Urgent Please Re:Cupramine

[zibnata]

Just received Cupramine. I guess it was supposed to come with a dispenser to measure it ,but it didnt. I also got a copper test kit. It says use 1 ml per 40L ( 10 gallons ) the first day. Wait 48 hrs and repeat for a total dose of 0.5 mg/L. I have a 20 gallon QT and a test kit that measures in ppm.
Could someone explain this in english please ? Thanks

 

[beth]

What test kit are you using? That is important because different copper products require compatible test kits. Seachem test kit is compatible. Measure your copper using the test kit itself. Maintaining copper at .4-.5 ppm. You will need a dispenser that measures ml, which you can probably get at the vet, or the

[hr]
.
What are you treating?

 

[zibnata]

Remember the hippo that hypo didnt work on ? Thats what I am treating.The test kit is from aquarium pharmaceuticals.

 

[thomas712]

Not my work or words but thought it might help you. T712
Cupramine is a complex copper solution. Think of it as a buffered soln. The actual effective ppm is at ~0.25, but the total conc. is at 05.ppm. As I understand it, as the effective copper is used up/reduced, the "buffered" copper becomes active, thus maintaining the gradiant.
Two weeks is the "general" treatment for ******. Longer is better. For Amyloo, you definately need three weeks.
SeaChem recomends ramping up the Cupramine levels over three days or so. Treat at 0.25ppm (1ml/10 gal) for the first treatment, then add another dose of 1 ml/10gal to bring it up to 0.5 ppm on day 2 or 3.
In actuality, the copper is absorbed by many things, including calcium carbonate substrate (ie. live rock, dead coral, crushed gravel, and even detritius). It will take around 4 to 7 days for the copper levels to stabilize. Buy your self a good copper test kit that will indicate complex copper (not all do). Test the copper levels each day and add what is needed to bring the levels back up to 0.5 ppm (note to all: this is in regards to the use of Cupramine only).
If you have any questions, call SeaChem tech support and ask for Rusty.
Thomas

 

[zibnata]

Thanks for the help. I found a dispenser (from when the kids were small and you needed to pour meds down their throat ) it measures in ml. so i should put 2 ML in the 20 qt to start ? thanks

 

[elfdoctors]

Good luck with your treatment. Is the hippo hanging in there?
I think you got the dosing right. 2mls should be the dose.
To check whether your copper test kit is okay I would check the tank water before and after treatment (or the water from your display tank if you have already started treatment).
I hope this works!!!

 

[zibnata]

thanks. he's hanging in there,but he is kind of pitted ahd skin missing from a spot he scratched to hard. I cant believe how he has survived being in that tank all this time.I hope this works. How are you making out ?

 

[elfdoctors]

My tank is doing well. I just finished the three week quarantine of my new yellow tang and royal gramma and they are doing great. The display tank looks better with four fish in it. I also got my first corals when they went on sale on this site this week - a bubble, ricordea and green star polyps. They are all doing great. I lost a newly purchased orange linkia however after 4 days (even after a six hour acclimation). I've purchased a Gateway digital camera (5.25 megapixels) for my wife so I may be able to get some pics up after Christmas.
Work has been busy. There have been some big cases and our county has been hit hard with influenza. I was on call yesterday. I was supposed to be off today but I didn't get home until 7pm because I had someone in labor (healthy baby boy!). I have to be on call again Christmas Eve and on backup call (available for big emergencies and admissions on Christmas).
Happy Holidays to you! It was nice having someone to commiserate with when I had ich. Once again I hope you can get your fish healthy!

 

[zibnata]

Wow your busy.Glad everything is going well. Cant wait to see the pics. Have a great Holiday.

 

[beth]

zip, are you sure you are dealing with ich, and not HLLE?? I remember the hippo. Did you every post a pic up of the "ich"?

 

[zibnata]

Here is the best pic I can get with the camera that I have. It really doesnt show all the spots but I am very positive that it is ich. erry thought that the areas around the face was pitted and after I looked closer I agree,but the spots on the black that you see in the picture look like grains of salt. There is also spots on the blue that you cant see in the pic. The damsel also has some on it. I put in 2 ml of cupramine in last night.. Thanks

 

[beth]

zib: What makes you think that this fish has ich?? He definately has the beginning stages of HLLE. All the spots that I see on the fish, looks like HLLE. What exactly are you seeing on this fish?
How about spots on the fins? Use a magnifying glass to take a close look.
I'd really like to confirm ich before proceding with any copper treatment as copper could well make the situation worse. There is a pic in the FAQ Thrad of a fish with HLLE. Have you seen it?

 

[zibnata]

I should be getting the formalin tommarrow. Its hard to get a real good look at it but I really dont think it is HLLE.
is it possible that the ich ate away and pitted the skin ? It looks like a lot of white spots all over him.Have you ever seen a fish with little specs of skin ate out of it ?They are little bigger than a grain of salt.

 

[zibnata]

Thanks Terry. Can you lay out the plan for the formalin dips for me ? Can I just put a dose in the 20 gallon QT ? Thanks so much for your help

 

[debra w-c]

Just curious about how the copper treatment went? How are the fish?

 

[zibnata]

It ended up that the hippo had marks on its skin from the ich,but the ich was gone.Terry and Beth were right. I gave him to a LFS and the guy said the skin was just pitted. He can take care of him better than I. He has bigger tanks so I think he will be happier there.Hippo and I have been through a lot together,but its not fair that he go back in my 55.The other remaining fish, a blue damsel,is doing well. I have put a couple chromis and a clown in the qt and now are in my main tank.I have a coral beauty and royal gramma in qt and soon will be put in the display.
So anyway the copper treatment went well. Thanks to Beth and Terry they saved them.

 

[beth]

Good decision about the hippo.

 

[zibnata]

Beth ,thanks again for your time. I really learned a lot.