Using Hypo in a fish only tank

[aquarius 1]

I have a 75 gallon fish only tank without liverock or livesand. The tank finished cycling a little bit over a month ago and as soon as I added my fish, within days I had whitespot.....again. Because I was so worried about my Koran he was was put in quarantine and is being treated with copper along wiht my hippo thats also in there. Still in the main tank though, I have a niger trigger and a pair of percs. My salinity was originally at 1.018 and I've dropped it way down over the course of the past two weeks. Now here's my problem. I'm having difficulty determining what my actual salinity is...I have two floating glass hydrometers, a Living Sea one and a Tropic Marine one. The Tropic Marine one doesn't read below 1.018 so its basically useless. But I've tested the two against each other and the Living Sea hydrometer reads 3 below the Tropic Marine. Now using the Living Sea one to measure my currently salinity, its reading at 1.005-1.006, meaning it would be equivalent to approximately 1.008-1.009 on the Tropic Marine one. Which hydrometer should I go by? Today is the first full day at that salinity and all of my fish are still covered in spots. I really don't want to lose these fish but I also don't want to drop the salinity too much lower. How do I get an accurate reading without dropping hundreds on a high power refractometer?

 

[aquarius 1]

I know you don't recommend it, but would I be able to treat my entire tank with copper? I have dead coral skeletons for decoration, crushed coral, and a fluval 303 for filtration??? If so what are the risks I am taking when using copper? What does it mean for the future of my tank? My bacterial filtration etc.?

 

[beth]

You can get a refractometer for less than $70, and I'd rather pay that than subject my entire tank to copper treatment.
Use the hydrometer that actually gives you the lower reading and aim for the 1.009. The other one obviously was not made for lower salinity reading.
How are the fish doing otherwise?
If you want to use copper on your tank, its up to you. You will basically only be able to use that tank for FO in the future.

 

[aquarius 1]

If I do go with copper, can I use it in the main tank? I plan to use the tank solely for fish only but will my dead coral skeletons and my crushed coral affect the copper treatment? Also, what do you have against CopperSafe as a copper treatment?

 

[robb]

Beth is MUCH more knowledgeable about this but I'll throw in my .02. Using copper is like Chemotherapy is to people. It should only be used as a last resort. It is very bad for the fish. I think if you just give the hypo time to do it's job it will work just fine and it won't ruin your tank for the future. If you use copper the tank will NEVER be able to be used for anything but fish.

 

[beth]

You can use copper. Better to use Cupramine, rather than Coppersafe. Also, with the Cupramine, use Seachem test kit. Whatever copper you use, you must use a test kit that is compatible with the copper product you are using and test daily. Yes, copper will be absorbed into your substrate, your dead corals and the silcon that holds your tank together. You will need to use the test kit to maintain theraputic doses of copper and the copper will drop as it is absorbed by what's in your tank. You will need to maintain a thereputic dose in the water of .15-.25ppm.
Copper will kill the biofilter, so be prepared for ammonia and cycle spikes. You'll be significantly depleting the viability of a new tank, that's just cycled and the copper will remain in your tank, likely, for the life of your tank. Up to you if that's worth the price of $70.

 

[aquarius 1]

What is wrong with Coppersafe?

 

[beth]

Not as effective, not as stable, harder on fish and tank.

 

[aquarius 1]

Well I lost both the perculas yesterday but fortunately I moved the Niger to the quarantine tank and began copper treatment using Red Sea copper. When I run out of the Red Sea copper can I switch to cupramine? Do I need another test kit? If so, what brand?

 

[beth]

Stick to one brand, and you shouldn't "run out", hopefully, if your med is new.