Copper

[CrOsSwIrE]

I recently started cycling a 125gal FOWLR, and I was wondering if anyone on this forum uses a theraputic level of copper in their main tank.

The lfs where I purchase my fish said that they use it in their fish only tanks all the time, and that it's a good preventative measure for ich, and other parasitic diseases.

Also, if it is a good Idea, would copper cause LR to discolor?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give

~mike

[stykthyn]

long term use of copper is highly detrimental to your fish and your tank. it will kill your biological filter as well as the denitrifying bacteria in your live rock. long term use will also adversly affect the fish in your tank by suppressing their immune system and causes damage to internal organs.
copper is a quick fix, not a long term cure. If you keep your water clean and have good QT practices you should have no need to ever dose your main tank. Fish stores can get away with this b/c the fish dont stay in their tanks for very long.

[CrOsSwIrE]

Understood :)

[leebca]

With the live rock, the copper will kill off all the inverts, pods, and worms that are coming in your aquarium to help with the biological cycling. After a copper treatment, your live rock will be base rock.

[CrOsSwIrE]

Ok, so I'm going to ditch the copper idea. Looks like the disadvantages outweight the good. I'll just turn my 26 gallon into a quarantine tank.

[XtrmCHoPZ]

LFS just use copper in their tanks becuase most constantly have new fish coming in, and most NEVER quarantine their fish. So they have to copper their tanks, otherwise theyd all look like the fish from Petco!

[BadOleRoss]

I recently added copper to my FOWLR tank and effectively killed off 180bs of LR. In the process of cleaning the tank and replacing the LR I managed to kill my v. lion, minitaus grouper, huma trigger, clown fish and a p. puffer. Save the copper for a QT.

[XtrmCHoPZ]

how could all of those fish possibly have died from you adding copper and then replacing the live rock? Ive had fish covered with ich before that have been switched from tank to tank, they lived.

[leebca]

It's easy to conceive. . .The death of the live rock causes an ammonia explosion, leading to high nitrites. Killers all.

The bacteria are not ready for a great influx of dead organisms. And second, the bacteria don't always surive copper themselves. They have to adjust to the copper. So you have two working together to kill the fish: an increase in waste products and not enough working bacteria to process it.

[XtrmCHoPZ]

leebca that all makes sense, its just that its kinda odd to lose all of those to me. The only things that have killed fish of mine are physical problems. Most of my fish have been exposed to horrible conditions at one time or another and theyve made it so far. Ill keep my fingers crossed!