copper and ich

emporer angel

emporer angel

Member
how long do you run copper in an aquarium to get rid ich?

i have been running copper for 2 weeks and the ich is off the fish.
i just got new lights and would like to start my reef. thanks
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
It depends on which brand of copper your using Cupramine is one brand of non chelate or citrate copper and the dose is 1ml for each 10 gallons of water untill you get a total dose of .05 ppm dont exceed .06 leave your tank at .05 for 14 days you will need to check it often after the treatment you will want to remove the copper with some type of carbon filter
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
3 to 4 weeks to kill ick. My concern is your comment about starting your reef tank. i hope you are not running this copper in your DT. If so there could be a prob. Copper really dosn't leave a tank it get into all items in the tank, rock, sand even the sealant in the corners of tank and copper is deadly to all corals and exoskeleton creatures.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
What kind of copper did you use? Some of the copper preps do not bind much, and with extensive water changes and absorbent pads you could probably remove most of the copper. After that, you should go very slowly when adding organisms until you know that the copper levels are so low that it isn't a problem.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by emporer angel
is that bad?
Yes it is. You will not be able to use this tank for a reef. I am sorry to say that you have ruined it. What is in your tank? I see that you left the sand in. That is no longer live besides bateria. This tank will remain fish only.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by emporer angel
its only been treated at 2.5
It does not matter. Copper soaks into the silicone, sand, ect. Copper kills inverts (ich is an invert). It leeches out over time.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
I think that Septulatian and I may disagree a little here. Cupramine is a form of copper that does not bind effectively to rock and sand, but may be absorbed into the silicone tank sealant. The problem is that, while it may not bind to the sand, there is a large component of sand that does not exchange well with the rest of the tank water, so there is a tendency for the copper to remain in solution buried in the sand, and it may be difficult to eliminate it without removing the sand and rinsing it in a filter or sifter. I'm sorry, but your tank is probably not a good bet for establishing a successful long-term reef with a good variety of organisms. However, I have had FOWLR tanks for many years, and they are great fun too!
 
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