Cupramine treatment duration question.

[Broder]

The short question: How long should I continue treating my 750 liter fowlr display tank with Cupramine, to rid it of marine ich?

I'm 3 weeks into treating within the display, as the fish are too large to treat in quarantine, given that the tank would need to lay fallow for 72-90 days, post successful treatment. I have been testing copper levels with a Red Sea test kit and kept the therapeutic level in the range of 0.3ppm-0.5ppm.

The reason for my question of how long to continue at this concentration, is that as far as I know, copper does not eradicate the Tomont phase, which can last for up to 90 days? Would I not have to continue treating at therapeutic levels for this entire duration, rather than just 14 days as suggested on the product information?

 

[HumbleFish]

In most cases treating @ 0.5ppm for 30 days does the trick. (The odds are on your side.)

However, whether you treat for 30 days or 90 days it is important to observe closely afterwards to ensure treatment was successful. If you're treating in a DT with rock & sand, absorption is going to be an issue so it may take some time in order to achieve a consistent 0.5 reading (test daily).

 

[Broder]

In most cases treating @ 0.5ppm for 30 days does the trick. (The odds are on your side.)

However, whether you treat for 30 days or 90 days it is important to observe closely afterwards to ensure treatment was successful. If you're treating in a DT with rock & sand, absorption is going to be an issue so it may take some time in order to achieve a consistent 0.5 reading (test daily).

Thank you for the for the advice. I'd like to treat for 72 days, but I'm worried that the fish may not tolerate such a prolonged exposure to copper, so I guess I'll have to take my chances with a 30 day treatment?

 

[HumbleFish]

Thank you for the for the advice. I'd like to treat for 72 days, but I'm worried that the fish may not tolerate such a prolonged exposure to copper, so I guess I'll have to take my chances with a 30 day treatment?

Most fish won't tolerate 72 days in therapeutic copper. 30 days is about the max.