Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

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SPENCERSmommy09
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:52 pm

Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by SPENCERSmommy09 » Sat Jan 26, 2013 9:36 pm

Ok I have had ich for about a week and a half... I started treating with Koardon Ich Attack (it worked wonderfuly before) well it sucked this time around and my clown loach has only gotten worse. He is happy and swimming but he is covered in ich (I feel like a horrible fish mom!) so today I broke down and went to the pet store hoping to find API quick cure as it was recommended before. They were out and all they had that the guy said was safe for loaches, my albino cory and my pleco was Merdel Coppersafe... I need to know by some experianced people that I can use it on loaches, cory cats and my pleco.

It says use 1tsp for every 4 gallons and it treats for one month (and to add it every time I add water) so do I just add it once and then done (and add the amount for replacement water). They didnt have any copper testing kits so I am crap out of luck till I go to another pet store. Also will my API stress coat + take out the coper in the med? Or will it be fine? (because lets face it... I need a conditioner and they ALL said takes out heavy metals and chol)....

Also I turned my tank up to 80-81 (my tetras freak out if it is much higher so I might go to 82 IF I need to)... and I bought aquarium salt... I heard that plecos, cory cats and loaches are sensitive to salt... so do I half dose? Can I use my heat, coppersafe and the salt all at once? Your thoughts on salt at all?

Thanks all help is welcomed and needed!

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DainBramage1991
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Location: Northern New England

Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by DainBramage1991 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 1:05 am

Loaches are not tolerant of copper, so using Coppersafe is definitely not the way to go (it is copper sulfate, which is toxic to loaches). I don't know if that product will remove the copper from the water, but I seriously doubt that it would remove it from the fish. The effects of metals on animals is cumulative and usually can only be treated though chelation (special meds that cause the metals to be excreted). It's best to not add the copper in the first place.

I don't know what species of tetras you have, but my white-skirt tetras have tolerated temps up to 87 F without any signs of distress. They get a bit more active, as their metabolisms speed up with the higher temperature, but they were perfectly fine. In fact, all of my fish (loaches, catfish, tetras, and rainbows) were fine, once the ich died off.

Here are my recommendations:

Increase tank temp to 86 - 87 F - At that temp the ich cannot reproduce or attach to new hosts and will die off
Increase aeration, as warmer water contains less oxygen
Slowly add aquarium salt (catfish and loaches are sensitive to it, but if it is added slowly they do just fine)
1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons is a good place to start for ich treatment
Continue to use the Kordon Ich Attack as directed, for as long as directed
Keep a close eye on the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrates
Perform partial water changes including vacuuming all of the gravel (or as much as you can) at least every other day
Keep the water temperature up for a full 2 weeks (or longer) after the LAST sign of ich - This is very important!
Consider adding a UV sterilizer to prevent future recurrences

I'm not an expert, and if anyone else has anything helpful to add to this, please do.

Good luck, I hope your fish get healthy.

SPENCERSmommy09
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:52 pm

Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by SPENCERSmommy09 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:26 pm

Well last night I added a 60% dose of the coppersafe... I litterally had to do something! And I only added 1/2 the dose for salt as I read (on like a billion pages) that plecos are sensitive to salt. When I woke up the loach seemed fine, still covered in ich... but fine. He is still happy and playful and all the other fish are ok... Temp is at 82 right now. I will try again to raise it a little more... hoping my pleco and tetras do not freak out (read pleco likes it 68-82... so hopefully he might be ok).

To be honest I am just about to pull my hair out on this. This is my second time with ich and the last time was really simple. This one just wont stop. Anyone else get frustrated? I mean this is taking WEEKS to clear up... and its not the water changes or adding crap that is bothering me... its that this poor fish is having to go through this.

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DainBramage1991
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Location: Northern New England

Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by DainBramage1991 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 2:45 pm

Perseverance is the key, it took me 2 months to eradicate the ich in my tank.

Raise the temp, your fish will be fine as long as you add extra aeration. The high temp is your best bet for saving your fish.

SPENCERSmommy09
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Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2013 3:52 pm

Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by SPENCERSmommy09 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:29 pm

Thank you. Will the heat kill it or just keep it from reproducing? Because I mean if I turn the tank down in a week after the ich falls off him... isn't there a chance it could come back?

It is up to 82 but I turned the heater up another "click" a while ago. So it should go to 84 before their "bedtime" and then if everyone is lookin good in the morning I can try to bump it up to 86... I hope it wont harm my pleco though.

Whats the lowest temp to make the ich stop? And how long do I keep it there once it falls off?

SPENCERSmommy09
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Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by SPENCERSmommy09 » Sun Jan 27, 2013 10:31 pm

Oh and I have one air stone (small) and a bubbling cheast. And I "on the back" filter... and two live plants. Is that enough air?

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DainBramage1991
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Location: Northern New England

Re: Coppersafe for ich? And salt?

Post by DainBramage1991 » Wed Jan 30, 2013 2:20 pm

At 85 degrees, normal ich (not the heat resistant strain) can no longer attach to new hosts. At 86, it starts to die off. That's why 86-87 is the butter zone. It's high enough to be lethal to the ich without being overly stressful to most tropical fish. Leave the tank at 86 for AT LEAST 2 full weeks after the last sign of infection. 3 weeks would be even better, and a month can't hurt. Keep doing partial water changes and gravel vacuuming at least every other day.

You need more aeration than 1 small stone and an ornament. Consider lowering the water level to the point that the outflow from your power filters splashes significantly. Also consider adding a long (12" or longer) airstone and a decent sized pump to power it. Around here, those items can be purchased for less than $25 total. If you have power heads, you can add air through the venturi hole, if they have them (most do) and you won't need to use a pump.

Again, I can't stress enough: do not use Coppersafe with loaches.

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