This may be a dumb question

[saltyhog]

but that's ok.

I have two tanks set up to treat with copper and will transfer to a sterile QT after 14 days of therapeutic levels. Can I leave one of the tanks up and continue to use the ceramic media for the next batch of fish? Plan to do a few water changes to remove most of the copper.

I use ceramic media that go in the Aqua Clear 110 HOB filters. I had six bags in my sump but took four out for the two tanks I set up to run copper in. Both tanks have been rock solid with zero ammonia with feeding pretty heavily. Feed a full cube of frozen (usually mysis) plus one feeding of Focus/GC/frozen each day in a 20 long and a 10 gallon.

I put two more bags in the sump but the ones in use were in there for months and obviously have a great bacterial population.

 

[Big G]

Usually not a problem reusing a copper treatment tank a second time.

It can be problematic if antibiotics are used and then the tank is reused. The biofilm can become resistant, to varying degrees, to those antibiotics. Which can then cause some serious problems with the fish's immune system and attempted treatment goals.

 

[saltyhog]

Usually not a problem reusing a copper treatment tank a second time.

It can be problematic if antibiotics are used and then the tank is reused. The biofilm can become resistant, to varying degrees, to those antibiotics. Which can then cause some serious problems with the fish's immune system and attempted treatment goals.

Yeah, if I had to use antibiotics I would definitely ditch the media and start over. One duo of wrasses is on day 10 of therapeutic copper so that tank will be coming empty this weekend. All of the fish have been eating like champs and acting completely normal. I love the Copper Power/Hanna Checker combo. It makes copper so much easier to use.

 

[Big G]

Yeah, if I had to use antibiotics I would definitely ditch the media and start over. One duo of wrasses is on day 10 of therapeutic copper so that tank will be coming empty this weekend. All of the fish have been eating like champs and acting completely normal. I love the Copper Power/Hanna Checker combo. It makes copper so much easier to use.

Those bags of "aged" ceramic media are the secret weapon. I've ran fish in therapeutic copper for 30 days without really needing to do water changes because of the aged media. Even difficult to copper/med treat fish.

 

[saltyhog]

Those bags of "aged" ceramic media are the secret weapon. I've ran fish in therapeutic copper for 30 days without really needing to do water changes because of the aged media. Even difficult to copper/med treat fish.

Absolutely! That's what prompted me to ask the question. I couldn't think of any down side to doing it as long as copper was the only med used.