CopperSafe (or other copper product): Opinions?

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I used CopperSafe on my 150G tank about three years ago. The tank had no plants or scaleless fish. It largely had African Cichlids.

I have to say it worked perfectly as it eliminated a parasite I had introduced into the tank when I added a new fish.

I literally saw it heal my favorite fish (Protomelas steveni Taiwan Reef) before my eyes. The parasite must have been embedded in the Taiwan Reef's gills. It had stopped eating about two weeks before the treatment. A few minutes after I dosed with CopperSafe, I saw the Taiwan Reef shake his head violently a few times. Within the hour he was eating (like he hadn't eaten in two weeks).

All the other fish stopped flashing and their activity level picked up after the first day of treatment. I observed no downside to the introduction of copper into the tank.

I have not had a need to use it again, but I would not hesitate.
 
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JakeH;3941215; said:
bumpity
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OK, I'll play. I registered just to participate in this glorious thread.

I keep freshwater, planted, low-maintenance low-light community tanks. Water is dechlorinated tap, pH somewhere around about 7.5-7.8. In the last couple decades I've treated ich many, many times, both in quarantine tanks, nowadays, and in the main tank (before I gave up the idea that fish with ich are always obvious.)

I've used Coppersafe successfully at the recommended dose (1 tsp/4 US gal) on: otos, kuhlis, various rasboras, various tetras, danios, gouramis, bettas, platys, and probably others I've forgotten. That's the only copper treatment I've tried.

Things I suspect reduce effectiveness are a lot of organic matter in the tank, driftwood, etc. The information in the package clearly warns against using it on invertebrates, particularly those without exoskeletons, and also notes it may harm some plants. It didn't harm my java fern, java moss, or crypts... in fact they seemed to get a boost from it. Vallisneria screamed and died almost instantly. I don't remember what other plants I've exposed to it, except as I recall it wiped out a bright green hair algae once that I didn't cry about.

My quarantine tank is always fishlessly cycled before fish go in and I have never had any biofilter disruption from Coppersafe... readings for ammonia and nitrite never budge from 0.

I had a case of ich that didn't respond to Coppersafe at all. I also had a case that didn't respond to heat/salt. I think there are strains of ich coming out of fish farms and lfs that are resistant to things and this will only get worse in time. The only medication I've never had fail is Quick Cure (malachite green + formaldehyde) but I think it's noxious stuff and don't use it anymore.

Hope that is useful for someone. My memory may not be perfect so take with a, er, grain of salt.
 
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My mom always used Coppersafe when she had tanks back in the day, always worked great for her. I have used it, and it worked great for me. No BB crash. I also used to use maracyn/maracyn 2, it was in tablet form and also worked great. I have not used either in a few years.
 
I just saw this thread! I use it all the time.But i never use as full strength,on my pbass. Also treatment for live food before feeding,also ihave used in a tank with my big marble cat without advers affect.Keep in mind never the recomende dose.Always smaller doseges and watch for results.In my exp with it i never had to use a full dose.works great if you watch what your doing.Heavy metals are hard to get rid of from what ive read though also!
 
I have used it for the past 8 months with no issues.
I used cupramine at first and it burned one of my Pbass's gills with in the first 12 hours so I discarded it and grabbed some coppersafe. I used it for flukes and I notice that I don't have the "dats occasionally flicking" like so many others here post that they do.
I used 75% dose for the first month and have always kept atleast 25% dose since then with no ill effects. I also have L014 goldy plecos and I hear it's not good to use these types of meds with them but they're thriving.
 
Almost everyone knows that invertebrates are much more sensitive to copper than vertebrates which is why copper is such a useful tool against external parasites including white spot and velvet. Shrimp, corals, live rock etc do not have vertebrae. As mentioned earlier in this thread, there are many factors which will affect the level of dissolved copper which is why you will hear of so many different experiences. It is quite simple to measure copper in water unlike most other medications so that alone makes copper versatile.

I am combating a skin fluke outbreak on a gold fish farm as I type and I have been adding large amounts of copper daily for last 2 weeks safely.
 
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