# Does Prime neutralize Coppersafe?



## DKRST (Jan 11, 2011)

Anyone know if Prime water conditioner impacts Coppersafe levels? I have an ick problem in one tank and coppersafe doesn't seem to be doing the trick. I was wondering if the Prime might be reducing the effectiveness. I change about 10% of the water every day or two and add coppersafe and prime together to the bucket of new water.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

A regular dose of prime only deals with regular tap water levels of heavy metals. Given the pretty elevated levels of copper coppersafe uses I doubt it has much of an effect.


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## lindsayletcher (Mar 23, 2011)

Ich treatments treat the tank, not the fish. Done a lot of research on it because my tank has it too. 4 dead fish in 48 hours. The temp is raised to 76 to help the cycle on the fish go sooner. Coopersafe kills what is on the gravel, plants, decor.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## fishmamma (Mar 31, 2011)

lindsayletcher said:


> Ich treatments treat the tank, not the fish. Done a lot of research on it because my tank has it too. 4 dead fish in 48 hours. The temp is raised to 76 to help the cycle on the fish go sooner. Coopersafe kills what is on the gravel, plants, decor.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Your temp is still too low.. it needs to be between 84-86degrees for it stop the reproduction of ick..


and no, I don't think Prime will have an impact on the Coppersafe.. 

OP, did you try dosing your tank with salt first and raising the temp?.. this along with dialy WC should help tremendiously....


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## lindsayletcher (Mar 23, 2011)

fishmamma said:


> Your temp is still too low.. it needs to be between 84-86degrees for it stop the reproduction of ick..
> 
> 
> and no, I don't think Prime will have an impact on the Coppersafe..
> ...



I know, fishmamma, but one of my cory's died because the temp was at 85. He wasn't sick of anything. The temp is the only thing I can attribute his death to.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Yes copper safe treats the water, not the fish. Your ultra high temp method doesn't treat the fish either though. You can't treat ich cysts that are on the fish period. The are highly resistant and well protected in this stage of life. They fall off the fish the cysts burst and release lots of little swimming guys. In this stage they are easy to kill. Both copper and high salt with do it. The ultra high temps only effect is to speed up this life cycle of the ich, not stop it. The sooner it goes into the free swimming/infectious stage the sooner you can kill it. I only use copper safe or aquari-sol to treat ich. Never the salt/high temp method. I have never has a problem treating ich, as far as diseases its pretty easy to deal with. It is absolutely key though to treat for a week after all signs have disappeared.


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## DKRST (Jan 11, 2011)

lindsayletcher said:


> I know, fishmamma, but one of my cory's died because the temp was at 85. He wasn't sick of anything. The temp is the only thing I can attribute his death to.


Some corys (and other fishes) really don't do well at elevated temps and the salt is not necessarily a great idea in a planted tank. Plecos don't always tolerate salt well either, in my experience. 

My ick is under control and I have used coppersafe many times in the past with great success. It is hard on the filter bacteria but it turns out I had some unrelated water quality issues I was unaware of in this particular case (finally got an API test kit). Mikaila31 is correct, the temp elevation helps move the ick to a life stage the treatment can impact - good info.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Copper sulfate medications (soluble copper salts) will not harm the bio filter. Some plants don't like it. Most plants don't like regular salt though.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DKRST (Jan 11, 2011)

Interesting to know, 'cause some bacteria in our microbiology lab don't seem to like it. I tried a little experiment, but I didn't use the typical aquaria nitrifying bacteria, just what we had in the lab...I may try a few more experiements. Could have been a fluke.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

DKRST said:


> Interesting to know, 'cause some bacteria in our microbiology lab don't seem to like it. I tried a little experiment, but I didn't use the typical aquaria nitrifying bacteria, just what we had in the lab...I may try a few more experiements. Could have been a fluke.


Yeah bacteria are very variable. I've used copper sulfate in all my tanks many times, never had a water quality problem. You must also look at concentration... I used copper safe in a chemotaxis project with C. elegens, not bacteria but nematode worms. Things were attracted to it lol!


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