This is an OPINION piece, I'm not a fan. CP seemingly has made a resurgence over the last few years. Funny thing is we stopped using it more than 25 years ago, because the efficacy was very dismal. As everyone stopped using it by the 90s, we figured the efficacy was about the same rate as if not treated at all. While there were questions of the safety of copper products, copper did have a very high success rate compared to cp. But then goes the question of what to use on species with copper sensitivity. Back then that research wasn't as known as it is today. So today people are choosing to use cp on lions and eels, I personally have never used it since around 1990. I do not have 1st hand information on the safety in using with lions and eels, although I have read about some negative reactions with lions. Appetite with eels have been reported to be greatly affected and any long term or aftereffects are completely unknown.
Today; Why I don't like cp, I have never seen anyone with my own eyes successfully treat an actual active disease. While cp scientifically should be very effective on protozoan diseases, for some reason most people fail when using it. Here's my take on why; 1st - know your source. If you buy a powdered version you may as well be buying it from a corner boy, who knows what this stuff actually is. You must purchase from an actually legitimate source of medical grade chloroquine, unexpired and kept in the proper conditions. CP is delicate to the exposure of uv light, that will also mean any loose pills. Once dosed you must not use the tank lights or exposed to indirect sunlight. Dosing in a display tank is a complete waste of time, it must be dosed in a hospital tank with no porous material. The long term effects on species like lions, eels, and others are unknown, just as with copper, sometimes they survive treatment, only to die soon after. For some reason many hobbyist are unforthcoming with this information.
Most people that tout cp use it as a prophylactic treatment, so they have great success treating nothing. While I personally have not seen much success using it on actual diseases, technically it should work. So anyone using it make sure it's from a reputable source, protect from uv, dose in hospital tank, verify your prescribed dosage; and you may have success.
Lions and eels do not need any prophylactic treatment for protozoan diseases. If you are keeping them in a qt/observational tank a 4 week observation is all you need. These species have a specialized slime coating which makes them very resistant to protozoan diseases. Protozoan diseases find it near impossible to attach, so once introduced as a healthy specimen there should be no need for treatment.
I still believe the best route for lions and eels are to move them from the diseased tank, keep them in pristine water conditions, and feed them a high quality diet preferably with some of my recommendations. I believe that good food is medicine. If spots are visible incorporate hyposalinity.
Today; Why I don't like cp, I have never seen anyone with my own eyes successfully treat an actual active disease. While cp scientifically should be very effective on protozoan diseases, for some reason most people fail when using it. Here's my take on why; 1st - know your source. If you buy a powdered version you may as well be buying it from a corner boy, who knows what this stuff actually is. You must purchase from an actually legitimate source of medical grade chloroquine, unexpired and kept in the proper conditions. CP is delicate to the exposure of uv light, that will also mean any loose pills. Once dosed you must not use the tank lights or exposed to indirect sunlight. Dosing in a display tank is a complete waste of time, it must be dosed in a hospital tank with no porous material. The long term effects on species like lions, eels, and others are unknown, just as with copper, sometimes they survive treatment, only to die soon after. For some reason many hobbyist are unforthcoming with this information.
Most people that tout cp use it as a prophylactic treatment, so they have great success treating nothing. While I personally have not seen much success using it on actual diseases, technically it should work. So anyone using it make sure it's from a reputable source, protect from uv, dose in hospital tank, verify your prescribed dosage; and you may have success.
Lions and eels do not need any prophylactic treatment for protozoan diseases. If you are keeping them in a qt/observational tank a 4 week observation is all you need. These species have a specialized slime coating which makes them very resistant to protozoan diseases. Protozoan diseases find it near impossible to attach, so once introduced as a healthy specimen there should be no need for treatment.
I still believe the best route for lions and eels are to move them from the diseased tank, keep them in pristine water conditions, and feed them a high quality diet preferably with some of my recommendations. I believe that good food is medicine. If spots are visible incorporate hyposalinity.
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