Cupramine

[Raheel-82]

Hello, I need guidance.
Well, I want to explain the situation first. I am out of my city for work since last week. My wife is at home and she reported to me saying my yellow tang died all of a sudden. I couldn’t tell by the picture of it. At night she noticed the blue hippo is covered with ich and the sail fin is also having ich, not as bad as the hippo. She being an expectant mother was in no position to set up a quarantine tank or remove fishes from the display tank etc so I told her that the fishes need to be saved and hence I have told her to treat the fish in the dp using cupramine. Later we will see when time comes for adding corals etc, by the way I don’t have corals or inverts in the dt. Pls guide me from here, cupramine says 1ml every 40 L. My tank is 220L should be around 58 gal. I told her to dose 2.5 ML and wait for the next day so I need to know the next day plan that would be tonight, Should I tell her to dose 1 ML and the next day 1ML and then the coming day 1/2 ML. Making in total 5 ML which is one full dosage as per cupramine and then wait for a couple of days and then repeat till the theurapatic dosage is reached. Pls guide me, I am all at sea and she seems to be also worried for that fishes. I am new to copper. My last question is that since cupramine is being added to dt so there will be some absorption by rocks and sand so after the 2 full recommended doses as per cupramine instructions should I calculate and tell her to add extra till the 0.5 range is reaches. I do have copper Salifert test kit at home so she can do the testing easily and how many times she should be testing. Pls guide. Help needed.

Thank you everyone for reading.

 

[sunken3]

sorry for your issues.. i am no expert in copper dosing, but i have used cupramine in my QT tanks in the past. I would say your plan is sound. your biggest concern is not to go over the max copper level. so testing would be essential. also, you need to ensure you have no carbon in the tank (as that will neutralize the copper). Also, ensure you are NOT using any water conditioners (eg, prime, amquel, etc).. as apparently that can make cupramine become toxic.

 

[sunken3]

last, you may have future issues if you ever want inverts or corals in the tank.. so you may have to think about that.

 

[Raheel-82]

Thank you Sunken3. As the days go by, I will write back with updates and further guidance. Fishes are eating so fingers crossed. Thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello, I need guidance.
Well, I want to explain the situation first. I am out of my city for work since last week. My wife is at home and she reported to me saying my yellow tang died all of a sudden. I couldn’t tell by the picture of it. At night she noticed the blue hippo is covered with ich and the sail fin is also having ich, not as bad as the hippo. She being an expectant mother was in no position to set up a quarantine tank or remove fishes from the display tank etc so I told her that the fishes need to be saved and hence I have told her to treat the fish in the dp using cupramine. Later we will see when time comes for adding corals etc, by the way I don’t have corals or inverts in the dt. Pls guide me from here, cupramine says 1ml every 40 L. My tank is 220L should be around 58 gal. I told her to dose 2.5 ML and wait for the next day so I need to know the next day plan that would be tonight, Should I tell her to dose 1 ML and the next day 1ML and then the coming day 1/2 ML. Making in total 5 ML which is one full dosage as per cupramine and then wait for a couple of days and then repeat till the theurapatic dosage is reached. Pls guide me, I am all at sea and she seems to be also worried for that fishes. I am new to copper. My last question is that since cupramine is being added to dt so there will be some absorption by rocks and sand so after the 2 full recommended doses as per cupramine instructions should I calculate and tell her to add extra till the 0.5 range is reaches. I do have copper Salifert test kit at home so she can do the testing easily and how many times she should be testing. Pls guide. Help needed.

Thank you everyone for reading.

First, if your tank is a 220l, it would only hold 58 gallons filled to the rim and with no rocks displacing the water. If you can’t get an exact volume, I would use 85% or 49 gallons.
I also would raise the copper faster, you’ve already had fish loss and copper can take three days to work, so time is of the essence. Your wife can add the small doses of copper, wait 2 hours, test and dose again.
Jay

 

[Raheel-82]

Thanks Jay, I truly appreciate the help. I did tell her to does 1 ml in the morning and 1 ml in the night which she has just done. So there is a total of 4.5 ml of cupramine in the tank already. She did test with salifert test kit an hour back and she reported to me with the result. No copper showing yet on the test result. What should be her next step. I am no expert so solely relying on expert advice here. Would dosing 1 ml morning and 1 in the evening would be ideal till 0.5 is reached over a period of one week or this would be to fast. Pls guide. Sincerely thank the help and advice.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Thanks Jay, I truly appreciate the help. I did tell her to does 1 ml in the morning and 1 ml in the night which she has just done. So there is a total of 4.5 ml of cupramine in the tank already. She did test with salifert test kit an hour back and she reported to me with the result. No copper showing yet on the test result. What should be her next step. I am no expert so solely relying on expert advice here. Would dosing 1 ml morning and 1 in the evening would be ideal till 0.5 is reached over a period of one week or this would be to fast. Pls guide. Sincerely thank the help and advice.

Sorry, I'm not sure I understand - you should try to reach full dose (0.50 ppm) after 24 hours. Copper isn't effective until you reach a full dose, so taking a week to reach that, after you've already lost fish, almost guarantees you will lose more.

So - going with the idea the tank holds around 50 gallons; Cupramine's basic dose is 2 ml per 10.5 gallons (but this needs to be confirmed with a test kit). A full dose for your tank is going to be around 9.5 ml. You've added about half that and are getting no copper reading. That either means the copper test is in error, or your sand/rock is pulling the copper out very fast.

 

[Raheel-82]

Hello Jay,

Thanks for replying.

So, from what I gather that I may have to go above 9.5 ml as possibly the rocks and sand are absorbing cupramine. Am I correct about this. Pls advice.

My wife is dosing 1 ml in the morning and 1 ml at night. Fishes are eating well.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

You should add the copper faster than that. Do check your copper test kit though. Mix up 5 gallons of water and add a full dose of copper for that amount of water, then test it. If you don’t get a reading of 0.50 then something is wrong (you can then use that water to do a water change).
Jay

 

[LeftyReefer]

I just went through setting up a QT tank and running cupramine.
do yourself a favor and get a Hanna Copper checker. its great, and chances are, if you are going to stay in the hobby, you will be running copper again in the future, so get a Hanna tester. I highly recommend them. HIGHLY.

If you follow the directions on the bottle you end up at about .60 ppm on the hanna checker. Which is what I aimed to keep my QT tank at for the full 30 days. so far so good. I'm closing in on 30 days.

 

[Raheel-82]

Hello Jay,

the salifert copper test kit says, works with a ph of 7.5-9. If the ph is Below that range, will it work? Pls let me know.

Thanks.

 

[Raheel-82]

Help required.

salifert copper test not giving any results. To experiment 20 drops were added to 20 L of water just to get a result. My wife later read salifert says test kit suitable for 7.5-9 ph. I never had ph in those levels. Always have been around 5-6 ph. Pls help. I don’t know what needs to be done. Someone here said go with Hanna checker. I am in India and the Hanna checker is in preorder of 5-6 weeks. I don’t know what needs to be done. My tank needs 9.5 ml of cupramine. I am at 6.5 ml today. Fishes are eating.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Help required.

salifert copper test not giving any results. To experiment 20 drops were added to 20 L of water just to get a result. My wife later read salifert says test kit suitable for 7.5-9 ph. I never had ph in those levels. Always have been around 5-6 ph. Pls help. I don’t know what needs to be done. Someone here said go with Hanna checker. I am in India and the Hanna checker is in preorder of 5-6 weeks. I don’t know what needs to be done. My tank needs 9.5 ml of cupramine. I am at 6.5 ml today. Fishes are eating.

I'm not sure what you mean that your tank pH is 5-6? Normal marine aquariums run at a pH of 7.8 to 8.4 with an optimum of around 8.1

All I can tell you is that there seems to be something wrong with the test kit, or the way it is being used. That, or there is an issue with your bottle of Cupramine.

Jay

 

[Raheel-82]

Hello Jay,
Thanks for replying. I will have to go home to check the ph honestly speaking, I do not remember it for now as I have got an apex el. Need to set it up once I reach home. Yes, you are correct because I always use salifert for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I do no how to use them and even my wife. I think I need to buy new cupramine and or salifert test kit. Before I purchase I just wanted to ask you do the salifert test kits expire because on the box it says Exp 10/2020. I contacted 2 dealers here so they say both have new kits but with short expiry. Cupramine however has no expiry on it. Based on your experience and wisdom which should I purchase first. Thanks.

 

[Raheel-82]

My ph is around 7.7 just got it checked

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello Jay,
Thanks for replying. I will have to go home to check the ph honestly speaking, I do not remember it for now as I have got an apex el. Need to set it up once I reach home. Yes, you are correct because I always use salifert for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. I do no how to use them and even my wife. I think I need to buy new cupramine and or salifert test kit. Before I purchase I just wanted to ask you do the salifert test kits expire because on the box it says Exp 10/2020. I contacted 2 dealers here so they say both have new kits but with short expiry. Cupramine however has no expiry on it. Based on your experience and wisdom which should I purchase first. Thanks.

I’m sorry, I can’t tell you which might be in error, I would just be guessing and I don’t want to do that. There is also the potential issue of user error in running the test.
Jay

 

[Raheel-82]

Hello Jay,

My wife got a new Salifert copper test kit which has an expiry of 2022 so that’s a new test kit. Still no luck, no readings. She in the end took 1/4 glass full of water and added 10 drops of cupramine hoping the result would come, still no readings. What needs to be done. I have run out of ideas.
The dosage for my tank wash 9.5 ml of cupramine. For now 8.5 ml has been reached and tomorrow it will be 9.5 ml. I wonder what should I do next. Hanna copper tester is not available in India and is available on pre order of 3/5 weeks.
The fishes however are doing well and eating. The hippo tang that was covered in ich seems to be recovering well.

Pls advice. Also I many people say the same thing with copper testing, it never shows up. I don’t know if this is correct.

Thanks.

 

[Jay Hemdal]

Hello Jay,

My wife got a new Salifert copper test kit which has an expiry of 2022 so that’s a new test kit. Still no luck, no readings. She in the end took 1/4 glass full of water and added 10 drops of cupramine hoping the result would come, still no readings. What needs to be done. I have run out of ideas.
The dosage for my tank wash 9.5 ml of cupramine. For now 8.5 ml has been reached and tomorrow it will be 9.5 ml. I wonder what should I do next. Hanna copper tester is not available in India and is available on pre order of 3/5 weeks.
The fishes however are doing well and eating. The hippo tang that was covered in ich seems to be recovering well.

Pls advice. Also I many people say the same thing with copper testing, it never shows up. I don’t know if this is correct.

Thanks.

With a spiked sample like that and still a zero reading, I have to wonder if the Cupramine is bad? It doesn't really go bad, but I wonder if there was a manufacturing error? Adding more of that to the tank doesn't seem indicated, since you know it won't show up on the test kit.

Jay

 

[cmross13]

are you certain theres no carbon or "carbon-infused" media? are you running UV? UV can modify cupramine and make it toxic.

also, FWIW, don't worry about adding corals or inverts later. just pick up two $10 pouches of Cuprisorb next time you're at LFS and plop one in tank for two weeks, test(should read zero by then), toss first pouch in trash, plop second pouch in for another 2 weeks, then trash it. one 100ml pouch is more than enough for your tank volume to eliminate the copper in water column, the second is for redundancy/leeching from sand and rock, and the 2 week periods is to prevent the cuprisorb from leeching(if thats possible, i wouldnt risk it).