Switching fish from cupramine to copper Power, best way to do it?

[cybrook1421]

I bought a royal gramma and lawnmower blenny from my LFS. They offer to hold fish to make sure they are eating and healthy before selling. While the fish are on hold, they have them in water with seachem cupramine. I'm not sure to what level or ppm. I don't know how much it fluctuates either. The guy last time said they keep it "pretty high".

I use copper power in my QT tank. Is there a way to transfer them to full strength copper power and capitalize on the two weeks they were in cupramine? Or should I just start them at 0ppm, raise it to 2.25ppm and keep it for 30 days like normal? Not sure how the two types of copper treatment affect fish. Last time I got fish from this store, I put them in 0ppm water and just started over, and they were fine. Just wanted to check! Thanks for any replies!

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I bought a royal gramma and lawnmower blenny from my LFS. They offer to hold fish to make sure they are eating and healthy before selling. While the fish are on hold, they have them in water with seachem cupramine. I'm not sure to what level or ppm. I don't know how much it fluctuates either. The guy last time said they keep it "pretty high".

I use copper power in my QT tank. Is there a way to transfer them to full strength copper power and capitalize on the two weeks they were in cupramine? Or should I just start them at 0ppm, raise it to 2.25ppm and keep it for 30 days like normal? Not sure how the two types of copper treatment affect fish. Last time I got fish from this store, I put them in 0ppm water and just started over, and they were fine. Just wanted to check! Thanks for any replies!

Hopefully somebody at the LFS knows what their copper level is (grin). Since you don't know, I wouldn't count the time the fish spent there towards its quarantine.

If you have a Hanna checker or other good copper test kit, you could move the fish right into 2.25 copper power though. That would ensure there isn't a break in levels between their tanks and yours. I'd still go 30 days, but 21 days would probably be ok. Grammas are prone to flukes, so don't neglect a praziquantel treatment as well.

Jay

 

[vetteguy53081]

I bought a royal gramma and lawnmower blenny from my LFS. They offer to hold fish to make sure they are eating and healthy before selling. While the fish are on hold, they have them in water with seachem cupramine. I'm not sure to what level or ppm. I don't know how much it fluctuates either. The guy last time said they keep it "pretty high".

I use copper power in my QT tank. Is there a way to transfer them to full strength copper power and capitalize on the two weeks they were in cupramine? Or should I just start them at 0ppm, raise it to 2.25ppm and keep it for 30 days like normal? Not sure how the two types of copper treatment affect fish. Last time I got fish from this store, I put them in 0ppm water and just started over, and they were fine. Just wanted to check! Thanks for any replies!

yes you can and assure they are acclimated to the new salinity before introduction and discard bag water

 

[nereefpat]

I wouldn't trust a fish store's copper practices. I would start the clock over.

If I didn't see any spots, I would likely drop them into 1.00 or so Copper Power. Then over a couple days (no longer than 72 hours), increase to 2+ ppm. If I saw any signs of ich or velvet, I would go full strength right away. For some reason, royal gramma seem to frequently carry ich.

 

[cybrook1421]

Thank you all for the valuable replies!

Hopefully somebody at the LFS knows what their copper level is (grin)

Yes, pretty sure the other employee does because that's what he mentioned, just didn't happen to be the one I was working with at the time.

you could move the fish right into 2.25 copper power

So, if they are on full strength cupramine, it would not harm them to go to full strength copper power even though they are different types of copper? Online says it is 0.4 - 0.5 for the cupramine. I do have a hanna tester, so I will make sure of the strength before moving them.

yes you can and assure they are acclimated to the new salinity before introduction

Yes, I will make sure to do this.

I would likely drop them into 1.00 or so Copper Power

This might be what I do anyway. Just to drop the stress levels until they get comfortable and then start upping it.

 

[DanTheReefer]

Concur with everyone else who recommended square 1. I wish all LFS would stop this practice, I really think we are creating copper resistance in ich / velvet

 

[exnisstech]

I'm surprised they use cupramine. I used it once in qt and never again because it required constant testing and dosing to maintain therapeutic levels. With copper power its set it and forget it once levels are correct.

 

[nereefpat]

I'm surprised they use cupramine. I used it once in qt and never again because it required constant testing and dosing to maintain therapeutic levels. With copper power its set it and forget it once levels are correct.

It must just be mindless reliance on what they've always done. With Copper Power/Safe, I don't see a reason to use Cupramine anymore.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It must just be mindless reliance on what they've always done. With Copper Power/Safe, I don't see a reason to use Cupramine anymore.

There was a recent public aquarium discussion - people there were also reporting issues with Cupramine. A couple of reports said that copper power at 2 pm didn't even stop small moray eels from feeding.

There is also some question if the Hanna low range copper test works in seawater (and that one has the best range for use with Cupramine). This combined with the Cupramine becoming toxic if reducing agents are used, is pushing me almost 100% to Coppersafe / Copper Power.

Jay