Cupramine Copper Medication - Seachem

Cupramine™ effectively eradicates Oodinium, Cryptocaryon, Amyloodinium, Ichthyophthirius, and other ectoparasites of both freshwater and marine fish. It is superior to copper sulfate, chloride & citrate: it is non-acidic, less toxic to fish, remains in solution, and does not contaminate the filter bed. It is superior to chelates: it is fully charged (ionic), active at low concentrations, and is removable with carbon.

There is more than a four-fold concentration gap between the minimal therapeutic dose (0.2 mg/L) and the toxic dose (0.8 mg/L). Cupramine™ is easily removable with chemical filtration. It is highly effective and safe in freshwater as well as marine water.

Before Treating

Remove all invertebrates - these are extremely sensitive to copper and will not tolerate treatment with a copper-based medication. Turn off UV filters, ozone filters, and remove chemical filtration like Purigen. Do not use in conjunction with any other medication. Do not use any products which contain reducing agents (conditioners, ammonia binders, etc.) while using Cupramine.

Treatment

If the bottle has a dropper cap, use 20 drops (1 mL) per 40 L (10.5 US gallons) the first day, wait 48 hours, then repeat. On non-dropper caps, each inner ring is 1 mL. In freshwater use a half dose. Final copper concentration is 0.5 mg/L (0.25 mg/L in freshwater). Leave at this concentration for 14 days. Do not redose without testing (Copper Test Kit). If the aquarium has ever been treated with an ionic copper (e.g. copper chloride, sulfate or citrate), test copper level after initial dosing. Although most fish tolerate Cupramine™ to 0.8 mg/L, it is not advisable to exceed 0.6 mg/L copper.

Finish the Full Treatment

Ich, velvet, and many other parasites spend a large portion of their life cycle as a cyst that is immune to medication and hiding in the substrate of your tank. Remember that you need to finish the full treatment even if you can’t see parasites on the fish!

After Treating

Cupramine can be removed using carbon. Leave the copper-absorbing media in your aquarium for at least a week after the copper concentration has reached 0 to ensure all traces of the medication have been completely removed.