adding copper

[dustinwebb]

how long after your first dosage of copper do you have to wait to put your carbon back in your wet-dry. What i am doing is trying to control a outbreak of ick in my tank that i can not seem to get rid of. I have used rid-ick, organi-cure, and now to the copper. Another question is what is the best way to control the parasites and diseases in a tank with a uv sterilizer? I have a heater in my tank and keep it about 78-79F.

 

[birdy]

Well I would have told you not to use copper in your show tank, or not to use copper at all. The disease forum is really good I would use the search feature there. I prefer hyposalinity treatment in a hospital tank. As far as keeping your show tank parasite free. The first thing is to quarantine all new fish for at least 2wks, you won't get ich in your tank if you don't put a fish in that is carrying it. Then do not overstock your tank and keep an eye on water quality. The reason you don't want to use copper in your show tank is because you can never put LR or invertebrates in your tank now, also copper can be very toxic and it is difficult to dose it properly, you need to test the copper levels daily with a copper test kit.

 

[ophiura]

One of the sure bets for dealing with stubborn cases of ick, IMO, is to figure out what the stressor is in the tank. New fish tend to be stressed by transport and acclimation. But established fish may develop Ick due to water quality issues, overcrowding, territoriality, etc. Unless you figure out what the stressor is (and it can be overmedication, BTW), you won't eliminate the problem. Healthy fish can typically fight off these parasites.
So, what are your tank parameters-
size, age, water chemistry, tank inhabitants, etc?