Copper treatment (updated 5-16-2023)
What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) and Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum). There is some anecdotal evidence that copper will sometimes suppress symptoms of Brooklynella and Flukes (Monogeneans); however copper is unlikely to completely eradicate either.
How To Treat: First, it is important to know what type of copper you are using. Below is a list of the most commonly available copper products, their therapeutic level and alternative copper test kit(s) that can be used if applicable. With all copper products, it is best to test using the Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter HI702.
Starting Point: Copper sulfate, Cuprion and Cupramine should all ideally be ramped up slowly, taking several days to reach therapeutic. (Obviously, this is not always practical when treating an active outbreak of Ich or Velvet.) However, with chelated copper (Coppersafe or Copper Power) you are able to drop most fish straight into 2.0 ppm.
I then recommend taking ~ 48 hours to reach 2.2-2.3 ppm when using Copper Power.
There is no "ramping down" period that is necessary with copper treatment. Meaning, a fish can go from full therapeutic to zero copper without experiencing any issues.
Treatment timeframes: The first thing you need to know is that the "copper clock" does not start until you have reached a therapeutic level (see above). It is also important to treat at "reef temperatures" (77-80F) so the lifecycle of the parasites proceed as expected. The traditional way of using copper is 30 days at a therapeutic level in a bare bottom QT. A therapeutic level must be maintained at all times during the 30 days, so testing often is important. If the level drops even slightly out of range, then the 30 day clock restarts. One reason your copper level may drop unexpectedly is if you are treating in a tank with rock or other material which absorbs copper. Conversely, if you exceed the therapeutic level then you risk killing the fish. At the end of 30 days, remove all copper via water changes, Cuprisorb, Polyfilter, etc. and observe the fish for 2-4 weeks to ensure treatment was successful.
An alternative way to use copper is to treat for just 2 weeks and then transfer the fish to a different observation tank. However, adhering to the following "rules" is very important if you wish to try this:
Pros: Readily available, proven treatment.
Cons/Side Effects: Copper is a poison, pure and simple. It only works because most fish are able to withstand being in it longer than the parasites. Appetite suppression and lethargy are common side effects. If a fish's appetite lessens, that is usually OK. But when a fish stops eating entirely this means that you’ve likely encountered a “copper sensitive” fish and an alternative treatment should be used instead.
What It Treats: Marine Ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) and Marine Velvet Disease (Amyloodinium ocellatum). There is some anecdotal evidence that copper will sometimes suppress symptoms of Brooklynella and Flukes (Monogeneans); however copper is unlikely to completely eradicate either.
How To Treat: First, it is important to know what type of copper you are using. Below is a list of the most commonly available copper products, their therapeutic level and alternative copper test kit(s) that can be used if applicable. With all copper products, it is best to test using the Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter HI702.
- Copper sulfate (0.20 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
- Cuprion (0.20 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
- Cupramine (0.5 ppm): Seachem or Salifert copper test kit
- Coppersafe (2.0 ppm): No suitable alternative - Only use the Hanna checker
- Copper Power* (2.2-2.3 ppm): No suitable alternative - Only use the Hanna checker
Starting Point: Copper sulfate, Cuprion and Cupramine should all ideally be ramped up slowly, taking several days to reach therapeutic. (Obviously, this is not always practical when treating an active outbreak of Ich or Velvet.) However, with chelated copper (Coppersafe or Copper Power) you are able to drop most fish straight into 2.0 ppm.
I then recommend taking ~ 48 hours to reach 2.2-2.3 ppm when using Copper Power.There is no "ramping down" period that is necessary with copper treatment. Meaning, a fish can go from full therapeutic to zero copper without experiencing any issues.
Treatment timeframes: The first thing you need to know is that the "copper clock" does not start until you have reached a therapeutic level (see above). It is also important to treat at "reef temperatures" (77-80F) so the lifecycle of the parasites proceed as expected. The traditional way of using copper is 30 days at a therapeutic level in a bare bottom QT. A therapeutic level must be maintained at all times during the 30 days, so testing often is important. If the level drops even slightly out of range, then the 30 day clock restarts. One reason your copper level may drop unexpectedly is if you are treating in a tank with rock or other material which absorbs copper. Conversely, if you exceed the therapeutic level then you risk killing the fish. At the end of 30 days, remove all copper via water changes, Cuprisorb, Polyfilter, etc. and observe the fish for 2-4 weeks to ensure treatment was successful.
An alternative way to use copper is to treat for just 2 weeks and then transfer the fish to a different observation tank. However, adhering to the following "rules" is very important if you wish to try this:
- Copper level must be at FULL THERAPEUTIC (2.2-2.3 ppm if using Copper Power) for the entire 14 days (very important).
- QT water temp should stay consistently between 77-80F.
- Nothing from the QT can be reused to setup the observation tank. Transfer just the fish, nothing else!
- The two tanks should be at least 10 feet apart, to avoid any possibility of aerosol transmission. Also be careful to avoid cross contamination via wet hands, feeding apparatus, anything wet really…
- Do not lower the copper level prior to transferring. The observation tank should be copper free, so you can observe to ensure treatment was successful. You can, however, treat with other medications (e.g. Praziquantel if you need to deworm) during observation.
Pros: Readily available, proven treatment.
Cons/Side Effects: Copper is a poison, pure and simple. It only works because most fish are able to withstand being in it longer than the parasites. Appetite suppression and lethargy are common side effects. If a fish's appetite lessens, that is usually OK. But when a fish stops eating entirely this means that you’ve likely encountered a “copper sensitive” fish and an alternative treatment should be used instead.
THIS INFORMATION IS DERIVED FROM THE HUMBLE FISH WEBSITE WITH INTENTION TO HELP OTHERS. WE RECOMMEND SURFING THERE WEBSITE FOR TRUSTED CONTENT. WE DO NOT RECOMMEND POSTING IN FORUMS FOR ANSWERS AS ITS NATURAL TO SELECT WHAT SOUNDS GOOD TO YOU OVER FACTS
https://youtu.be/_h-ZsEuCs5c?si=36_m2iUgCsv2XPEy
If you can count the white dots it's usually ich. However, if they are too numerous to count there’s a good chance you are dealing with velvet.