Coppersafe

[B-ridge]

i was debating between the cupramine and coppersafe. Did a little research. Supposovely cupramine is safer but doesn't always work. Coppersafe is supposovely better but it's stronger. I have decided to go with coppersafe whenever I need treatment. My question is how to does coppersafe safely? Do I follow instructions on bottle or is there a safer way? I have a 72 gallon now front I use as a qt. 20 gallon long is my hospital tank

 

[hybridazn]

Getting ready to start using coppersafe myself since it seems cupramine cannot getc rid of ich.

Coppersafe is chelated so the dose needs to be higher (1.5-2.0) to be effective while cupramine is recommended to be at the 0.5 range. Make sure to test regularly, I've seen most ppl just use the api copper test kit but the seachem kit works on chelated copper as well.

 

[B-ridge]

So should I follow the instructions on the bottle?
There was a sticky on how to qt fish. One with hypo. The other with cupramine. The guy stated he had a 20 gallon long he used as his qt/hospital tank. He would do 10 drops of cupramine per 10 gallons of water. So he would do 20 drops a day for 2 days for his 20 gallon

 

[hybridazn]

Follow the instructions on the bottle, test and then adjust if needed from there.

 

[B-ridge]

As long as it's in the range of 1.5-2.0 I should be good?

 

[hybridazn]

Yes according to the directions.

 

[4FordFamily]

Yes, and increase copper slowly over 4-5 days for best results on more fragile species instead of the two days the bottle suggests if I recall.

I too left cupramine after effectiveness issues and now use coppersafe.

 

[melypr1985]

So should I follow the instructions on the bottle?

i think the bottle tells you how to bring the copper levels up in like 2 days. It's best to bring it up over the course of several days - up to 5 or so.

edit: me and 4ford were thinking the same thing at the same time

 

[4FordFamily]

^^It never hurts to reinforce!

 

[Brian Kim]

darn, I just started treating my fish with cupramine, wonder if I need to do a 100% w/c if I decide to go with coppersafe

 

[melypr1985]

darn, I just started treating my fish with cupramine, wonder if I need to do a 100% w/c if I decide to go with coppersafe

I wouldn't mix the two (though I've never tried it). If you want to switch, then pull the cupramine out before dosing the coppersafe.

 

[4FordFamily]

I wouldn't mix the two (though I've never tried it). If you want to switch, then pull the cupramine out before dosing the coppersafe.

I've mixed the two (.3 or higher of cupramine and 1.9 of coppersafe) without issue.

I still don't recommend it. Cupramine is effective most of the time. If you do switch, do two massive (90%) water changes (I'm assuming this is a qt) and then slowly dose coppersafe up to 1.5-2.0 levels over 4-5 days.

 

[bknapp]

I've switched to chelated copper as well, with my preference of wrasses chelated is safer. I have used CopperPower in the past and currently have fish being treated by CopperSafe. TTM is probably the safest and best bet while using Prazipro at the transfers but I do not have the space or equipment to succesfuly use TTM.

Just be sure to get to therapeutic levels slowly as mentioned and make sure its a therapeutic levels the entire time. Best of luck and great choice to start QTing.

 

[4FordFamily]

I've switched to chelated copper as well, with my preference of wrasses chelated is safer. TTM is probably the safest and best bet while using Prazipro at the transfers but I do not have the space or equipment to succesfuly use TTM.

I don't know if it's because I cross contaminate (although I was careful) or what but I had something (although perhaps it was velvet) survive TTM. My equipment and transfer containers were cleaned with soap and water and the equipment soaked in vinegar but my arm went from tank to tank (I have an ich management tank that fish are fine but ich is definitely present) and a qt that I used that had ich at the time so there's a good chance that with my arm in those tanks I cross contaminated that round.

 

[bknapp]

There seems to be quite a few variables that could've happened there. I know plenty of people praise TTM.

 

[Humblefish]

Yes, and increase copper slowly over 4-5 days for best results

^^This. Coppersafe dosage calls for 1 teaspoon (5ml) per 4 gallons of water. So, if your QT is a 20 gal (for example) dose 1 teaspoon for 5 consecutive days. On Day 5 test your copper level and it should be somewhere between 1.5 - 2.0 ppm.

The only exception to this rule is when using copper to treat velvet. In this emergency situation you have no choice but to get the copper level up to full therapeutic within 24 hrs. You just have to chance it and hope the fish can take it.

 

[Brian Kim]

Darn, this is going to be really tough, I remember cupramine was the go to copper choice last year...
Having to go to Cancun for vacation next week is making this even tougher

 

[Humblefish]

Darn, this is going to be really tough, I remember cupramine was the go to copper choice last year...
Having to go to Cancun for vacation next week is making this even tougher

Seachem used a very clever marketing ploy.

 

[bknapp]

Personally, I would wait to start copper until I got back unless signs started showing before leaving.

 

[Brian Kim]

Personally, I would wait to start copper until I got back unless signs started showing before leaving.

Agree! Probably going to perform 2 large w/c to remove cupramine from QT within the next few days