Proper Copper PPM for treating Ich?

[clarksz06]

I'm treating a few fish for a mild case of ich with chelated coppersafe. I have a couple angles and tangs.. I just tested the copper with my seachem multi test kit and the results showed that I have .65 ppm coppersafe in the tank. Is this enough to effectively kill the parisite? If not what should I shoot for? I don' t want to dose it to much since they are tangs and angles.
Thanks

 

[sw65galma]

I just hope you NEVER plan on having inverts.
I don't know what your PPM should be because No one on here would recommend you using copper. It gets absorbed into the rocks and leeches out later to kill any inverts you will ever have.
Soooo.. i'll defer your question to someone who has used copper in the past?
But for future reference. You can use HypoSalinity, which is nothing more than diluting your salt water so there is too little salt for ich to survive but enough for the fish to survive.

 

[clarksz06]

Yes, I'm aware of this.. Its a fish only tank, thats why I treat it if need be. And I do 35 gallon water changes every 10 days, so getting the copper out isn't a problem.
Lowering the salinity on a 200 gallon system is not even an option. As long as I don't leave the copper in the system to long and get it out with polyfilters, carbon and waterchanges everything will be fine.
I have a pistol shrimp and large hermit crabs that live though the copper treatments, no problem.
I talked to a rep for the product today and he said that I should only dose the recommended treatment, that many of the test don't give a real accurate measurement, many people keep adding more and end up killling fish. So i'm going to leave the copper in the water for a max of 30 days and start removing it.

 

[sw65galma]

Originally posted by ClarksZ06
Lowering the salinity on a 200 gallon system is not even an option. As long as I don't leave the copper in the system to long and get it out with polyfilters, carbon and waterchanges everything will be fine.

Well i wouldn't say it's impossible to lower the systems salinity...
I'd just connect the ro up to it, while draining it at the same time.
The Ro adds water at such a slow pace, that the water change would be easy on the fish. (not easy on you )
My entire water system is 400gallons and I had this setup so that I could do exactly what I said in the case that the main display ever got ich.
What you said makes sense, especially about the tests being inaccurate. Which is another reason i'd never use copper.
So I'd say go with what the instructions say.
Also you say you've done this before...
Might I suggest a QT tank and that should reduce the possibility of doing this again.
I know QT's are pains...but what would be worse? maintaining a small tank or losing your entire display?
Just a thought. I kept my 46 up as a QT.
Good luck and let us know how it turns out.