coppersafe not working

[foster200]

I have been treating all my fish with coppersafe for 5 weeks now and it does not appear to be working. My fish still have ich and my hippo has what looks like 2 warts on her side, parasites I can only guess. My copper levels are right where they need to be.

What copper treatment does everyone use?

What else can I do?

 

[tahoe61]

Ich

Ich

There is a resistant strain of ich that can not be treated with copper, Quinine sulfate is the treatment for it. Secondly are you sure it is Ich, and are you using hyposalinity as well? It would seem that if you have been treating for 5 weeks and your copper level is correct, that the ich would have cleared up quickly. What a pain that is, I feel for you.

 

[foster200]

thanks, i feel for me too. Quinine sulfate, Ill get that. Will that clean up any parasites as well? Thanks so much.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I had one very bad experience with coppersafe more than 25 years ago. Since then I have not used any cheleted copper.

I use straight copper successfully and rather easily.

 

[foster200]

what straight copper product are you using.

 

[wooden_reefer]

what straight copper product are you using.

I still have the one-pound can of copper sulfate hydrate from more than 25 years ago.

You can prepare accurate enough straight copper solution from a postal scale and a container of own volume. Hint: Do not rely on the crude scale to weigh a small amount of the blue crystal.

You first use known volumes (and hence weight) of water to calibrate the scale. Then you weigh up to a full ounce of the blue stuff and add to a container of known volume. You then dilute 10x and then 10 x. (or whatever x) You will get the correct concentration. If you have one semester of high school or freshmen college chemistry you can do it. I can give you a cook book instruction if you want.

If you draw a line with a permanent marker, the same solution in a glass bottle can be used year after year. You replenish with water to the marked line when you have to use it again after a year or two.

 

[RBU1]

There is a resistant strain of ich that can not be treated with copper, Quinine sulfate is the treatment for it. Secondly are you sure it is Ich, and are you using hyposalinity as well? It would seem that if you have been treating for 5 weeks and your copper level is correct, that the ich would have cleared up quickly. What a pain that is, I feel for you.

Can you provide documentation to support this claim? This is the first I am hearing this and would like to read more about it. Thank You

 

[RBU1]

Instead of taking a chance with the home made stuff I would suggest you try Cupramine. I would make sure all the copper stuff you are currently using is completely absorbed before doing anything else. After the copper is a 0 I would do a rather large water change then start to treat with Cuprmaine. Just make sure you add if slower then the bottle states. Split the doses up by 4 and wait 48 hours between your doses to make sure the fish are still acting and eating like normal. During the copper safe treatment did you test your copper level? Did you run carbon?

 

[wooden_reefer]

After the copper is a 0 I would do a rather large water change then start to treat with Cuprmaine.

One advantage of straight copper is that it ppt out of water in a calcareous setup quite predicably. There is never a need to change any water to made sure that it becomes very low in concentration by just waiting.

For me, the periodic change of straight copper level in a tank is actually what is predictable and easy to take advantage of, with ease of application and with high enough effectiveness.

Again, I don't want to be opinionated about the various copper applications and mode of use. This is not the central issue. Do what you feel correct.

But again, I like pulsing straight copper in a calcareous environment.

Preparing your own straight copper is easy and lasts a life time of the aquarist.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Instead of taking a chance with the home made stuff I would suggest you try Cupramine.

Preparing your own straight copper stock solution is not chancy at all. It is in fact quite reliable. A crude postal scale can be reliable enough if you calibrate it with known weights (volumes of water), and prove that the readings are repeatable.

Diluting method to obtain a stock solution is quite accurate enough.

You estimate the actual volume of water in QT anyway.

 

[sfboarders]

Can you provide documentation to support this claim? This is the first I am hearing this and would like to read more about it. Thank You

This is the only reference I can find doing a google search.

 

[LargeAngels]

Straight copper is not tolerated by all fish.

I only now use Cupramine and wouldn't use anything else.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Straight copper is not tolerated by all fish.

I only now use Cupramine and wouldn't use anything else.

Yes, but most fish can take straight copper very well.

Why give up on the ease of straight copper categorically because a few fish cannot take it well?

If the fish of interest can take straight copper, I'd use it.

 

[LargeAngels]

Here is some good reading on copper. http://www.reefland.com/forum/marin...ment/18915-copper-treatment-use-problems.html


Use whatever you like.

 

[krowleey]

There is a resistant strain of ich that can not be treated with copper, Quinine sulfate is the treatment for it. Secondly are you sure it is Ich, and are you using hyposalinity as well? It would seem that if you have been treating for 5 weeks and your copper level is correct, that the ich would have cleared up quickly. What a pain that is, I feel for you.

prove it, i have seen no proof of a resistant strain of ich with copper. if done correctly it's 100% everytime.