Copper treatment

How long is the max to treat quarantine tank with copper? Am treating niger trigger & dog face puffer. Started 3/31 & it took me almost 4 days to get copper level to 3.0.
Puffer was perky for a few days, but not for the last few. I did a water change to remove copper & I need to pick up a new charcoal filter to put in tomowrrow. Still reading 2.0 copper. Please any help would be appreciated. Really want to save my fish.
 
okay, i want to try the hyposalinity. But how do I get the copper out of my sick tank? So I should drop salinity to 1.08 for 3-4 weeks your saying?
 

marinerock

Member
HEY OB....
SOME PEOPLE RUN A LOW LEVEL OF COPPER TO AVOID
CERTAIN PROBLEMS...HOWEVER, THIS TOPIC OF COPPER
IS A TOUCHY SUBJECT AROUND HERE....
I HAVE RUN LOW LEVELS OF COPPER IN MY FISH-ONLY TANK
FOR AS LONG AS 5 MONTHS AND THE FISH ARE FINE AND
NO MORE ICK....
HYPOSALINITY IS A GREAT WAY TO TREAT FOR ICK, BUT
COPPER IS ALSO ANOTHER ACCEPTABLE TREATMENT...
COPPER AND HYPOSALINITY ARE THE ONLY TREATMENTS
FOR ICK.....
GARLIC ADDED TO FOOD IS A GOOD PREVENTATIVE FOR
DISEASES....
REMEMBER...YOU CAN ONLY TREAT A FISH-ONLY TANK...
WITH COPPER...IT WILL KILL EVERYTHING IN A REEF TANK !!!
REGARDS...
MARINEROCK
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
Here is the procedure for hyposalinity:
O.S.T. stands for Osmotic Shock Therapy which is commonly referred to in the hobby as hyposalinity [water that is deficient in sea salt]. Essentially, O.S.T. simply places the infectors [Cryptocaryon parasite---ick/ich] in an environment in which they cannot survive while the host, (or infected fish) can. This remedy WILL NOT work in reef systems, invert tanks or FOWLR as it incorporates lowering the specific gravity of the entire system to 1.009 Specific Gravity which is not tolerated by inverts or LR.
To drop the salinity, this is done as you would do a normal water change. However, you are simply replenishing your tank with fresh RO/DI water---not salt water! Monitor the lowering closely so as to not reduce it too fast. Usually over a period of 48 hours is fine. The bacteria colony which is the biological support for your tank will survive, the fish will be perfectly fine, but the ich will not. By lowering the salinity, you will also be lowering the osmotic pressure of the water. Boney fish tolerate this treatment very well, in fact, once the water become hyposaline, you will likely note a significant improvement in your fish health and appetite. There is no reason to fear this treatment. You can do a water-change out, in small increments every half hr or so.
Your goal is to drop the specific gravity to 1.009 [48-hrs] gradually. Once all signs of the parasite are gone, then keep your fish in this hypo-saline water for 3-4 wks. If all is well, then you can gradually [over the course of 4-5 days] bring the specific gravity [salinity] back up to normal levels . If all is well after a week, then return the fish to their main tank.
When the fish are eating, offer them quality and varied food soaked in garlic, zoe/zoecon, vitamin C.
As for getting copper out of your QT, do a large water change, then run carbon filtration.
 
What kind of garlic do you use to soak there food in?
My salinity was a 1.13 today early & is now down to 1.10 almost there.
My trigger was swimming around frantically earlier & rubbing on the rocks & rapid breathing. Up until today he showed no signs. He is now sleeping & his breething seams more normal. Puffer still looks the same, very stressed, but hanging on.
 

marinerock

Member
HEY O.....
WHAT TYPE OF SALINITY TESTER ARE YOU USING?
IF YOU ARE USING A SWING ARM TYPE...THEY ARE NOT
ACCURATE AT ALL....SO BE CAREFUL WHEN DETERMINING
THE ACTUAL SALINITY OF YOUR WATER....
GO TO THE STORE AND BUY A CLOVE OF GARLIC....BREAK OFF
ONE OF THE PIECES AND CUT IT UP INTO 4 LITTLE PIECES....
PLACE YOUR FOOD IN A SMALL TUPPERWARE CONTAINER AND
PLACE THE PIECES OF GARLIC ON TOP AND ADD A LITTLE
WATER...YOU COULD MIX IT UP ALSO AND REFRIGERATE...
USE AS NEEDED BUT KEEP REFRIGERATED...AFTER FOOD IS
FINISHED,DISCARD THE GARLIC AND MAKE A NEW BATCH....
DO NOT FEED THE PIECES OF GARLIC TO THE FISH....
REGARDS...
MARINEROCK
 
Hey Oh...yea I am using a swing arm tester, its a Seatest. So what should I be using & how much are we talking. Going to SW store tomowrrow. Thanks for the info on the garlic will do that tomowrrow. Read about doing that, but didn't know the process & its so simple. Thanks Again. OBL
 

marinerock

Member
HEY OB...
EITHER A REFRACTOMETER FOR ABOUT $70 OR A
GOOD FLOATING HYDROMETER....
TROPIC MARIN HIGH PRECISION HYDROMETER FOR ABOUT $20
THE FLOATING HYDROMETERS ACCORDING TO THE
EXPERTS ON THIS BOARD, ARE EXTREMELY ACCURATE AND
COME ALMOST EXACTLY TO THE SAME READINGS
AS THE REFRACTOMETERS....
IF YOU GO WITH THE FLOATING HYDROMETER, BE CAREFUL
BECAUSE ITS GLASS AND SOME FISH LIKE TO BITE THE
THIN PART OF IT....ITS A LITTLE DELICATE SO HANDLE WITH
CARE....MY FISH BIT ONE IN HALF AS SOON AS I DROPPED
IT IN...NOW I PUT A NET/FEEDING STICK IN THERE TO KEEP
THEM AWAY FROM IT WHILE CHECKING SALINITY....
AS FAR AS FEEDING GARLIC TO FISH...GARLIC HAS NATURAL
ANTIBIOTICAL AGENTS IN IT AND IT DEFINITELY HELPS IN AIDING IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASES IN FISH AS WELL AS
HUMANS....SOME PEOPLE FEED DIFFERENT TYPES OF GARLIC EXTRACTS BUT ANYTHING IN ITS NATURAL STATE IS HEALTHIER
SO THATS WHY MANY PEOPLE SOAK FOOD WITH STORE
BOUGHT REGULAR GARLIC CLOVES...
REGARDS....
MARINEROCK
 
Okay, I'm going to check out the floating hydrometer. Update though, my puffer fish is looking soooooo much better. I can see his yellow spots again. & he ate very heartily tonight. I am so happy, it is really looking good. Trig is eating & looking good. One more question on the garlic, you said refrigerate the food? I thought you left in freezer. How long does the food keep in the refrigerator? This would make feeding time much easier not having to thaw it out.
 

marinerock

Member
Hey O....
I do not know what kind of food youre feeding your
fish, but I soak my pelleted food in garlic...
I use New-Life Spectrum pellets and soak that in garlic...
If you want to use the frozen food, just take it out of
the freezer about 1 hr. prior to feeding and place in a
small cup with water and drop the garlic cloves in there,
place in refrig until ready to feed....
Regards...
Marinerock
 
Thanks again. I will try soaking pellets in garlic before feeding, but how long do you soak them? I feed a few different kinds of carnivore pellets & also frozen brine, mysis, squid, krill, etc. Its a mixture of frozen cubes. Trig loves the pellets but Puff hasn't gotten the hang of them yet. I am ordering the floating hydrometer & my salinity is still reading 1.09 with the swing arm. Puffer again looks soooo much better today. He is up & swimming around alittle & eating again today. Actually twice today now. Looks like these 2 guys will eventually make it to my new 155. Thanks for all your help......OBL
 

marinerock

Member
Hey O....
Youre welcome...glad to help...
I make a batch enough for 1-2 weeks so it soaks in the
garlic/water the entire time....
If you want to make a batch just for 1 day feeding...let
it soak in the garlic for 1 hr. prior to feeding...
Glad to hear the fish are doing better and just test the
salinity when you get the floating hydrometer....
Regards...
Marinerock
 
Hey Everyone....Just had to let you know that I soaked medium pellets in alitttle water with garlic cloves & my Puffer went crazy over them. Oh & so did Trig.....Good trick & so healthy. I sure love this site. OBL:)
 

marinerock

Member
Hey O....
Glad to hear everything worked out good....
Garlic is natures antibiotic...great for humans also...
the fish love it....
Regards...
Marinerock
 

rane

Member
Just a note, that I was using a swing arm meter and when I brought the refractor meter the swing arm was off by alot
the refractor read 1025 and the swing arm read 1030
you do the math
 
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