Copper dosage

[lmforbis]

I bought a powder brown tang a week and a half ago. I suspected it had ich based on raised bumps on its skin. No spots were visible more like irritation from past infestation. I treated it with chelated copper sulfate, at the recomended dose on the bottle (Kordons Copper Aid). I have a copper test kit and it verifies the dose. The thing is, today the poor fish is covered in ich. I checked the copper concentration and it is still at the same concentration it started at. 0.2 ppm. I have been changing 10 to 20 % of the water every 2 - 3 days and dose the new water to the correct concentration. Clearly my dose is not a theraputic dose or the fish would not be covered in ich.

Thanks
Lynn

 

[beth]

Is the fish in a quarantine tank? Here are the instructions for dose for this product:

DIRECTIONS: As a treatment for Ich, Velvet and to aid in general external parasite disease prevention, add 1 teaspoon (5 mL) per 4 gallons of water. Treats water for 1 month.

 

[jay0705]

Agreed. Most copper is dosed 1 tea to 4 gallons. Also if u have sand or alot of decor this will absorb copper making it less effective.

 

[lmforbis]

He's been in QT since I bought him.
Those are the directions I followed. It clearly isn't working. The QT is 20 gallons. I added 25 mL initially. Every water change gets dosed at 5 mL per 4 gallons. I've been doing 4 gallon water changes twice a week. More if ammonia rises. I have no carbon running. I do have a skimmer which the instructions say is fine. Otherwise I have a HOB filter and a power head with a sponge filter over the intake.
Any suggestions as to how I should proceed.

 

[jay0705]

Easy answer is to add more copper, but you don't want to kill the fish. How old is the copper you r using?

 

[lmforbis]

Bare bottom and Decor is limited to PVC pipe and a plastic castle. I do have a small wad of chaeto in there to help with water quality.

 

[jay0705]

You should be fine then. Your test is reading copper at the therapeutic level rt?

 

[lmforbis]

It hasn't expired. It is also chelated copper sulfate so it is stable.

 

[jay0705]

Hmm, I'am one of the few that still uses copper bc it wrks so fast. It has to be at too low of a level. Also unless needed maybe ease off the water changes.

 

[lmforbis]

Yes test is reading correct level as far as I can tell. The instructions don't get a therapeutic level nor does their web site. Test reads ~0.25 (ppm as I remember but not sure on the units).

 

[lmforbis]

Water changes have been done in response to ammonia levels although they are stabilizing now so I shouldn't need to do them as often.

The instructions say 5 mL per 4 gal as a preventative. Later it says will cure marine ich. I have read that the therapeutic level of chelated copper sulfate should be much higher than cupramine. More like 5 ppm which seems way too high. I haven't been able to find any product insert that says that.

 

[jay0705]

Hmm, I use copper safe. Again it is chelated, but at the 1 tea per gal. Has been effective. I have added a 1/4 of a tea extra when improvement wasn't seen in 2 days. After that it never showed again

 

[lmforbis]

Maybe I'll get some of that. The stuf I have I bought because it was all the store had and I didn't have time to drive an hour to the nearest good fish store.

 

[2014FishKiller]

Hmm, I use copper safe. Again it is chelated, but at the 1 tea per gal. Has been effective. I have added a 1/4 of a tea extra when improvement wasn't seen in 2 days. After that it never showed again

I was so shock that Jay0705 said that but he always know what he is doing.

 

[beth]

Copper is not the best choice for treating a tang. Are you testing the water with a compatible copper test kit? You are not going to see improvement in 2 days. Copper is ineffective while ich is on the fish. It will not effect the parasite until those parasites drop off the fish and it begins the next phase of its life cycle.

 

[lmforbis]

The fish didn't have any white spots until day 9 of treatment.

What would be a better plan. Hyposalinity, do I need to remove the copper first

 

[jay0705]

Hypo is the safest for the fish yes. U need a refractometer tho to do it correctly. If the copper was working you would not have seen it after 9 days. If u don't have a refractometer then copper is safer than trying to guess w hypo. The salinity has to exact to wrk

 

[jay0705]

I was so shock that Jay0705 said that but he always know what he is doing.

Not always. I learn every day

 

[beth]

Overall best copper product is going to be Seachem's Cupramine, however, I have used coppersafe as well with good results.

 

[lmforbis]

I do have a refractometer so I could go hypo.
What do you use to buffer the water in hypo? I understand it is harder to maintain the pH. Do I need to remove the copper before going hypo?
I will look into copper safe and cupramine.
Looks like a road trip to the Lfs for me on Friday.