Copper meds / used tanks?

tagg

Member
I saw this post, and was wondering if this is a major problem. I have used copper based meds in all my tanks when I had FW fish in them. Now I am using the same tanks for SW tanks.
I have shrimp, crabs, anemone, live plants and LR.
They have been set anywhere from 1 1/2 years to 3 weeks, and I don't seem to be having problems.
Does this also mean don't use copper base meds on SW fish in a hospital tank if they are to be placed back into the main tanks?
Originally posted by nicky1.8t
just wash it out really good make sure he never used copper treatment on it cuz if he did its no good for sw fish

Thanks, Tagg
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broncofish

Active Member
It is OK to use in your QT tank as long as there are no inverts. I would also take a water sample to an LFS and have them do a copper check on the water from your dispaly tanks. Depending on how much you used and the quality of the silicon in your tank you might be fine. I have heard from people that it is actually very rare for copper to absorb into silicon, but I still would not risk it. Best advice I could give is get your water professionaly checked. HTH
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Tagg:
Most here are more afraid of any copper from any source touching their system. I always thought it was overkill and your experience confirms it. As I understand copper, it does kill inverts and is therefore something to stay away from. The treatment also requires you to measure the copper level to make sure you keep it up to the right level. Obviously that must mean that it comes down after the treatment. Thanks for your post.
 

broncofish

Active Member

Originally posted by beaslbob
Obviously that must mean that it comes down after the treatment. Thanks for your post.

Not true. Copper won't "come down" unless it is removed...ie...water change scrubbing the tank, and quite possibly replacing silicon. It is possible that the copper won't penetrate the silicon, but would you want to risk it. For all we know Tagg is the luckiest person on earth, or copper could be slowly leaching it's way back into his water. Their is no way of knoing until either his tank is set up for years and years with out any kind of crash, or there is a giant crash within in the first couple of years. The point is copper is dangerouse to inverts, and it is possible for it to be absorbed into silicon so it is better to stay away from tanks that have had it used in it.
 

tagg

Member
Thanks broncofish,
I just did a search on copper for the last half hour. Hmmmm
The nearest "qualified" LFS, is a 160 mile trip for me.
Now the confession <=====
For the first time in, ....well ever....I have a bad case of ick in a 55g. This is in a string of 5 tanks connected togeather. I seperated this tank from the others.
When I bought a Blue Koran and a Sailfin Tang, I had them in a seperate tank for about 10 days. They looked ok to me. Well after I put them into this 55, the Tang statted showing signes of a white slim/ dots. (4-5 days later). I wasn't sure if it was ick because the dots were almost invisable. Could only see a whitish film in the fins. Well...it got worse, and I did a fw dip. Didn't do much good. Two days ago, I saw a few dots on the Yellow Tang. This morning 3 of 5 clowns had afew.
To make a long story short, (shorter anyway).
I removed all snails, 2 anemone, crabs, and all LR
All thats in this tank now is: Sail Tang, Yell Tang, 5 clown, BC Blenny, Spot Hawk, Bl Cardinal, and a Neon Goby.
The fish in the other tanks that were connected to this one all seem to be fine, but the water was cycled through them all.
I have added "COPPER" to this tank !!!
This was the next tank in line to have the CC/gravel removed, and replaced with silica sand. (the first 40g I did with silica sand is doing good) btw.
I will strip the tank down when cure is done, and wash well, and then use silica.
The copper med I used is "Sea Cure" by Aquarium Systems Inc. All it says for contents is.... deionized water, copper sulfate, and acid.....All I could find at a so-called local LFS.
Since this tank was connected....200+ gal, I would think that the ick should have spread to the other tanks...if these fish (mostly clowns) get ick too....I will just shoot my self.
I'm running out of room and ideas
Bummed out..... Tagg
PS: took me forever to type this, I see posts here now,,,will read.
 

broncofish

Active Member
I higly recomend not using that 55 for inverts afterwards, unless your replace the silicon that is exposed in the tank. Cut the old stuff out with a razor, then re silicon over the seams etc.. and after that I would not hook it back up to the 200g. Also if the fish in your other tank don't show signs of ick with in the next couple of weeks you should be safe. The reason you probably got the outbreak is because of overcorwding that 55g. When a fish is more stressed it is way more likely to develope ich. Good luck.
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
did your nitrItes bump up? Perhaps the stress of the new tank allowed the ich to attack these stressed fish. And how are they reacting to each other? Any one fighting for territory?
Hope the copper works. I did have some white spots on my yellow and he did get better. So hopefully yours can recover. All I did was add some garlic to the food.
 

bheron

Member
you can order a copper test kit just like you can for all the other stuff (trates, trites, ph, etc)
 

tagg

Member
I do have a few more 55g's I can replace that one with I gess, to be safe. I would think all ick would be dead in 2 weeks? I will need to connect the new 55g back to the others to handle the bio-load. I also have 50lbs of new LR that is close to being cured by then....I hope.
Neon Goby leaped to his death while typing last post. The dog picked it up and brought it over to me. I didn't see anyyhing about them not liking copper. But the top was off :scratch:
Koran is now rubbing its face, like it has the cooties too.
All water readings same, nitrItes "0"
It's totaly strange, but everyone got along great, even the two tangs were buddies. The Koran and Sail, always stuck togeather too.
The only action was a mated pair of Clarkii fighting over who gets center spot on the BTA.
Tagggggggg :help:
 

tagg

Member
Ya....
I now plan on ordering one of them $50 test kits...tests everything kind.
I stand to loose $ 300-400 if all crashes (rough est.) in fish alone. :jittery:
.
 

tagg

Member
I read some about it when doing the copper search. Seems opinions can differ depending upon how advanced the desease is. I was going to lower the SG, but remembered that clowns may not be too thrilled about it (so I read some where long time ago)... So I realy dont know where to go from here. No experiance with this hyposalinity thing.
Search some more I gess
Thanks.... Tagg
 

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
tagg:
Whatever you do take the hyposalinity very very slowly.
If it is ich the copper should tank care of it.
If it is stress then the fish need to build up their strength.
At this point the best thing to do is to allow a couple of days for your treatment to take effect.
Are the fish active and breathing normally? If so than chances are good they will recover.
Again did you check out your nitrIte levels? Now that you have seperated the tank from the system, you could have upset the nitrogen cycle also.
 

tagg

Member
On another thought.....a skimmer won't remove the copper I put in, will it? I took out all carbon, and removed the wheel from the bio-wheel,
Without that other 150 gallons of water / plants / filtration, There are too many fish in this 55g for a extended period of time.
So I need the skimmer. Unless it removes the copper. Then I gess more water changes & copper.
Thoughts?
Tg
 

bheron

Member
you can order a copper test kit just like you can for all the other stuff (trates, trites, ph, etc)
 

tagg

Member
I gess we typed at same time
Yes, trates and trites havent moved (10 nin ago)
All are swimming normal except for the Koran, He hangs at the top, and has a blotchy look to him. But then he is hunghy, if I get near the tank, he's the first in line, and acts normal
Thanks.....Tg
 

tagg

Member
Thanks bheron
I am running 2 different browsers on my computer, and am on 4 different sites...getting lost.
Nothing can go out until Monday now. so I gess there's nothing I can do till then. Wont get it till Wed or Thrs.
Last resort ===> *****. 160 mile round trip.
Tg
 

tagg

Member
I think I'm getting to old for this.
After all the ick problems I've had, Is this possible?
This is Carib uncured LR. Tanked it on the 25th (10 days ago).
The nitrites hit 4-5 and nitrates hit 80-90 on the 3rd day.
I did a 100% water change day 3. Trates & trites went back up
to about 3.0 and 60 by the 5th day. Now on day 10 they are
both at 0.00 "UN-REAL" tonight (just checked).
50 lbs in a bare 30 gal tank. Used two 6" air stones, full blast, and
a small powerhead (200gph aprox). Light 10 houts per day.
Temp kept at 82 degrees.
Can this possibly be ready to go into other tanks already?
10 days just seems too quick...Thoughts?
Tg
 
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