How long does it take for the cupramine to work?

[marlin85]

3 days ago was my 1 week mark for doseing the cupramine. Ive been keeping it at .5 and my vlamingi tang now has alot of spots on him and is breathing heavily. His eyes are a little cloudy also, but he is still eating. How long should it take for the cupramine to work? does temperature affect the treatment at all? Should I try adding any other medications along with the cupramine?

Thanks

[jonathansruelas]

Read sticky at top about mixing cupramine with other meds.. Cupramine to be effective should be 2 to 4 weeks after lost spot was seen. 4 weeks Is better.. Are you sure its at .5? There shouldn't be ich on fish if u had this going on for a week already.. Temp 78

Not that experienced with this but I have gathered this info from other reefers

[jcmjoe]

Im still learning also But I have my fish in a quarantine tank with cupramine for an Ich outbreak, after 1 week the spots were gone and the fish stopped scratching. I noticed I have to add cupramine regularly to keep it at the recommended level. It will absorb into any substrate or rocks you may have. Goodluck

[sandwi54]

are you sure those are ich spots? all of the ich spots should've disappeared in 1.5 weeks at the normal reef tank temperature. can you take a close-up, clear photo of the tang?

[MrTuskfish]

are you sure those are ich spots? all of the ich spots should've disappeared in 1.5 weeks at the normal reef tank temperature. can you take a close-up, clear photo of the tang?

Yes, and what are you using to test the copper level?

[marlin85]

I have the seachem copper test and a API copper test. I can never tell what the API says and still with the seachem it's a little tough to tell the colors apart but I'm pretty sure it's at .5. I might be able to get a pic later. I think we determined with the severity of the infestation it's velvet. Just not sure why the tang is still showing Alot of spots.

[MrTuskfish]

The way to determine velvet is by a white or gold hued filmy coating on the fish (often easiest see looking at the fish head-on); not necessarily the number of "spots". Velvet also starts killing fish much faster. In any case, treatment is the same and you should see improvement by now. I think the treatment must be working some; if this was velvet, the fish would probably be dead by now. Re; Your temp question. Temp has no real effect on SW parasites like it may on some in FW. Is this fish in a QT? is ammonia a problem?

[Tin_Whistler]

I have the seachem copper test and a API copper test. I can never tell what the API says and still with the seachem it's a little tough to tell the colors apart but I'm pretty sure it's at .5.

Always use a test kit made by the same manufacturer as the medicine maker...

I'm guessing this is your problem here. I'd be willing to bet you're not at .5

[sandwi54]

just to make sure, your QT is bare-bottom with no live rocks, live sand, and any commercial tank decorations right? All of them would absorb copper lowering its concentration over time.

I would suggest that you pick up a salifert test kit. It's a lot easier to read than the seachem one (i could never distinguish between 0.3 from 0.4 from 0.5ppm, etc.). it doesn't sound like it's velvet since your fish would've been dead by now, and velvet is killed at a much lower dosage than ich, around 0.15-0.2ppm, whereas ich requires 0.25-0.35ppm.

Please get the photo uploaded so we can take a look and see if it's truly ich or something else.

[MrTuskfish]

just to make sure, your QT is bare-bottom with no live rocks, live sand, and any commercial tank decorations right? All of them would absorb copper lowering its concentration over time.

I would suggest that you pick up a salifert test kit. It's a lot easier to read than the seachem one (i could never distinguish between 0.3 from 0.4 from 0.5ppm, etc.). it doesn't sound like it's velvet since your fish would've been dead by now, and velvet is killed at a much lower dosage than ich, around 0.15-0.2ppm, whereas ich requires 0.25-0.35ppm.

Please get the photo uploaded so we can take a look and see if it's truly ich or something else.

Yeah, I have a kid who can read a SeaChem test very accurately. I can come close, but "close isn't good enough in many cases. SeaChem suggests either a SeaChem or Salifert. The Salifert has become easier for me.

[agnes66666]

the best thing to do with Seachem test kit is to run reference test or what I did..I mix 1 drop of cupramine to 1 litre of saltwater and then run the test. 1drop on 1litre of water is 0.5 copper level, which is exactly the same as reference (I check that several times, colour is identical like on reference 0.5 copper level). Then I run another test 2 litres water mix with 1 drop of Cupramine(half recomended dose- which is 0.25 copper level). Then I run acctual test of my aquarium water with added cupramine. Looking on 2 previous tests( 0.5 level and 0.25 level ) , and compare the colours will give you good ideas what copper level is in your tank! If you see both tests (0.5 full dose and 0.25 half dose) you will see that 0.5 is purple and 0.25 is VERY light blue. I keep in beetween 0.3- 0.4 which is blue.Instruction on the bottle says- 1 drop for 1 liter will give you recomended dose which is 0.5, but therapeutic level starts from 0.25. aga

[Deinonych]

the best thing to do with Seachem test kit is to run reference test or what I did..I mix 1 drop of cupramine to 1 litre of saltwater and then run the test. 1drop on 1litre of water is 0.5 copper level, which is exactly the same as reference (I check that several times, colour is identical like on reference 0.5 copper level). Then I run another test 2 litres water mix with 1 drop of Cupramine(half recomended dose- which is 0.25 copper level). Then I run acctual test of my aquarium water with added cupramine. Looking on 2 previous tests( 0.5 level and 0.25 level ) , and compare the colours will give you good ideas what copper level is in your tank! If you see both tests (0.5 full dose and 0.25 half dose) you will see that 0.5 is purple and 0.25 is VERY light blue. I keep in beetween 0.3- 0.4 which is blue.Instruction on the bottle says- 1 drop for 1 liter will give you recomended dose which is 0.5, but therapeutic level starts from 0.25. aga

Great idea!

[33mm33]

the best thing to do with Seachem test kit is to run reference test or what I did..I mix 1 drop of cupramine to 1 litre of saltwater and then run the test. 1drop on 1litre of water is 0.5 copper level, which is exactly the same as reference (I check that several times, colour is identical like on reference 0.5 copper level). Then I run another test 2 litres water mix with 1 drop of Cupramine(half recomended dose- which is 0.25 copper level). Then I run acctual test of my aquarium water with added cupramine. Looking on 2 previous tests( 0.5 level and 0.25 level ) , and compare the colours will give you good ideas what copper level is in your tank! If you see both tests (0.5 full dose and 0.25 half dose) you will see that 0.5 is purple and 0.25 is VERY light blue. I keep in beetween 0.3- 0.4 which is blue.Instruction on the bottle says- 1 drop for 1 liter will give you recomended dose which is 0.5, but therapeutic level starts from 0.25. aga

I realize this is an old post but wanted to say thanks for this information! This helped me out.