When to Add Copper

[thomas_neil]

So I picked these guys up yesterday afternoon and have them in observation. They seem healthy, color came back and are eating well.

Is it okay to start dosing copper to the QT tank now? I was thinking half dose now and let them acclimate and then the rest of it tonight to get it to 2.3-2.5.

I have another group of fish I’m picking up some time this week. My LFS didn’t have enough chromis I wanted or a flame angel. I know it seems like a lot of fish to add all at once but I have a 320 gallon and a 20 gallon plumbed into the same sump and have been on a fishless cycle for about 6 weeks now. Fish are also small and I’ve been adding small amounts of ammonia everyday to the tank and it’s zero by the next day.

 

[tzabor10]

INHO, copper is an unnecessary stress on aquatic life. Do they have a disease to treat? If not, I’d skip it. A healthy fat fish has an immune system that protects it. I’d keep them in there and let them get comfortable.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

I couldn’t disagree with the above post more! If you think copper is an unnecessary stress wait until you see the fish covered in ich and/or velvet. Just look at all the posts on this site regarding disease.

Either way you have to make the final decision as to quarantine with meds or not. I don’t think ramping up chelates copper is necessary. I start at full dose.

 

[JayM]

So I picked these guys up yesterday afternoon and have them in observation. They seem healthy, color came back and are eating well.

Is it okay to start dosing copper to the QT tank now? I was thinking half dose now and let them acclimate and then the rest of it tonight to get it to 2.3-2.5.

I have another group of fish I’m picking up some time this week. My LFS didn’t have enough chromis I wanted or a flame angel. I know it seems like a lot of fish to add all at once but I have a 320 gallon and a 20 gallon plumbed into the same sump and have been on a fishless cycle for about 6 weeks now. Fish are also small and I’ve been adding small amounts of ammonia everyday to the tank and it’s zero by the next day.

If you’re going to use copper, go straight to therapeutic levels. No need to ramp up.

 

[thomas_neil]

Thanks everyone, I’m going to follow @Jay Hemdal QT process just wanted to make sure I wasn’t jumping the gun putting copper in less than 24 hours after getting them.

 

[mrpontiac80]

My qt process is hybrid tank transfer, so I’m not for sure with copper, but if you add fish after starting copper I believe your timeline will reset.
If you’re getting more fish this week, research to make sure. You might want to wait till they are all here.

 

[Fish Fan]

My qt process is hybrid tank transfer, so I’m not for sure with copper, but if you add fish after starting copper I believe your timeline will reset.
If you’re getting more fish this week, research to make sure. You might want to wait till they are all here.

You're correct about the timeline restarting if/when you add new fish, but I'm with others that use copper, and say don't wait, get them in the copper. I'd just hold the first fishes in copper until all fish were in the QT, then start the Jay Hemdal QT at day 3 (meaning copper day 1).

 

[thomas_neil]

My qt process is hybrid tank transfer, so I’m not for sure with copper, but if you add fish after starting copper I believe your timeline will reset.
If you’re getting more fish this week, research to make sure. You might want to wait till they are all here.

I have a couple QT tanks set up 2 10s and a 20 so I was going to do a seperate qt for the new fish. I got a couple of tanks when petco had a big sale so I’d be covered on QT and hospital tanks

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a couple QT tanks set up 2 10s and a 20 so I was going to do a seperate qt for the new fish. I got a couple of tanks when petco had a big sale so I’d be covered on QT and hospital tanks

Just a word of caution - I've had some quarantine systems stacked like that. You need to be REALLY careful that water droplets (even aerosol spray) cannot move from tank to tank. Tank tools can also transmit disease from tank to tank (I see the gravel cleaners in the pic).

If you want to read more about biosecurity, here is an article I posted:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/biosecurity.812/

 

[thomas_neil]

Just a word of caution - I've had some quarantine systems stacked like that. You need to be REALLY careful that water droplets (even aerosol spray) cannot move from tank to tank. Tank tools can also transmit disease from tank to tank (I see the gravel cleaners in the pic).

If you want to read more about biosecurity, here is an article I posted:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/biosecurity.812/

Thanks I’ll definitely give this a read! I will definitely have qt only equipment, I didn’t think about it transferring through stuff like gravel vacuums. I’ll keep everything separated, I needed new gravel vacs anyways