FW Molly with copper. Also how long to qt fish?

[ReefGuy1234]

I got two questions so you can answer one or the other if you want.

I have a quarantine tank that I just put fish in. I have a freshwater molly that I want to acclimate to saltwater and put in qt with the other so that he can go in on time with the others. How ever I am using like 1.0 copper because what went around before was velvet (that’s half what I would use for actually velvet btw). Also there a tang and I treat tang very cautiously. So question is would the molly be fine with that copper?

Question 2: how long to QT these fish?
1 1/2 months? I want to do an extra half a min too btw because I’m so cautious about parasites since last time I lots EVERYTHING!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I got two questions so you can answer one or the other if you want.

I have a quarantine tank that I just put fish in. I have a freshwater molly that I want to acclimate to saltwater and put in qt with the other so that he can go in on time with the others. How ever I am using like 1.0 copper because what went around before was velvet (that’s half what I would use for actually velvet btw). Also there a tang and I treat tang very cautiously. So question is would the molly be fine with that copper?

Question 2: how long to QT these fish?
1 1/2 months? I want to do an extra half a min too btw because I’m so cautious about parasites since last time I lots EVERYTHING!

What copper product are you using and what are you testing it with? Typically, amine based copper products are dosed at 2.0 to 2.5 ppm. The 1 ppm won't stop parasites, so you shouldn't do that.

We keep our current quarantine protocol here:

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

The full process runs about 60 days. It isn't 100% effective, but no process is, because there are viral and microsporidian diseases that cannot be treated.

Jay

 

[ReefGuy1234]

What copper product are you using and what are you testing it with? Typically, amine based copper products are dosed at 2.0 to 2.5 ppm. The 1 ppm won't stop parasites, so you shouldn't do that.

We keep our current quarantine protocol here:

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

The full process runs about 60 days. It isn't 100% effective, but no process is, because there are viral and microsporidian diseases that cannot be treated.

Jay

Cupramine and testing with Salifert copper test. Also the tang has got something so I’m going to raise the copper to 2-2.5 anyway.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Cupramine and testing with Salifert copper test. Also the tang has got something so I’m going to raise the copper to 2-2.5 anyway.

Oh - a full dose of Cupramine is 0.56 ppm. I've never run it as high as 1.0. Copper Power and Coppersafe are run at 2.0 and 2.5 respectively (although many people up the copper power dose to 2.5 in active infections). I would NOT go any higher than 0.60 with Cupramine. All copper meds take at least 72 hours to slow down an active infection.

Jay

 

[ReefGuy1234]

Oh - a full dose of Cupramine is 0.56 ppm. I've never run it as high as 1.0. Copper Power and Coppersafe are run at 2.0 and 2.5 respectively (although many people up the copper power dose to 2.5 in active infections). I would NOT go any higher than 0.60 with Cupramine. All copper meds take at least 72 hours to slow down an active infection.

Jay

Thanks. I did not know that. I was just going off what I learned from online which was probably another kind other that cupramine.

 

[Dbichler]

Am I not understanding right or something why does the Molly need copper

 

[Simon_M]

Seechem state that the minimum dose is 0.2ppm. Their instructions say start at 0.25% and increase to 0.5ppm. The toxic level is stated at 0.8 ppm, but what is toxic to one fish may (obviously) be different to another.

Their FAQ lists some interesting stuff. It's best to avoid using it any kind of "reducing" treatment and really not with anything else. I also have AmGuard - that falls into the "reducing" category. AmGuard would make almost any level of the amine toxic as it becomes 10x more lethal.

I have the AmGuard - in case of an ammonia spike e.g. seen with the ammonia Alert. Not had to use it. With copper it wouldn't be an option to mix the two.

Another side effect of Cupramine is not killing off nitrifying bacteria, but slowing the growth. I used it in a QT tank from day 1. Not sure I would do that again because products like AMT Colony wouldn't benefit from it and AmGuard wouldn't be an option.

If I had to use it again, then I might be tempted to ramp it up 25% at a time - if required the increase could be negated with a water change. Transferring and then acclimating fish into Cupramine at 0.25% or 0.5% might be too much all at once?