Copper in display

[sante21079]

I know it is frowned upon.... for several reasons. Even though, what has been your experience with running copper and other medications in your display?

My FOWLR will always be a FOWLR, so I have dosed copper power in my display and I’m now removing it with water changers, carbon and cuprisorb.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I’ve nuked FOWLR tanks several times with copper (always CopperSafe)— rocks, sand, and all. To me, it’s one of the benefits of going FOWLR. Like you allude to (but for others who may not know), the tank is basically going to leach copper at least in trace amounts thereafter, so keep track of which rocks and sand in your arsenal have ever been exposed to copper. When it come to removing it, especially if it’s a larger tank (let’s say a 120 gallon and up), I don’t think anything will be as fast or effective to get your fish out of copper as very large water changes. I like to make the first water change the biggest— 50% to even 75%— because that’s when the concentration of copper is largest, and you’ll make the biggest dent in it. After that— water change #2— the water is already much diluted.

 

[DaddyFish]

@JumboShrimp is spot-on. The beauty of FOWLR is you don't have to choose which child to let die. You can run CopperSafe and save them all.

 

[Spieg]

Only down side is rocks and sand will absorb some of your copper so it can be a challenge to maintain therapeutic levels.

 

[socalfishy]

i have had to use copper due to velvet outbreak many years ago. I took out as much rock as i could without removing their home caves turned the heater up to 82 ish degree and did the whole process. i lost 1 fish instead of every single one. 12" miniatus grouper died.

I sucked out the top layer of sand, used carbon to remove what was in the column, and eventually it was not reading on the test kit.