members at this site. Those that already know these topics and posts intimately and those that do not. This post is for the later category. Please do not insult for creating a this post even if it covers a topic previously discussed at R2R. We all have an equal right to post here even if there is overlap (common).

I didn’t create this post with an intention of focusing on non-prescription CP but I did bring it up and for that I apologize.

 

[Sierra_Bravo]

I’m familiar with the original article. I created the post at the request/suggestion of greenstreet. My thought is that there are two categories or R2R members at this site. Those that already know these topics and posts intimately and those that do not. This post is for the later category. Please do no insult me for creating a this post even if it covers a topic previously discussed at R2R. I do not appreciate that. We all have an equal right to post here.

There was no intent to insult, nor am I attempting to limit your right to post in any way. If there was a prior discussion in another thread I was unaware of the context as it is not mentioned. Your first post in this thread appeared to me to be a beginning discussion on CP, and for the sake of knowledge I linked a rather informative post already here.

Good luck to you, happy reefing, and have a nice day.

 

[Dogtown]

Thanks for sharing. My vet doesn’t claim to be a specialist in exotics but she seemed familiar with fish so I can see that.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

I asked the OP to post this as it had some important info on copper and to share his experience with ich shield.


My vet would not give me or that article the time of day when it comes to CP.

 

[tastyfish]

I use Chloroquine phosphate as my go to medication for protozoan parasites (cryptocaryon irritans, amloodinium occelatum & brookynella hostilis).

I would not agree with its use as a bactericide at all however, one of its strengths is the relatively minimal impact on filtration bacteria. Secondary bacterial infections can be common under CP treatment.

Sources of medical grade chloroquine phosphate should be used, the most popular of which is Avloclor, obtainable from on-line pharmacists, depending on your location.

My personal therapuetic level is 10-12mg/litre of chloroquine

 

[Dogtown]

Here is one source for green street and anyone else interested and for which this is new information.