Protein skimmer with coppersafe

[duanejon]

I’m 8 days in treating velvet on a powder brown tang and a trigger. The parasites fell off them in about 4 days. I’ve taken the carbon out and shut off the protein skimmer. The water is getting a bit cloudy and nitrates are increasing. Can I put the carbon back in and turn the protein skimmer on or do I need to complete the 28 days of treatment without them ?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I’m 8 days in treating velvet on a powder brown tang and a trigger. The parasites fell off them in about 4 days. I’ve taken the carbon out and shut off the protein skimmer. The water is getting a bit cloudy and nitrates are increasing. Can I put the carbon back in and turn the protein skimmer on or do I need to complete the 28 days of treatment without them ?

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

You should run the protein skimmer during the copper treatment. Removing carbon is important, but the filter it was in should still be run with filter media/sponge, etc.
A rise in nitrate can be dealt with after the copper treatment is finished, but the cloudy water can be an issue - is it white-cloudy? How bad is it? Any ammonia reading?
You really need to try to maintain copper above 2.0 ppm for 30 days.

Jay

 

[duanejon]

No ammonia. Today was first day it looked cloudy. I’m running ammochips in the filter media also . Will the carbon take out the copper. Some say yes others say no. The tank becomes cloudy when the protein skimmer is off. Nitrates were next to 0 now it’s at 30

 

[Crabby48]

Agree run skimmer. Carbon doesn’t do much in all the times I tried. I use rox maybe that’s why. That said carbon will remove copper and make holding leaves more work and more frequent testing

 

[duanejon]

No ammonia. Today was first day it looked cloudy. I’m running ammochips in the filter media also . Will the carbon take out the copper. Some say yes others say no. The tank becomes cloudy when the protein skimmer is off. Nitrates were next to 0 now it’s at 30

 

[duanejon]

I run purigen media in the filter sick also. I’m thinking that’s good to leave in ?

 

[duanejon]

Sock not sick

 

[duanejon]

Thank you both for the feedback

 

[GT3000XX]

Is this a treatment tank or your main display?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

No ammonia. Today was first day it looked cloudy. I’m running ammochips in the filter media also . Will the carbon take out the copper. Some say yes others say no. The tank becomes cloudy when the protein skimmer is off. Nitrates were next to 0 now it’s at 30

Carbon doesn't remove much copper, but there are differences between types of carbon, so to be safe, I suggest not using it. Ammochips should be fine.

The Purigen is a wild card - I've never used that with copper. I looked on their web site and they say that Purigen has a strong affinity for amines. Coppersafe is an amine-based material. I would not use Purigen with coppersafe. Here is the text:

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

Jay

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

If you don’t already have one, get a Hanna Copper Test. It will give you an exact digital read-out of your Copper levels, in Whole numbers and Decimals. Also when I do water changes on my Quarantine Aquarium, I use water from my Display. Measure it into an old Seven Gallon Marked Salt Bucket, so I know exactly how much water, I’m dealing with. Refill Display with new Saltwater.

 

[duanejon]

Carbon doesn't remove much copper, but there are differences between types of carbon, so to be safe, I suggest not using it. Ammochips should be fine.

The Purigen is a wild card - I've never used that with copper. I looked on their web site and they say that Purigen has a strong affinity for amines. Coppersafe is an amine-based material. I would not use Purigen with coppersafe. Here is the text:

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

Jay

It’s my main

Is this a treatment tank or your main display?

Carbon doesn't remove much copper, but there are differences between types of carbon, so to be safe, I suggest not using it. Ammochips should be fine.

The Purigen is a wild card - I've never used that with copper. I looked on their web site and they say that Purigen has a strong affinity for amines. Coppersafe is an amine-based material. I would not use Purigen with coppersafe. Here is the text:

https://www.seachem.com/purigen.php

Jay

Thank you for checking on that

 

[duanejon]

If you don’t already have one, get a Hanna Copper Test. It will give you an exact digital read-out of your Copper levels, in Whole numbers and Decimals. Also when I do water changes on my Quarantine Aquarium, I use water from my Display. Measure it into an old Seven Gallon Marked Salt Bucket, so I know exactly how much water, I’m dealing with. Refill Display with new Saltwater.

I definitely need to do that. This is the first time in years I’ve had to treat for parasites The LFS where I buy from treats in hypo salinity and copper when they get them in. When I purchase them I put a deposit and wait until they clear the quarantine. The fish just don’t seem as strong this year which was what my original post talked about

 

[duanejon]

Ok I have an update and another question. I’m in the 10th day of treatment of velvet with chelated coppersafe. After 4 days the visible signs of parasites were absent from the fish. The concentration of copper started out at 2.1.I tested today and it’s at 1.65. I have a 125 gallon FOWLR with maybe 25 gallon sump. Here is the question. How much coppersafe do I need to add to get it back above 2.0 and will I have to start the 28 days over again ?

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Ok I have an update and another question. I’m in the 10th day of treatment of velvet with chelated coppersafe. After 4 days the visible signs of parasites were absent from the fish. The concentration of copper started out at 2.1.I tested today and it’s at 1.65. I have a 125 gallon FOWLR with maybe 25 gallon sump. Here is the question. How much coppersafe do I need to add to get it back above 2.0 and will I have to start the 28 days over again ?

How much of the 125 gallons is displaced by rock though?

Since you must have a Hanna checker, you can ease back up to a full dose. You are at about 80% of a full dose. Let's say your 125 gallons is displaced by 15% rocks (typical). 20% of that is around 21 gallons. Coppersafe is dosed at 5 ml per 4 gallons. That works out to be 26 ml to dose4 21 gallons. I would add 13 ml, let it circulate for an hour and retest. You should be around 1.87 ppm. Then, do the second addition. NOTE: double check my math to your own satisfaction.

I don't think you need to start all over again, but you might want to run out to 35 days, just to be safe.

Jay

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

Copper Power has an online calculator, so it maybe helpful too you.

 

[duanejon]

How much of the 125 gallons is displaced by rock though?

Since you must have a Hanna checker, you can ease back up to a full dose. You are at about 80% of a full dose. Let's say your 125 gallons is displaced by 15% rocks (typical). 20% of that is around 21 gallons. Coppersafe is dosed at 5 ml per 4 gallons. That works out to be 26 ml to dose4 21 gallons. I would add 13 ml, let it circulate for an hour and retest. You should be around 1.87 ppm. Then, do the second addition. NOTE: double check my math to your own satisfaction.

I don't think you need to start all over again, but you might want to run out to 35 days, just to be safe.

Jay

Thank you. I did the math and it came out the same as yours

 

[duanejon]

I noticed some parasites jumped back on the tang. They can be pretty stubborn

 

[duanejon]

Actually had the copper checked at the LFS. Definitely need to order one of the Hanna test

 

[duanejon]

The good news is I got the copper back to 2.2. The bad news is the velvet got the tang as well. Just have the trigger left. May be heading for another fallow. Going back to my original comment having had aquariums for 52 years now and marine the last 30 I’ve never had this kind of problem before. Have to wonder how the fish are being caught and treated in transport. Just finished a fallow a few weeks back due to flukes wipeout. I’m thinking of going back to just triggers soon as in my experience they appear to be the strongest. If I have to fallow for velvet I’m thinking that possibly a 2-3 month process. I may change my screen name to Jolly Good Fallow