Fritz Coppersafe^®

FAQs

See below for frequently asked questions regarding Fritz Coppersafe®.

• Can I use hydrogen peroxide as a spot algae treatment while treating the aquarium with Fritz Mardel Coppersafe®?

  No. The complex copper in Mardel Coppersafe® will impact the hydrogen peroxide, making it ineffective against algae. It is not clear if the Mardel Coppersafe® is affected in the process so we cannot recommend using the two together.

• Do I need to remove carbon when I use Coppersafe?

  Activated carbon is safe to use during treatment with Coppersafe. Our formula uses chelated copper which isn't readily adsorbed by carbon. It is recommended to remove other types of chemical filtration including resins and other heavy metal adsorbing filter pads.

• Three days into treatment for ich with Coppersafe, and I notice some spots disappear, but then a few more appear. Is this normal during treatment?

  Yes this is normal. Continue the treatment, and check that the copper level is in the therapeutic range of 1.5 - 2.0 ppm. We recommend a minimum of 7-10 days of treatment with increased water temperature above 80 degrees.

• Coppersafe Best Practices
  • For best results, use Coppersafe in a quarantine tank
  • Remove ion-exchange resins and heavy metal adsorbing filter pads during treatment. 
  • Discontinue use of skimmer during treatment
  • Carbon does NOT need to be removed during treatment
  • UV Sterilizer can be used during treatment
  • Use with caution on aquariums with scaleless fish and other copper-sensitive livestock
  • No contraindications: can be used with all of our other products and meds including  ACCR and Complete
  • NOT SAFE for use with invertebrates, corals, snails, shrimp, clams, other crustaceans or molluscs; remove these types of livestock before dosing
  • Easy measuring: the 8 oz and 16 oz bottle caps are approximately 5 mL volume
  • Only one dose is needed to achieve the therapeutic level of 1.5-2.0 ppm copper. No second dose is needed during treatment.
  • To prevent accidental overdose in an unknown volume of water, add approximately 1/4 or 1/2 dose and test before adding additional copper.
  • If water changes must be performed during treatment, treat the replacement water with Coppersafe to maintain the therapeutic level
  • Overdosed? Perform large water changes immediately until a test kit reads below 2 ppm copper
  • Test with a reliable copper test kit that measures above 2.0 ppm copper
• What is the therapeutic range for copper in an aquarium?

  The therapeutic range of copper is 1.5ppm - 2.0ppm. Some test kits have different scales so be sure to contact the manufacturer of the test kit if you have questions!

• How often do I need to dose Mardel Coppersafe®?

  Mardel Coppersafe® is a chelated copper solution which will keep the copper active in the aquarium for up to a month, and does not require redosing once the therapeutic level has been reached. However, you should still use a test kit to monitor copper levels during treatment.

• Do I add Coppersafe to top off water during treatment?

  I've been using Coppersafe in a 5 gallon tank for 1 betta that appears to have Velvet disease. I initially dosed 3/4 teaspoon on then topped off the tank with 1 gallon treated with 1/4 teaspoon. Should I keep dosing the tank in incremental amounts as water evaporates or give it more time to work? The tank is heated to 80 degrees F and I'm running a corner bubbler filter. I have live plants and used Seachem's Aquasolum substrate.

  You should not be adding more coppersafe to evaporated water, as the copper will not evaporate. Only add Coppersafe to water you are replacing.

• Are there any animals that are sensitive to copper that I should be careful with Mardel Coppersafe®?

  Lionfish, pufferfish, mandarins, blennies, eels and any other scaleless fish should be treated with care. Start with a 1/4 or 1/2 dose, watch for adverse reactions to the copper and be prepared to do water changes. Increase dose slowly if needed. Of course, as indicated on the directions, Mardel Coppersafe® should not be used with invertebrates of any kind and should be removed from the water before returning invertebrates to the aquarium.

• How long can fish be treated with the coppersafe safely?

  I'm three weeks into treating my tank for ick and external parasites, and everyone is doing well so I'm going to add a couple fish to my tank. I would like to have the new fish treated for at least the external parasites, but I was wondering how long I would need to treat the new fish to rid them of any parasites, but also how long can the current fish be treated with the coppersafe safely?

  You can run therapeutic levels of copper in your aquarium indefinitely (as long as you do not have invertebrates.) If you are quarantining the new fish, you can run them at therapeutic levels as long as you like, for Ich I would say at least 7 days.

• I’m having trouble working out the dosage of Mardel Coppersafe® because I have a lot of rock in my tank and I’m not sure of my sump volume. Can you help?

  Because copper can be toxic when it is overdosed, you should be conservative with your estimates of water volume. Start with a 1/4 or 1/2 dose, and reassess your next amount after testing the concentration. Use a test kit to measure copper levels and if they need to be increased, do so carefully. There are many online calculators which can help you determine the volume of any rectangular sump.

• After your first treatment with Mardel Coppersafe®, how long do you have to wait to do a water change?

  Unless you observe stress in the fish, you should not do a water change during the treatment. That is because the chelated copper stays in solution for up to a month, which covers the life cycle of almost all aquarium parasites. This ensures that any eggs in the aquarium will hatch out and the parasites will be eliminated. However, if your animals are stressed, a water change may be necessary. You will need to dose the replacement water at the label dosage so that the copper remains at an effective level. For example: If you change 10 gallons of water, add a 10 gallon dose to the replacement water. Copper test kits are recommended to monitor levels in the aquarium.

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