CopperSafe By Mardel For Ich?

[Rocco Sieffridi]

Trying this for the first time. Anyone have any experience with this product? A little skeptical on ich meds that dont require removal of the carbon...

[Zagz]

Pass on the meds for ich. They damage the bacterial cultures and are harder on the fish. To beat ich turn the heat up in the tank to 88 F and leave it there for 2 weeks after the last spot of ich is gone. Add extra aeration or lower the water level to create more splash.What kind of fish are afflicted and what size tank?

[Rocco Sieffridi]

Medium cichlids ( oscars, jacks, convicts )

[Zagz]

Moved to unhealthy fish.

Cichlids will still be ok in the higher temps. I had loaches in a 125 with cichlids and the loaches got ich and I did the heat treatment and all was well.

[An t-iasg]

I agree with Zagz - turn up the heat and don't use the meds. The ich parasite is present in the tank in three different life stages: a stage that is on the fish, a stage that is free-swimming in the water, and a stage that is in the gravel, where it reproduces. The free-swimming stage is the only stage at which they are vulnerable to the meds. Raising the heat kills them at all the stages. The reason for keeping the heat up for two weeks after you see the last spot is to ensure that all the eggs in the gravel are done hatching. You should do a water change every day also. It will help remove some of the free-swimming ich. You won't remove them all with a water change, but you want to get as many out as possible to minimize the number that can return to the gravel and reproduce.

[Courtney8526]

Turning the heat up works. I just did it after Zagz advised me to (thanks for that by the way) I did lose 2 of the 3 fish but I caught it a little late. But the third is doing great now and now has new friends. But don't hesitate, time is crutial, in my experience anyway.

[Rocco Sieffridi]

I went with the coppersafe but after 3 days I see no improvement. 2 questions. How long should I wait to give 2nd dose and second, even though it days you don't have 2 remove the carbon, should I go ahead and remove it anyways?

[Kerbchek]

I'd go with turning the heat up - I just had ich on a few fish in my 55... raised the temp to 88 degrees F, the next day I saw fewer spots on the fish... a few days later I saw no spots - I still have the tank set to 88 degrees F because of advice I learned here - I want all to be gone, as well as any parasites that may be floating around. I would also suggest frequent water changes... but according to my family I'm a water change freak... The slightest hint of disease, amonia, or a dead fish and I'm freshening up the water...

good luck, ich is no fun.

[stevedave]

Coppersafe stays in the water for up to a month. dont add a second dose unless it gets worse not better. give it a few more days. Carbon will not remove the copper from the water thats why it says to not remove it. I use coppersafe for ich in my tanks and I have never had a problem with re-cycling afterwards. I also use as little as possible to get results (usually a half dose but I catch any ich soon as I look at my fish at least an hour a day.)