Why Not Copper Instead Of Hypo?

[old_salt]

I have been told by many in the hobby that Copper is the only "sure" way of killing Ich. If this is true, why use Hyposalinity and not copper to kill these parasites? I have 2 longfin bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus) in QT and both appear to have Ick (even though they both came from a tank that was in hypo at the LFS). In talking to the owner of two LFS's and a marine biologist about what to use for Ick, all three said copper was the only way to ensure that this parasite is dead. Do folks do hypo because of less stress on the fish or is it that copper may have long term effects on the fish? I purchased some of the Seachem Cupramine (buffered active copper) to try on these fish. Please let me know if there is some reason that this treatment should not be used instead of Hypo. Thanks for you input.

 

[nicetry]

Some fish are not tolerant of copper treatments. Cupramine is a good choice, but copper based treatments are immunosuppressive so you need to watch closely for secondary problems.
Hyposalinity is tolerated well by all bony reef fish. It does not compromise the immune function like copper can. Both are effective on ich, so saying that copper is the only method is misleading.

 

[petjunkie]

As stated some fish, such as puffers are very sensitive to copper and you have to test levels very often with a great test kit, too much or too little will kill or not work. Hypo tends to be a little easier on the fish and since most people seem to not qt ahead of time and end up with ich in the tank, it works out good, six weeks of hypo, six weeks of the tank being fishless and you're done. Also copper is risky to use in a tank you plan to reuse for anything, it seeps into the seals and may always be toxic to inverts.

 

[sepulatian]

I agree with both posts above. Butterflies are among the fish that are sensitive to copper treatment. Hyposalinity is a very effective form of treatment but it must be done correctly. Copper treatment is also effective and also has to be monitored very closely. Copper, unlike hyposalinity, can be fatal to the fish if the readings are slightly off. If you use too much copper it is toxic, if you use too little it is ineffective. Both treatments take time and dilligence. The display tank has to remain fishless for six weeks no matter which treatment you choose. I prefer hyposlinity because it is just as effective but it is non toxic to the fish.

 

[old_salt]

I read somewhere that fish needed to be kept in hypo for 3 weeks after all spots were gone (usually about a week after water reaches hypo level). Maybe this was why I have had little success with hypo. I thought for sure I read on this board that the display tank only had to be left fishless for 30 days as well, not 6 weeks. Since the consensus here is that these fish are sensitive to copper I will probably give hypo another try.