Lazy approach to water changes with copper

[Spar]

Looking for any reason that this wouldn't work. I already have a large vat that always contains mixed salt water at 35ppt (normally 100+ gallons). It seems exhausting to then mix that water change water with copper first and then transfer that to a QT; extra step in the middle. Would it realistically work out to estimate the amount of copper to add (should easily get within 0.1ppm), mixing that into a cup, and gradually pour it into the QT while mixed water is transferring in? Then test it after to make sure got the proportion right (using Hanna checker)?

 

[HotRocks]

Looking for any reason that this wouldn't work. I already have a large vat that always contains mixed salt water at 35ppt (normally 100+ gallons). It seems exhausting to then mix that water change water with copper first and then transfer that to a QT; extra step in the middle. Would it realistically work out to estimate the amount of copper to add (should easily get within 0.1ppm), mixing that into a cup, and gradually pour it into the QT while mixed water is transferring in? Then test it after to make sure got the proportion right (using Hanna checker)?

I’m confused. I always just dose the copper into the vat first then do the WC.

Or are you saying you use the same water for other tanks that are copper free?

I wouldn’t recommend what you suggested no way to keep it consistent. Could fall below the therapeutic level or increase it too quickly by simply trying to pour it proportionally during the water change.

 

[Spar]

I’m confused. I always just dose the copper into the vat first then do the WC.

Or are you saying you use the same water for other tanks that are copper free?

I wouldn’t recommend what you suggested no way to keep it consistent. Could fall below the therapeutic level or increase it too quickly by simply trying to pour it proportionally during the water change.

My 210g vat is used for both my DT and QT(s) and is used over time, i.e. mix it well in advance of use/need. So I would need to setup a second container with whatever WC water I need for the copper mixing. Really not a ton more work but is an extra step and extra equipment.

keeping the copper above 2ppm during this process would be easy, I'm not really worried about dropping below that. I.e. could dose the extra copper at a rate higher than what it is going in. I suppose the right question then would be is it dangerous for the fish to be exposed to a higher ppm copper for very short periods at a time (i.e. maybe exposed to 2.5ppm at worst for 1-2 minutes), then back to normal 2ppm.

 

[Bryknicks]

How big is your QT tank? I use 5 gallon buckets to transfer my water from my holding tank to the QT. When treating for copper I just use a designated 5 gallon bucket, add my pre-determined copper in, fill it with water and dump it into the QT.

Do you run a pump and hose straight to the QT or use buckets to transfer?

 

[Spar]

How big is your QT tank? I use 5 gallon buckets to transfer my water from my holding tank to the QT. When treating for copper I just use a designated 5 gallon bucket, add my pre-determined copper in, fill it with water and dump it into the QT.

Do you run a pump and hose straight to the QT or use buckets to transfer?

I use a pump (fixed in-line) to transfer from the 210g vat to the DT and to the QT. I generally use a 20g aquarium for QT and will do 10-15g WC's depending. So that would be too much for buckets. I could use a second 20g tank and would do just fine, but then would require using a separate pump and hose to transfer from that to the QT after adding copper.

Trust me I do understand that the best way is to use a secondary staging container in some way. But, if the method of adding copper while refilling non-copper water would work just fine, then why include that middle step? Extra equipment, extra space, extra cleaning, extra time.

Just as a hypothetical, if I did a 50% WC, added the entire amount of copper needed to replenish the QT to 2ppm (ultimately creating a 4ppm copper environment), and then refilled over a 2-3 minute period, then copper would never go below 2ppm. In that example it would go to 4ppm and then quickly dilute back down to 2ppm. Driving it up to 4ppm is an obvious dramatization, but even at that high would it actually negatively impact the fish for that short period of a time? From the above the risk seems to be more-so on preventing it from ever going below 2ppm.