Copper Treatment Guide.

[SteveMM62Reef]

There was a discussion about Copper Treatment, when it was said to do the full dose immediately. I always did a gradual ram up, but couldn’t find the papers to back this up. Found, this and it explains why to gradually add copper. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA165

 

[vetteguy53081]

There was a discussion about Copper Treatment, when it was said to do the full dose immediately. I always did a gradual ram up, but couldn’t find the papers to back this up. Found, this and it explains why to gradually add copper. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA165

most of these are 15-22 years ago and it has been since determined that ramping that increasing copper levels slowly can allow a given disease to gain resistance making it harder to treat for disease. Adding partial doses until you get to the full treatment level is old information, based on using ionic copper such as cupramine.
Copper does not take effect until you get above 2 ppm and often can take 3 days to slow or stop an infection.

 

[MnFish1]

There was a discussion about Copper Treatment, when it was said to do the full dose immediately. I always did a gradual ram up, but couldn’t find the papers to back this up. Found, this and it explains why to gradually add copper. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA165

there is a difference between treatment and qt. imho

 

[bushdoc]

Why not make it simple and follow current recomendations based on science?
Here's the link:

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

There was a discussion about Copper Treatment, when it was said to do the full dose immediately. I always did a gradual ram up, but couldn’t find the papers to back this up. Found, this and it explains why to gradually add copper. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA165

Dr. Roy certainly knows his stuff, however, he is discussing IONIC copper, not amine-chelated copper. Ionic copper is more toxic and must be ramped up slowly. Amine-chelated copper is safer and should be dosed to 100% ASAP as it does take some time to work. We always suggest home aquarists use these - Coppersafe or Copper Power.

Here is the line from the text he wrote. You can tell from the dose that he describes, that he is using ionic copper:

When dosing a system, therapeutic levels (0.15–0.20 mg/L) should be reached gradually over 2–3 days to allow fish to acclimate. Copper levels should be measured at least twice a day.

Jay

 

[cookies reef]

Hi guys i am very very new to this process and found it all over whelming, and way i was ready to add fish to my cycled tank, i very very stupidly used a works hose which has metal and copper elements in it to fill my tank(long story) so i brought a hanna checker and was reading .06 copper, so I brought some cuprisorb, i put it in a media bag and placed in sump, now the other silly thing i did was put it near the return pump, ive checked my tank this morning and it seems there is now some cuprisorb in the main tank, is this dangerous? Ive sent off some tests to triton lab , apologies for the long post

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hi guys i am very very new to this process and found it all over whelming, and way i was ready to add fish to my cycled tank, i very very stupidly used a works hose which has metal and copper elements in it to fill my tank(long story) so i brought a hanna checker and was reading .06 copper, so I brought some cuprisorb, i put it in a media bag and placed in sump, now the other silly thing i did was put it near the return pump, ive checked my tank this morning and it seems there is now some cuprisorb in the main tank, is this dangerous? Ive sent off some tests to triton lab , apologies for the long post

Hi, welcome to Reef2Reef!

0.06 ppm is not toxic to fish, but would be deadly to many invertebrates. Are you using the Hanna checker HI702, (the high range one) or HI747, (the low range one)? At the high range, a 0.06 reading could be zero, as it only has an accuracy of 0.05 ppm + or - and an resolution of 0.01 ppm. The low range unit has a resolution of .001 ppm and an accuracy of of 0.01 ppm However, Hanna does not list the low range checker as being able to be used in seawater.

The Triton test ought to get better results. However, unless the hose had been new, had been left standing with water in it for a long time, or some other issue, I doubt if it added any appreciable amount of copper to the tank. I've filled aquariums from homes with copper pipes for decades with no issues.

As far as the Cuprisorb escaping into the tank, I don't know, I doubt it would have any long term affect, but you should contact Seachem to verify that.

Jay

 

[cookies reef]

Hi, welcome to Reef2Reef!

0.06 ppm is not toxic to fish, but would be deadly to many invertebrates. Are you using the Hanna checker HI702, (the high range one) or HI747, (the low range one)? At the high range, a 0.06 reading could be zero, as it only has an accuracy of 0.05 ppm + or - and an resolution of 0.01 ppm. The low range unit has a resolution of .001 ppm and an accuracy of of 0.01 ppm However, Hanna does not list the low range checker as being able to be used in seawater.

The Triton test ought to get better results. However, unless the hose had been new, had been left standing with water in it for a long time, or some other issue, I doubt if it added any appreciable amount of copper to the tank. I've filled aquariums from homes with copper pipes for decades with no issues.

As far as the Cuprisorb escaping into the tank, I don't know, I doubt it would have any long term affect, but you should contact Seachem to verify that.

Jay

Thanks jay ill double check its the red one, awaiting the triton lad ones anyday, ive got snails in but seem fine

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks jay ill double check its the red one, awaiting the triton lad ones anyday, ive got snails in but seem fine

Snails are really sensitive to copper, so if they are out and moving around, it probably isn’t a copper problem.
Jay

 

[MnFish1]

There was a discussion about Copper Treatment, when it was said to do the full dose immediately. I always did a gradual ram up, but couldn’t find the papers to back this up. Found, this and it explains why to gradually add copper. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FA165

This is an excellent review article - published in 2019. However, many of the references they use are from a while back. I have had cuprisorb accidentally get into my tank - without a problem. BTW - as others have suggested - it could be that your test is in error. I'm curious - what exact problem have you had with your tank that worried you about copper (besides the hose fittings) - perhaps I missed that part? My opinion is if you receive a new fish, for example - and you want to start a QT, and they are asymptomatic, and if you're concerned or if its a more frail species, that you can then more gradually increase copper over a couple days (2) - no matter which type you're using. However, IF you see any sign of disease, or you're treating a disease, you do not need to ramp up slowly, but instead using something like copper safe - put it to the therapeutic dose ASAP (PS - others have alluded to this - I just wanted to explain my earlier comment that there is a difference IMHO between QT and treatment tanks

 

[cookies reef]

Snails are really sensitive to copper, so if they are out and moving around, it probably isn’t a copper problem.
Jay

Thankyou