switching copper

[acidtablockshifty]

basically the question is i want to switch the copper treatment im using, are there any ill affects of doing this? I had been using cupramine in my qt, but after adding the correct amount and using two different copper test kits, i was basically reading a way way lower then what it should have been copper level, i have done some water changes and it shows zero copper now (this is like a month later) so im going to start using copper power instead hopefully being able to more accurately measure the copper levels.

A chromis just died after being in the zero copper water for like 3 days, they are in the qt because of marine velvet outbreak, he probally died of ph shock because he got hit with small amount of ph buffer, but he was in a one of those breeder boxes and after i took him out there was all kinds of microscopic looking cyst balls sitting on the bottom of that breeder box thing, so i'm question whether or not it was the ph shock or marine velvet again. I know im just doing to many things at once here but the ph had to be corrected as it was extremely low. i apparently had a ph meter that was way off and i finally calibrated it.

 

[Humblefish]

You never want to mix two brands of copper; but once you've got one completely out of the QT, you can start using the other (which it sounds like you have.)

However, the real question you need to be asking yourself is: Why was I unable to achieve a therapeutic Cu level with Cupramine? Are you running carbon or a skimmer, or using rocks/substrate in QT? What two different copper test kits did you use to measure Cupramine? It's important to get down to the bottom of this, so you don't have the same problem using another brand of copper.

 

[acidtablockshifty]

im running a hob and a hydor nano slim skim, no rock no sand just pipes for hiding, ive been thinking of taking the hob out and just running the skimmer, i've recently removed one filter pad from the hob so it just has one sheet of the blue/white poly filter, the skimmer is just pulling green watery skimmate out likely all from the nori but for some reason i just cant trust not running the hob and just the skimmer.

for the test kits i was using the api and i think seachem not sure threw out the box it has a little tray dipping rod for regent, after adding the right amount of cupermine following the ddirections to the t, i tested with the api and just got some vaige yellow color, was concerend about adding too much copper so i bought another test thinking id be able to read more easily and it has blue scale of colors thats even harder to read i think it was reading .35 though i really don't know. If someone put a gun to my head and said how much copper is in the tank, i would be like just shoot me.... i'm hoping the other type of copper will be easier to test for... hopefully

so the api read vaige yellow after 134 or so drops, the other test read a possible .35 it needed to be at .50 i estimate that if i went ahead and added enough drops to get the api to read where it shout have it would have taken like 700 drops, so im glad i didn't.

not only that but im pretty sure on top of all that they could have brooklynella so i bought some formalin and was going to treat the whole qt but after thinking about the oxygen levels and how my systems seem to be running very low ph i decided not to do that or do dips.

im setting up both tanks to pull outside air for now, i need to get this qt tank sterilized and recycled, but at the same time i also need put fish in my display that are fully quarantined to see if it is good, there are no lfs's in the area that i trust getting fish from, and its not their fault but it is their fault.
there is one guy i could get fish from but ill have to cut off my arm and leg to do so.

there has to be an lfs around here that qaurintines all their fish, not for the customer but for their own reputation, its kind of sickening/sad, if someone was selling dogs that were sick and diseased they would be shut down in a heartbeat. ohhh but its ok beacuase the lfs is doing all that they can by running low salinty and low levels of copper in their systems. right ok later ill just order it only getting the same exact thing that you provide, they should all have a sign on the door that says no services provided we just buy and sell....end rant

 

[Humblefish]

OK here's the thing about running a protein skimmer in conjunction with Cupramine ... In their FAQ, Seachem states that, "It is perfectly acceptable and recommended to leave your skimmer on during treatment." However, in a thread on their official website "Seachem Tech Support" also states this when posed with a question about skimmers:

Cupramine is an amine bound to a copper. This makes it removable by things that will pull amine out. This includes carbon and protein skimmers. You can try to adjust your filter to skim very dry or the better option would be to turn it off.

I would also verify your test kit against the provided reference to make sure the kit is functioning properly. Let me know if you have any problems.


You will need to maintain your copper level above 0.02 mg/l for at least 2 weeks to successfully kill the ich.

So ya know, ***? IMO; I would turn the skimmer off and not take any chances.

 

[Humblefish]

I also suggest only using a Seachem or Salifert copper test kit to measure Cupramine. Those are designed to test in the low range, which is what Cupramine is. API is better suited for chelated copper (ex. Coppersafe), as the therapeutic range for that is 1.5-2.0ppm. IMO; it is very difficult to distinguish between 0.25 & 0.5 with the API test kit. 0.35-0.5 is the therapeutic range for Cupramine.