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#1
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![]() hey there
sorry about that..I answered in a hurry and on my Iphone what I meant to say is.... I personally like the salifert Copper test and I find it to be the most accurate I have gone through 3 API testkits and I have yet to get any reading that even looks close to what the reference cards shows. I have used seachem and still do, but have had issues with a couple where they weren't showing what they were supposed to show. I can't really comment on the others because I haven't used them. so, salifert would be my first choice seachem second however, with any of them, if you do get a reading is not enough close enough to what you think, definitely retest. I would personally buy 2 tests kits and test with both just to make sure. copper, although very effective at killing parasites, can be just as effective killing your fish if the dose is too high. let me know if you have any more questions.
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Way too much time and money has gone into this hobby....and yet, I CAN'T STOP |
#2
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![]() Quote:
Also, I wouldn't necessarily agree that copper is that great at killing the parasite. It's totally ineffective against 2 out of the 4 main stages of the parasites life cycle, and one of those stages, the encysted tomont, is perfectly capable of staying in it's bulletproof little cyst for way longer than any fish could tolerate exposure to copper. In some instances, a two week course of cupramine (as recommended by Seachem) will be enough to clear a QT system of the parasite completely, but there are going to be just as many cases in which a tomont sits patiently in the QT system for 3 or 4 weeks, hatches after the aquarist has halted the copper treatment, and re-infects the whole system, leaving the aquarist to scratch their head and wonder what the hell is going on. In all my reading and communicating with people who have made careers out of studying marine parasites, the only treatment method that has been shown to be 100% effective in eradicating the parasite from fish completely is the tank transfer method, or a hybrid method that functionally does the same thing, which is remove tomonts from the system and destroy them. The only things that are known to kill C. irritans tomonts in-situ will also kill all your fish. |
#3
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![]() if you are going to keep this system going after the fact, I would just leave the copper in it for your next purchase
if testing for ammonia, you will get a positive reading because some with bind with the copper - should typically show less some ammonia when tested but I found it to be less than lowest point on the API test - so it will test positve for ammonia but not by much. as asylum mentions, don't use any other medications because they can bind with the ammonia and kill the fish and use the bare minimum of prime Neal
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Way too much time and money has gone into this hobby....and yet, I CAN'T STOP |
#4
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#5
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![]() If it is just ich you're battling, why not use hyposalinity? Much simpler, and safer for your fish. Plus you won't have everything contaminated with Copper.
I have used hypo a few times now in QT with new fish, with 100% success.
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Reef Pilot's Undersea Oasis: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=102101 Frags FS: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/sho...d.php?t=115022 Solutions are easy. The real difficulty lies in discovering the problem. |
#6
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![]() I totally agree with the use of hyposalinity
if you can wait the 6 weeks, that is by far the best and safest treatment of ich. what I do, empty out just over half the tank and fill it back up with fresh water...this should put you at about 1.010 which is where you want to be. I have done this numerous times and there is no reason to bring the fish down slowly..just back up slowly over a 2 or 3 day period. asylumdown I will respectfully have to disagree. I plunk fish into copper systems every time I bring fish in with little effect on 200 fish in them..with very little deaths. it is the bringing the copper level up to the therapeutic level that is the dangerous part which is why I think seachem says do it over 48 hours..that is so you don't poison the fish with too much copper. I totally agree that copper will kill fish..but as long as you keep it within the guidelines of seachem you should have little problems. and adding cupramine will not effect the bacteria to where it will affect their ability to do their job..it is any live critters dying off within the live rock that may cause a small ammonia spike.
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Way too much time and money has gone into this hobby....and yet, I CAN'T STOP |
#7
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![]() Sorry, just re-read some of your other posts. Seems the tank transfer method is what you might recommend?
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the lurker formerly known as THENEWGUY 75g reef w/ 20g sump, 100lbs LR, Tunze 9006 skimmer, 3 part dosing, DIY 66 LED fixture, Reefleeper Lite LED build here: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/29498...h-mount-build/ |
#8
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![]() Quote:
I'm pretty sure the reason the acclimation period is stressful for fish is because copper is a poison to them, and their kidneys and liver need time to adapt to the increased work they need to do to prevent the poison from killing them. You say you've had very little deaths with that method, which to me sounds like you have experienced fish mortality as a result of dropping fish directly in to full strength copper water. When the fish you're talking about can sometimes cost north of 200 bucks, I don't know if I would be willing to take that risk. Also, it's not a good idea to have live rock, or any calcareous materials in a system where copper is being dosed. Copper reacts with it and falls out of solution. |
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copper marine ich |
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