Copper Poisoning

Two emperors are severely affected. They are swimming facing down with their tail end up and look very disoriented.

I am using cupramine and been trying to maintain it at .5.

I have used it with success in the past with API copper test kit (since it is the only one in my experience that shows any reading).
 
Get a salifert test kit and .35ppm is effective and usually safe for angles. .5 or more is a bit much.


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IMO the Seachem copper test is the easiest to read. Not to mention being able to do two or more test at the same time. So you can really compare your results back to back..
 
I have done Salifert in the past and on two different kits, it showed as zero while API showed some tint.

I also did the Seachem one before in the past and it was the same as Salifert. I would dose a cap full in a measuring cup and it would still show zero. So I wiped a tank awhile back because of it.

I did the red sea one before and it worked for awhile, but was never truly accurate.
 
coral_lagoon said:
I don't like API nor Salifert tests to begin with.

Another thing is how fast did OP bring to those levels. IMO going by the instructions on the bottle is too quick..
Click to expand...

Its been adjusted over time as it keeps falling even though I have nothing to really absorb the copper. The treatment has been in effect for slightly over a week before the symptoms started.
 
Lsufiregal said:
Everything absorbs copper. Anything plastic, the silicone of the tank... The tank...
Click to expand...

No it doesn't. With some vinegar (personally, just a good rinse does the job.) well rinsed tanks can be used with corals, and other inverts. This myth just won't die and probably goes way back to the metal frame tank days and some sort of black sealant. I've dosed my 55 QT at least 100 times with Cupramine. A University chem lab cannot detect copper in my QT water, at any level above the copper in I.O.. How could systems that run copper 24/7/365 avoid lethal levels of copper? Read the FAQ, 2nd Q from the bottom:http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Cupramine.html
 
Last edited:
Cupramine itself should not affect the angels that way. Did you use ANY water conditioner or other meds. Cupramine can react badly with other meds making the copper 10x more toxic.
 
I had the same results with cupramine and an adult blue face. Dose raised over a 4 day period about 0.125 per day. Basically I added 1/4 the recommended dose a day. He first started swimming in one direction and then started swimming face down. I removed him from the HT with copper and he recovered in 24-36 hours from the copper poisoning.
 
Giovanni said:
I had the same results with cupramine and an adult blue face. Dose raised over a 4 day period about 0.125 per day. Basically I added 1/4 the recommended dose a day. He first started swimming in one direction and then started swimming face down. I removed him from the HT with copper and he recovered in 24-36 hours from the copper poisoning.
Click to expand...

I did a 90% water changed. Basically anything that was exposed to CUpramine basically end up dead. I lost an 8 inch emperor, 1 yellow belly regal, blue face juv, 2 juv emp...
 
Copper

Copper

I just learned how a little to much or going up on copper levels to quickly can adversely effect fish. I had a pyramid die on me after I did a water change to address some low level ammonia accumulation. I dosed cupramine to bring levels back up. My pyramid did not like it. I found the fish dead two hours later

This morning one of the wrasses in the QT tank died as well. I have 8 fish in QT at moment five bartlett anthesis, a bourbons anthesis and two wrasses( a african wrasse, and a red hooded wrasse)

My copper level is reading 0.35 using the sachem test kit

Copper poising can happen rather quickly. I am following along on this thread. How does one best prevent copper poisoning after doing a water change

I am not using anything like AMQuel or Prime as I have heard they can cause toxic copper levels
 
I raise it 0.25 day divided into multiple doses a day. When I do a water change, I measure the copper level to make sure I do not raise it during the change. I add the copper to the change water and test before I put it back in the QT.
 
Knock on wood I haven't lost an angelfish from Cupramine/copper. Right now I got a show size Emperor Angel in a 40 gallon Q tank being conditioned for the DT @ .4 Cupramine. He's been doing great,been feeding him 5 times a day cuz he's a pig. When it comes to water changes. It's 4 drops of Cupramine per gallon to get the full therapeutic dose ( Seachem). I do 15 drops in a 5 gallon bucket..

IMO one of the key things when it comes to quarantine angels is having well oxygenated water. I run skimmers in all my quarantine tanks, and have good filtration+ flow. My steup..

 
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