Copper!?!?!?

[good alex]

Ive got two questions for you:
The product im using, Mardel Coppersafe, came with instructions, but it said that the product will treat the water for one month, without water changes. But it dosent say how long it would take for it to get rid of the ich. Ive read that it takes 3 weeks to get rid of ich, but is that the same ammount of time for all copper products from different companies or does it range with evey different name brand?
The second question is, Im thinking about taking out all the sand and live rock from a 55g and use it as a hospital tank, and after the treament will I be able to convert it to a reef tank (of course doing a 100% water change after the treatment)? Will the copper get absorbed by tank like it does with LR and LS?
The fish are in a 150g tank right now and there is a damsel in the 55g

 

[good alex]

Heres a picture of the copper I have

 

[beth]

I wouldn't use this copper. For ich, use hyposalinity. Once you use copper in a tank, that tank shouldn't be used for a reef, ever.
Take a look at hyposainity topic in the FAQ Thread at the top of this forum. As well, there is info on ich there as well.

 

[good alex]

Alright, guess ill buy a refractormeter, and why wouldent you use that kind of copper?

 

[beth]

Its a rather harsh variety on the fish. The best copper is Seachem's Cupramine, but, even so, copper is copper and can not be used in a display tank. It should never be used in a tank that will have inverts or LR.
Hypo is the way to go.

 

[row]

Doesn't carbon absorb copper?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by ROW
Doesn't carbon absorb copper?
Carbon will absorb the copper from the water. Copper soaks into the silicone, the sand, rocks, filter media, basically any porous surface and will leach out later. A copper test kit can read zero, but enough will leach out to kill inverts and coral. It is never a good idea to use copper or any other med in a display. If you use it in a qt you won't be able to put inverts in there. There are natural ways to deal with some things like ich. Read the info on hyposalinity.

 

[good alex]

Just bought a refractometer, waiting for it to come in and ill start hypo
Thanks for your help

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Good Alex
Just bought a refractometer, waiting for it to come in and ill start hypo
Thanks for your help
Let us know if you have any questions at all

 

[lion_crazz]

Yep, let us know of any and all questions you may have and we will be here to walk you through the process!

 

[good alex]

ok so the refractometer came in today and i put in all the fish except the scooter blenny and the six line wrasse, should i put them in the QT for hypo?? Ive heard that the scooter blenny dosent get ich and the entire time I had the six line he never got ich, still put them in there or leave them be. I want to leave the DT with out any fish for 6 weeks inorder to kill all the ich, thats why i dont know wether or not to put them in hypo or not.

 

[lion_crazz]

Does the scooter blenny ever eat the food you feed him? If so, add him to the QT.
The sixline definitely needs to go into the hypo process.

 

[good alex]

The only thing i can get him to eat is live brine

 

[good alex]

i added the scooter blenny and the six line wrasse. And tonight its 1.016 and tommorow i wlill finish it off to 1.009 and leave it there for 3 weeks, correct?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Good Alex
i added the scooter blenny and the six line wrasse. And tonight its 1.016 and tommorow i wlill finish it off to 1.009 and leave it there for 3 weeks, correct?
3 weeks from the last date that you see any signs of ich at all. Please remember to check the ph and to bring the SG down at a constantly gradual ratio. Not 10 gallons of fresh at once, dribble it in all day.

 

[good alex]

ya i have a bucket of freshwater and i take about a water bottle and fill it up and put it in the tank every hour or so

 

[good alex]

just a side question for anyone, I live about an hour away from SWF.com the store and I was just wondering if anyone knows if you can go there and shop?

 

[good alex]

clownfish died today he dident look to hot though last night. Swimming on the bottom of the sand, wasent eating.
the only cause that i could have thought of is a ph drop but i took care of that, it went down to 7.8 but with some buffer its at 8.4
and all other parameters are fine
NH3 0
No2 0
No3 0
salinity 1.009

 

[reefkprz]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
Carbon will absorb the copper from the water.
carbon is really not effective in removing any metals from water inorganics such as metal just dont bond that well with activated carbon.

 

[good alex]

do mandarins get ich?
i just bought one and want to put it in the DT
need an answer pronto
thanks