Powder Blue Tang and Copper

[Grallster]

Hi all.
Just got a beautiful powder blue tang and want to add him to my quarantine tank. I used all my fresh saltwater to bring the copper level down from 2.03 to 1.36.
Do you think I can acclimate him as normal, or do you think I need to mix up more saltwater to bring the level down further?
He was in zero copper at the store.
Thanks
Dave

 

[piranhaman00]

No need to ramp copper. I drop fish at 2.5 no issues.

 

[punchy7080]

It will be fine... never had an issue putting in tangs in therapeutic levels of copper from the get go.

 

[Tonycass12]

He should be fine. I have a powder brown after introducing him to quarantine I brought the copper right up to 2.3 with no issues.

 

[Grallster]

Thanks for the quick replies!
I will obviously ramp back up to 2ish after I get him in.
What’s the standard now? 2 or 2.5?
Thanks
Dave

 

[punchy7080]

copper power at 2.5

 

[Grallster]

I’m using coppersafe but I’m assuming the same…

 

[piranhaman00]

2.5 copper power

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the quick replies!
I will obviously ramp back up to 2ish after I get him in.
What’s the standard now? 2 or 2.5?
Thanks
Dave

Both copper power and coppersafe test out around 2.25 ppm when properly dosed. I typically use that as a standard, but I use 2.5 if there is active disease present.

 

[Grallster]

Awesome! Thanks! I’m using a Hanna checker. Anything else, you might as well look at the tank and guess.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi all.
Just got a beautiful powder blue tang and want to add him to my quarantine tank. I used all my fresh saltwater to bring the copper level down from 2.03 to 1.36.
Do you think I can acclimate him as normal, or do you think I need to mix up more saltwater to bring the level down further?
He was in zero copper at the store.
Thanks
Dave

Not sure why you want to bring copper level down as Coppersafe does not start to work until treatment level reaches 2.0. At minimum maintain and I stress maintain level 2.25 for a full 30 days and verify with Hanna copper test kit. Also monitor Ammonia levels while in quarantine with a reliable test kit and add aeration during treatment using an air stone.
The display tank will have to be kept fishless (FALLOW) for 6-8 weeks to assure the existing parasites go through their life cycle without a host fish and die off
Also do not ram copper level as it will allow the disease to gain resistance making it harder to treat given disease. Add partial doses and get to the full treatment level as soon as possible.

 

[Grallster]

It’s a new fish. I have no disease in my display tank. I monitor ammonia with a seachem badge.
I just didn’t want to go from zero to over 2 ppm on a new fish needlessly.
Did you even read my question?

 

[threebuoys]

@Grallster

In case this got lost in the back and forth, We recommend that Copper Power / Copper Safe should reach full strength within 24 hours. When I use it, I typically dose 50% when I begin treatment and then raise to full strength at 6 or 12 hours. As indicated, copper is not effective until full strength is accomplished. We have not found copper shock to be a problem and believe, particularly if a fish displays symptoms of infection, the faster the better. I do it in two doses to allow the first dose to fully mix in the tank and sump so that I can accurately calculate the amount to dose to reach full strength. Until full strength is reached, the parasites continue to multiply and attach to the fish as if nothing has happened. In the long run, this causes the fish to suffer more and recovery to take longer.

 

[Grallster]

That’s exactly what I did. Just to be clear—this is purely prophylactic. There have been NO signs of disease whatsoever.