Thiosulfate

Reefahholic · Dec 7, 2018

Dr. Farley, are you aware of any salt-mix that contains thiosulfate?

If so...would it react with chelated copper in a QT tank? I know it is used as a dechlorinator, but surely if it's present in salt-mix it wouldn't be at a very high level right?

I think it depends on the amount and the pH of the solution.

Flippers4pups · Dec 7, 2018

Reefahholic said:
Dr. Farley, are you aware of any salt-mix that contains thiosulfate?

If so...would it react with chelated copper in a QT tank? I know it is used as a dechlorinator, but surely if it's present in salt-mix it wouldn't be at a very high level right?

I think it depends on the amount and the pH of the solution.

Bump. I don't personally.

Reefahholic · Dec 7, 2018

Flippers4pups said:
Bump. I don't personally.

Yeah, I was clueless that this was in saltmix. I'm guessing that it's a very low level that doesn't react. I did speak with the guy about which salt he used and he stated it was Instant Ocean.

I've used IO for years and have used ammonia reducers with it with no ill effects.

The OP didn't want to dose Copper to his QT tank out of fear that the Instant Ocean has thiosulfate (which acts as a dechlorinator) and could potentially increase his therapeutic "ionic" copper dose to 10X the normal level and kill the fish due to an overdose.

Flippers4pups · Dec 7, 2018

Reefahholic said:
Yeah, I was clueless that this was in saltmix. I'm guessing that it's a very low level that doesn't react. I did speak with the guy about which salt he used and he stated it was Instant Ocean.

I've used IO for years and have used ammonia reducers with it with no ill effects.

The OP didn't want to dose Copper to his QT tank out of fear that the Instant Ocean has thiosulfate (which acts as a dechlorinator) and could potentially increase his therapeutic "ionic" copper dose to 10X the normal level and kill the fish due to an overdose.

It's a good question. ... Anecdotally it's, as all the other salt mixes available to us in the hobby, been around for ever and a day and they have never been a problem in this regard. I've been using IO for years with no problems in a QT/Hospital tank with any meds.

Reefahholic · Dec 7, 2018

Flippers4pups said:
It's a good question. ... Anecdotally it's, as all the other salt mixes available to us in the hobby, been around for ever and a day and they have never been a problem in this regard. I've been using IO for years with no problems in a QT/Hospital tank with any meds.

Yep same here.

The question originated from Ammonia reducers such as prime being unsafe to use while dosing copper. Most of us know that ionic copper will indeed increase by 10x and kill fish if a product such as prime or amquel is use in conjunction with ionic copper. Although not recommended, it is still fairly unclear as to weather this has the same affect with chleated copper.

For me personally, I never use them anymore because I feel it's very simple to control any ammonia with what changes in most smaller QT tanks. If you were using a 75/g QT...I can see why a reefer may want to avoid water changes and try to use amquel or prime.

Flippers4pups · Dec 7, 2018

Yep, I've always said "don't use Prime or Amquel in a acclimation. Fish may have been in a copper system.

If there is any in a salt mix, it would have to be in a small quantity. Otherwise, believe me, there would be thousands of people reporting bad effects.