Coppersafe DOES NOT kill s/w Flukes

[b0bab0ey]

I just thought I'd share some info with the RC community. This will be obvious to some but perhaps not all:

So, a friend of mine has insisted for a long time now that Coppersafe eradicates s/w Flukes since the bottle says that it treats, "Ich, velvet, flukes, and more". He claims prophylactically treating with PraziPro is an unnecessary step if you just do the same with Coppersafe.

I finally had enough, and called the MFG of Coppersafe to get to the bottom of this. Specifically, I asked what genus (or species) of "Flukes" is Coppersafe effective against. They said only Gyrodactylus, a genus of ectoparasites which mainly lives on the skin of freshwater fish. By contrast, s/w skin and gill flukes are caused by parasitic flatworms known as Trematodes. Praziquantel, the main ingredient found in PraziPro, does kill Trematodes.

I'm also including the contact info for the MFG of Coppersafe below. They have excellent tech support if you need it!

Coppersafe
MFG: Sentry AQ
Website: http://www.sentrypetcare.com/
Tech support: 1-800-224-7387 (24 hrs)

 

[gone fishin]

Thanks for the post. It really helps to clear up these misunderstandings.

 

[b0bab0ey]

Thanks for the post. It really helps to clear up these misunderstandings.

You're welcome. I was pretty confident before I made the call that chelated copper didn't kill s/w Flukes. However, I prophylactically treated with just Coppersafe & antibiotics in the 80s & 90s, and don't ever recall a fish dying with what I now know to be Fluke-like symptoms. So it made me wonder.

 

[laurie64]

Thanks for the post. Seems that my Scribble did have flukes as the prazi pro is helping and the white pimples are going down and leaving. It is always good to learn. I have never had flukes before and was not sure what they looked like.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Cupramine claims to kill some flukes too; but what it kills seems to be limited. I'd call SeaChem; but using PP is so safe, cheap, and effective; that I'd use PP no matter what they said. The fish are in the QT anyhow. I am more and more convinced that copper and PP sound NOT be used simultaneously. I've had 3 different people, who know 100 times what I do about fish meds, that copper decreases the effectiveness of the PP. Again, the fish are in the QT anyhow and they should be there long enough for copper + 2 rounds of PP anyhow....without increasing QT time. Thanks for the info, b0bab0ey!!. BTW, I know you and I don't hesitate to call company tech support. This is a very under-utilized resource,; IMO & IME. If a company doesn't have god tech support, I don't buy their stuff. However, I don't just take their word as gospel either. I always verify what they say, even if its just my own hunch. Very little in our hobby can be called 100% true 100% of the time. (Except that a QT is vital. can't miss that!)