treating with copper

[i have crabs]

well im lucky enought to find a couple spots on 2 of my fish (a foxfaceand a domino damsil) i just bought 2 small groupers and i adopted the foxface in the last 2-3 weeks i also have a yellow tang and snowflake eel
their all in a 67g qt tank while i set upo the 130g tank i have its just not full yet since i need some base rock and sand i dont need a overstocking lesson so thanks anyway but im gonna try using copper after trying hypo last time and not liking the problems i had is it safe to treat with a eel in the tank and also will the copper kill the bacteria in my filter and rocks i know to remove the carbon but should i keep the skimmer on?

 

[Phyl]

Sorry to hear about your bout with ich.

You shouldn't run copper in a tank that you're ever going to use for corals (or intend to sell to a fellow reefer). It is never really "out". It will kill the rock and I don't think I'd treat with the eel in there, but I don't know the answer there. It will also kill any inverts left in the tank.

I think your problems will be similar no matter what the method used. Either way you're going to need to be prepared for many large water changes. Good luck.

 

[Hara]

I have crabs, please use punctuation in your posts. They are quite difficult to read.
You are correct, you do not need an overstocking lesson, you do that quite well.

One thing you do need to understand is that a stressed out fish is more susceptable to breaking with ich. Overcrowding equals a stressed out fish.

Are all these fish in the 67 gallon? It is hard to tell from your post. Which tank is it you want to pour the copper in?

 

[i have crabs]

sorry about the shotty post yes thier is 5 fish and an eel in the tank right now, 3 of wich just got added and wernt planed on i know its too many but out of 4 tanks its the only one they could go in.
the tank was bought for the reason of a proper qt so copper is fine i did have a couple inverts(general star,1 hermit and 1 snail) they have all been moved and will never return
as far as the fish in 2-3 weeks they will be moved to either a 150g or a 130g depending what i decide to build first. but im not waiting 2 weeks to move the eel and i couldnt find anything saying not to copper them so i just did it and hopefully i wont regreat it.

i would still like to know if i should keep on the skimmer, and if i should expect a jump in amonia/nitrates from killing off the bacteria if copper even kills bacteria.

 

[HoopsGuru]

How exactly does one end up with 3 extra fish accidentally?

I also don't quite understand how you could have a new tank built, cycled, and safely ready for a bunch of new inhabitants in 2-3 weeks. Instead of getting answers to the skimmer, I would return all of the fish to the store before it becomes a nightmare. Build the tank, cycle it, let it mature....and do things right.

 

[quarryshark]

I would return all of the fish to the store before it becomes a nightmare. Build the tank, cycle it, let it mature....and do things right.

Agree with this. When you are ready to start adding fish, add them one at a time with a proper qt/observation period before adding them.
Basically return what you have and start anew. Slowly.......

 

[i have crabs]

ya i guess you guys are right again with your generic answers i must have no knowledge about how tanks cycle and over stocking i guess i should break down all 5 tanks and return all 20 somethin fish that have lived for 2+ years and i guess ill cancel the 130g,150g and the 300g i was upgrading to over the next 2-3 monthes
thanks again

 

[Hara]

well, all the new tanks sound fine and dandy. You had a problem, you asked for advice, it was given and you don't like what you hear. For someone with 2 years of "knowledge" you should know you are overstocked. The cash to buy new tanks does not equal the knowledge and ethics you should have to go along with them. Your first post was sarcastic and tossed down the gauntlet as far as overstocking, I answered in kind. Other people have posted to help you. Your reply is once again, sarcastic and defensive. This is the usual attitude of people that are being told they are doing something "less than the right" way and want to continue to do it their own way.

 

[tripper]

Well, I won't get into this little war here but I will say that I have treated a snowflake eel with copper when I had an ich outbreak and he handled it just fine. I don't know if that is an exception or not, but that was my experience. HTH

tripper

 

[i have crabs]

thanks tripper thats the kind of answer i was looking for.
and hara wasnt really directed at you im just sick of a lot of people on this boards fist and only piece of advice beeing your over stocked and you have know idea what your doing.
i know im curently overstocked as far as the 3 fish i bought the 2 groupers put them in with the eel i already had,then thanks to a friend that decided he wanted a clown trigger i had to adopt another tang,domino and foxface all of wich i didnt really want right now but i think thier a little better off with me than with the trigger.
as far as overstocked anyway since thier is no agression to fighting for space and no water quality issues other than the ich wich came with the 2 grouper i bought, i dont think thier is a problem at this time and since the fish will be moved over the next month of so im shure they will be just fine

 

[HoopsGuru]

The last time I checked, you had a major problem which prompted your desire to start a thread here.....if you don't want reality, don't post your obvious and blatant disregard for common sense on a public forum.

You are full of excuses for why you won't be responsible and do the right thing. Just because you don't want to hear it doesn't mean we should all put aside our own responsible consciences and tell you a bunch of nonsense just because you want to hear it.

I would challenge your concept that your fish are better off with you than with a trigger. Hmmmm, possible aggression or absolute exposure to parasites that you acknowledge are in the tank......I can't say that either is a "win" for the livestock. Now they are facing copper exposure, which regardless to its positive use for treating disease does not mean it doesn't have potentially damaging long term side effects. I also find it ridiculous to state that you "had" to adopt the three extra fish. The last time I checked, a person is able to make their own decisions on what was going into their tank....I know that friends don't decide the stocking levels of my tanks with the boneheaded decisions for their own. Those 3 fish easily could have been taken to an LFS or reef club, it happens all the time.

I still question how you will have a big new tank built, cycled, matured, and ready for all your inhabitants in the next month......although you seem steadfast on not offering any valid opinions or justifications other than that you are a victim with your current situation.....and that it is everone elses fault including those who are responsibly showing you the writing on the wall.