Copper metabolism question

[ichthyogeek]

So...I don't really understand how copper works. Like, I get it's almost a miracle cure-all for velvet, ich, and maybe other things. But...do fish metabolize it? And if so, wouldn't bringing fish from a copper treated tank into a DT cause a rise in copper levels? Or is the amount of copper brought over (within the fish) simply too small?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure the of copper metabolic pathway in fish. You can test your question though; assume that the fish's blood/tissues are isotonic for copper while under treatment (worst case scenario). If a fish weighs 100 grams, then 2 millionths of that amount would be copper. 0.00005 grams then? Adding that fish to a 100 gallon tank, and if the fish then excreted all of that copper, it would be diluted by 378 liters. Too small of an amount to be tested for.

Jay