Lfs using copper

[Will]

As long as its clearly marked do you prefer it or not.

There was a thread today and people were asking if shops use it, and some seemed to make a big deal out of the fact they don't, this surprised me.

What are people thoughts is copper from a shops point of view a good thing or bad :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[Mrs Ziggy CGA]

As an LFS we currentley do not use copper in any of our systems and never have. We have always gone with the natural approach, ie nsw and stable conditions. We keep the fish with coral and live rock in our sale tanks and never sell anything we are not 100% happy with. So far (5 years) we have not had any major problems. We have also only handpicked the majority of our fish from TMC, knowing what we are looking for helps. However, we have noticed recentley so many people are having wipeouts or major problems with new additions, (nothing, bought from us in the last 10-12 ,months as far as we know)and we are concerned. We have/are taking steps to change how we do things in the future, we will not run copper in our sale system but will be quaranteening all livestock in the future in full strength copper prior to placing in the sales system. FWIW and IOP everyshop that uses copper in it's sales system should have visiable notices informing/advising customers at the very least. Copper is an excellant treatment when used in the correct qties and the correct application, blanket use is not good enough.
Taking into account the above I have not voted.

[tigerryes]

I think it's a good idea, a shop can be very careful in selection etc but it only takes one fish and everything gets it. Some shops will even lie how long they have had fish in and say oh yes it's been quarintined, but hasn't, mind you i suppose they could say it's been treated and they haven't. But over all i think it's a good idea, sort of a general health check for the fish, flush out any nasties, but thats just my opinion

[instantsquid]

Although it's an excellent treatment for whitespot, copper is not so effective at treating amyloodinium or brooklynella - both of which will have catastrophic results if introduced into a well stocked reef tank.

I wonder if the shop running copper in their fish system gives customers a false sense of security - i.e. no disease can get through. Clearly this is not the case. Personally I'd love to see more shops running genuine quarantine systems (i.e. 8 weeks quarantine before being put up for sale) but alas I really can't see that happening.

[Kev s]

Can't vote because I don't mind either way.

I will say that I wish it was clearly stated, even if its just that the cut tmc bags into their fish system.

I'm not sure how much value it has in the bigger picture, but visibility is important.

Kev

[davethefish]

i'd agree to copper being used to treat fish in quarantine, and think it is a good idea.
but not in the display tanks, using for too long a time can cause health problems imo.

[iain360]

Personally I'd love to see more shops running genuine quarantine systems (i.e. 8 weeks quarantine before being put up for sale) but alas I really can't see that happening.


Me too, but cash flow will prevent this from happening imo. From date of implementation, 8 weeks to first livestock sale, this will grind sales to a halt and shop owners just won't wear it.

[QUOTE][i'd agree to copper being used to treat fish in quarantine, and think it is a good idea.
but not in the display tanks.
/QUOTE]

I agree with Dave, one question I do have and have wondered for a while. If these diseases are brought in on wild caught livestock, if these were kept seperate from tank reared or in case of corals maricultured ones, surely this could and should eradicate all the wipeouts we have been seeing of late. If you have the option of buying tank bred, kept apart from wild, no chance of disease infection, how many people would do this, I for one would, or am I missing something iin that this can't be workable and these diseases are in the DNA etc?

[blub]

I think its better if copper isnt used on the shop front tanks. In QT, fine, but I know that shed loads of Copper is added regularly in TMCs, so if they didnt use copper in their tanks, the chances of having copper from their stockist supplier is very high, so wouldnt make any difference on the QT tanks.

[keith hellyar]

Yes, as long as its clearly stated that they do, so as not to introduce copper water from the bag with any new purchases. I always dispose of all bag water though just in case.

There are other ways though, uv/ozone springs to mind.

Keith