Copper power or no copper power

[Patric1]

So here’s my dilemma..
my 36 gallon that I’ve Had set up for around 6 or so months has been nothing but problems for me. Had fish from chromis, Cole tang, dwarf angels to clownfish to cleaner shrimp and i can never keep anything alive other than my cleaner shrimp and chromis.. at first i figured oh it’s must be just part of the cycling but months later still the same problem...don’t have a local fish store so i really just rely on the internet but we all know how much you can trust that.. i test my water and is all fine i don’t see worms or anything.. just a lil Aptasia.. I’m so frustrated at this point to just using copper and moving my inverts to my nano tank.. pros cons options opinions, anything at this point.. and I’ve seen if you use copper you can’t have carbon in your filter. So does that mean i can only run filter floss and bag media?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Why do you think you need to use copper power? I would consider not adding any more fish for a while and see how the chromis do. After a couple months try some new fish. I would qt them before adding to make sure they are healthy.

 

[Sean Duggan]

If you run copper you may never completely get copper out of your tank. How are your fish dying? Are there signs of disease or stress. You tank had almost no rock work For hiding and is very small for tangs. Where are you sourcing your fish? It might be time to try a different supplier

 

[Crabs McJones]

I agree with above. You dont want to use copper in your main tank ever. If its ich or velvet wiping your fish out let the tank sit without fish for 76 days, and then try adding fish, use the copper power in the nano at 2.0ppm for 30 days to prevent any parasites making their way into the tank.

 

[kevin_e]

What ste you treating for? Adding copper may effectively prevent you from having snails, shrimp, crabs and corals.

 

[Patric1]

Why do you think you need to use copper power? I would consider not adding any more fish for a while and see how the chromis do. After a couple months try some new fish. I would qt them before adding to make sure they are healthy.

I’ve just seen that copper basically is like a disease prevention.. and that’s the thing i kept my chromis for a month by themself with no problem at all then added a Cole tang and everything was fine for about 2 weeks and then one morning i woke up and he was a laying on the bottom..

 

[mcshams]

I agree with @Sean Duggan I would not use copper anything on a tank in which you hope to use for coral. The rock/substrate and possibly equipment may contain copper in some amount for the rest of your life... making it impossible to add coral...ever.

You should be able to pull your fish out and QT them if you have identified a disease that should use Copper Power.

Best of luck, I know it can be frustrating. We lost 12/16 fish due to a bacterial infection. Hang in there.

 

[kevin_e]

I’ve just seen that copper basically is like a disease prevention.. and that’s the thing i kept my chromis for a month by themself with no problem at all then added a Cole tang and everything was fine for about 2 weeks and then one morning i woke up and he was a laying on the bottom..

Do you know that you have diseases? What symptons have your fish had?

What's your sailinty and how is it measured? Do you have a closed lid or open lid? What kind of flow do you have? Have you tested ammonia? Nitrite?

Do your fish seem happy when you add them? Do they eat? How long on avg do they take to perish?

 

[Patric1]

I agree with above. You dont want to use copper in your main tank ever. If its ich or velvet wiping your fish out let the tank sit without fish for 76 days, and then try adding fish, use the copper power in the nano at 2.0ppm for 30 days to prevent any parasites making their way into the tank.

Well i was planning to start my nano with a little coral.. and which i read then it would prevent me from doing it if i were to put copper in there

 

[Patric1]

Do you know that you have diseases? What symptons have your fish had?

What's your sailinty and how is it measured? Do you have a closed lid or open lid? What kind of flow do you have? Have you tested ammonia? Nitrite?

Do your fish seem happy when you add them? Do they eat? How long on avg do they take to perish?

Not sure if i have diseases but what else would be killing my nice fish that the chromis make it thru.. they really never have symptoms they’ll be fine when i go to bed or to work in the morning then when i come back they are gone.

salinity is 1.024-26 and measured with a refracmeter

closed lid with a Hydor 240 and test my water with a API test kit twice a week atleast

 

[Patric1]

I’ve also seen Kick ick and ruby rally reef which are invert friendly.. would it be good to dose the tank with that as i put a new fish in as I’m limited on space and can’t/don’t have anymore room to set up a quarantine tank I’m my Little apartment.

 

[Patric1]

My only guess is there is something in the water,rock, or sand that is stressing these other fish out which is causing them to die.

 

[kevin_e]

Not sure if i have diseases but what else would be killing my nice fish that the chromis make it thru.. they really never have symptoms they’ll be fine when i go to bed or to work in the morning then when i come back they are gone.

salinity is 1.024-26 and measured with a refracmeter

closed lid with a Hydor 240 and test my water with a API test kit twice a week atleast

So what's the API test kits say? Is your power head providing any surface agitation? How are your fish acting? What symptoms do they have? Do they eat? Are they happy when you first get them? How long do they live on average?

 

[kevin_e]

I’ve also seen Kick ick and ruby rally reef which are invert friendly.. would it be good to dose the tank with that as i put a new fish in as I’m limited on space and can’t/don’t have anymore room to set up a quarantine tank I’m my Little apartment.

Do you have ick?

 

[Patric1]

So what's the API test kits say? Is your power head providing any surface agitation? How are your fish acting? What symptoms do they have? Do they eat? Are they happy when you first get them? How long do they live on average?

All the test come up fine and where they should be other than PH is around 8-8.2 which i know should be a tad higher.. my power head is set pointing at the rocks but my HOB filter provides a good amount of movement on the top.. fish act fine for an average of a week sometimes week and a half.. they eat but not like The chromis where they act like they haven’t been fed in three days.. when i first get them they’ll hide in the rocks for a day or two and start coming out a little

 

[Patric1]

Do you have ick?

No but i mean as a preventative

 

[kevin_e]

It might help if you describe the tests that are fine.