using Purigen in QT to lower ammonia

[Groovebox303]

Hi,
I have moved my fish over to a 38 gallon QT and am trying to do copper treatment with cupramine. I have been doing water changes about 30-40% every other day but the ammonia is still reading at .5ppm. Its getting to be difficult to do WC so often and redose copper and recheck. Since i wanted to treat the fish for 4 weeks maybe at .3 ppm copper. I have an aqua clear 70 HOB filter on it and removed the carbon and replaced it with the ammonia reducing media when i first set it up 3 weeks ago. Can i use Purigen and let it float in the tank if it will reduce ammonia build up? will this effect the Copper? I will continue to do WC regularly but would like to obv avoid having to do it daily if i can. If someone has used Purigen for reducing ammonia while treating with cupramine in QT please let me know.

 

[MrTuskfish]

Purigen will remove copper and other heavy metals....that's what its made for.

Most ammonia test kits don't work with copper, .5ppm ammonia can kill fish and I think your ammonia test obviously isn't working. A 40% wc has to lower ammonia by 40%. The stick-on ammonia alert badges do work. If you have some other filter media that's been in your DT like ceramic rings, floss, sponges, etc., that may be enough to help with ammonia. Aerobic bacteria will culture any media to some extent. Do not use any of the ammonia neutralizers; like Ammo-lock, Prime, etc. They form very deadly compounds. I don't know about the ammonia reducing media you're using; but I would just assume they may be as bad as the ammonia neutralizers. I assume your QT has no substrate or rock.What brand of copper test kit are you using? How many fish in the QT? I use Cupramine at a lower level, like you are. I think you are OK at .30 ppm Cu. SeaChem makes both Cupramine and Purigen and they have great tech support, I use them often. 1-888-seachem, I think. There's some good info on this site, the FAQ are a big help. Also read what they say about Purigen. http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/Cupramine.html
When this is over, keep the sponge and ceramic noodles that come with the AC filter somewhere in the flow of your DT set-up. You'll always be ready with cycled media when you need it. If you aren't ready with cycled media, WCs may be your only choice. I'll bet you use a QT with all new fish from now on and avoid this PITA.

 

[wooden_reefer]

Hi,
I have moved my fish over to a 38 gallon QT and am trying to do copper treatment with cupramine. I have been doing water changes about 30-40% every other day but the ammonia is still reading at .5ppm. Its getting to be difficult to do WC so often and redose copper and recheck. Since i wanted to treat the fish for 4 weeks maybe at .3 ppm copper. I have an aqua clear 70 HOB filter on it and removed the carbon and replaced it with the ammonia reducing media when i first set it up 3 weeks ago. Can i use Purigen and let it float in the tank if it will reduce ammonia build up? will this effect the Copper? I will continue to do WC regularly but would like to obv avoid having to do it daily if i can. If someone has used Purigen for reducing ammonia while treating with cupramine in QT please let me know.

WC in QT without biological filtration (nitrification) is problematic. Even 50% WC with 0.5 ppm ammonia is still 0.25 right after change, and if the source of ammonia like poops and excess food (except the unavoidable directly from the fish's system) is not removed, the ammonia level will be high.

0.5 ppm is very detrimental to fish.

I seldom ever have ammonia in QT. If I do not have to use a drug in QT that affects nitrification bacteria, I WILL NEVER have ammonia in QT. This is because I always cycle the medium for QT very well for any possible bioload in advance, and keep cycled medium in standby many months after adding the last livestock.

If there is no acute sign of disease, do not insist on eradicating ich under this condition. Treat only to prevent death.

Ich will likely be asymtomatic after brief treatment and fish will not die suddenly afterward. One option could be to delay eradication of ich, say, until the QT medium is cycled. Needless to say, you should cycle QT medium ASAP.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I once asked Amquel if it will affect straight uncheleated copper but I got no answer. My feeling is that it does not.

Amquel and hypo can be a good combination against ich under this constraint.

Plan ahead and cycle the medium for QT very well, and set up UV properly against bacterial infection so that you won't need to use a drug that affects nitrification, and you will very seldom need to to worry about ammonia in QT no matter what bioload there is in QT.

 

[wooden_reefer]

I typically do not do any WC in QT during the entire period, 10-12 weeks, of eradicating ich.