Copper In Fish Food

elwaine · 03/26/2015, 10:47 AM

My first fish arrives tomorrow. I have my QT set up and ready to accept the new guy (or gal).

Because I often travel and have to leave my 10 gallon reef aquarium unattended for about a week at a time, I want to get my Yellow Clown Goby started on dry food. So after doing an internet search for recommendations on dry fish food, I purchased Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flakes and Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes. I also purchased New Life Spectrum 1mm pellets and Ocean Nutrition Formula Ocean Nutrition Formula One Small Pellets.

First off, I've been duped by Ocean Nutrition. There is virtually no significant differences between their Prime Reef Flakes and their Formula One Flakes. They just slightly jockeyed the percentage of ingredients so that the listed order of ingredients in each product reads differently. But the ingredients themselves are virtually the same. That tics me off.

But what concerns me more is that all three Ocean Nutrition products -- unlike the New Life Spectrum product -- contain Copper Sulphate. In my former marine aquariums, I made my own food and never used dry food. But I no longer have that option for reason stated. However, in my freshwater aquariums, where dry foods are the rule, I was always advised against using fish foods that contain copper because copper is toxic to inverts.

So what do those in the know on this forum think about using copper containing fish foods?

ichthyogeek · 03/26/2015, 11:38 AM

Well Hikari's Shrimp Cuisine has Copper Sulfate in it, yet my freshwater shrimp aren't dead. I think the general rule is that as long as the CuSO4 isn't in too high of a percentage in the product, then your inverts are safe. Some inverts actually need copper for blood, etc. If you're really worried, you might run some Cuprisorb or another type of copper binding agent in the water to keep levels down.

Dmorty217 · 03/26/2015, 12:32 PM

Chloroquine Phosphate is also toxic to any invert without a exoskeleton but when I was feeding the Ich shield food I had one fish eat one pellet even though I would only feed this food and the left overs were eaten up by my bristleworms and I never noticed any of them dying from it. Not that it didn't happen I just didn't see it. You like the little trick Ocean Nutrition pulled with that did yeah?? I noticed this years ago and then stopped feeding flake since its mostly just a filler food and water fouler

tkeracer619 · 03/26/2015, 12:43 PM

Copper is in a lot of stuff. Your saltwater mix, food, ect.

A lot of inverts have copper based blood, this may be where it comes from in that food.

I only feed two kinds of flake. NLS and Spirulina flake.

Be careful with an auto feeder an a 10g. It could easily nuke it.

GreshamH · 03/26/2015, 02:11 PM

The amount of copper is negligible to your aquarium unless you are grossly over feeding. Very little is contained, but fish and other livestock do indeed need it.

I should note that I work for an aquarium feed manufacturer (Reef Nutrition).

mtgmichaelg · 05/23/2019, 12:30 PM

I have been using the hikari shrimp cuisine to cycle my tank because I had it laying around. The concentration is 29 mg/kg and copper sulfate is listed as the second to last ingredient. Will I have any problems with coral/inverts in the future? I would assume no, but I thought that I would check before starting to stock my tank. Thank you! Sorry for posting on an old thread!

ThRoewer · 05/23/2019, 01:39 PM

Like with everything else, the dosage makes the poison.
Traces of copper are actually vital for the well-being of fish, inverts, plants, and even corals.
Copper only becomes a problem if it accumulates to concentrations in the toxic range. But for a number of reasons that is rather unlikely in a reef tank, predominantly due to the high calcium levels you usually maintain.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

03/26/2015, 10:47 AM	#1
elwaine The mad reefer Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Florida Posts: 296	Copper In Fish Food My first fish arrives tomorrow. I have my QT set up and ready to accept the new guy (or gal). Because I often travel and have to leave my 10 gallon reef aquarium unattended for about a week at a time, I want to get my Yellow Clown Goby started on dry food. So after doing an internet search for recommendations on dry fish food, I purchased Ocean Nutrition Formula One Flakes and Ocean Nutrition Prime Reef Flakes. I also purchased New Life Spectrum 1mm pellets and Ocean Nutrition Formula Ocean Nutrition Formula One Small Pellets. First off, I've been duped by Ocean Nutrition. There is virtually no significant differences between their Prime Reef Flakes and their Formula One Flakes. They just slightly jockeyed the percentage of ingredients so that the listed order of ingredients in each product reads differently. But the ingredients themselves are virtually the same. That tics me off. But what concerns me more is that all three Ocean Nutrition products -- unlike the New Life Spectrum product -- contain Copper Sulphate. In my former marine aquariums, I made my own food and never used dry food. But I no longer have that option for reason stated. However, in my freshwater aquariums, where dry foods are the rule, I was always advised against using fish foods that contain copper because copper is toxic to inverts. So what do those in the know on this forum think about using copper containing fish foods? __________________ Been in this hobby for 3 hours and 27 minutes and I'm Still Not An Expert!

03/26/2015, 12:32 PM	#3
Dmorty217 Saltwater Addict Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Vandalia OHIO Posts: 11,624	Chloroquine Phosphate is also toxic to any invert without a exoskeleton but when I was feeding the Ich shield food I had one fish eat one pellet even though I would only feed this food and the left overs were eaten up by my bristleworms and I never noticed any of them dying from it. Not that it didn't happen I just didn't see it. You like the little trick Ocean Nutrition pulled with that did yeah?? I noticed this years ago and then stopped feeding flake since its mostly just a filler food and water fouler __________________ Fish are not disposable commodities, but a worthwhile investment that can be maintained and enjoyed for many years, providing one is willing to take the time to understand their requirements and needs Current Tank Info: 625g, 220g sump, RD3 230w, Vectra L1 on a closed loop, 3 MP60s, MP40. Several QTs

03/26/2015, 12:43 PM	#4
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Copper is in a lot of stuff. Your saltwater mix, food, ect. A lot of inverts have copper based blood, this may be where it comes from in that food. I only feed two kinds of flake. NLS and Spirulina flake. Be careful with an auto feeder an a 10g. It could easily nuke it. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

03/26/2015, 02:11 PM	#5
GreshamH Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 9,474	The amount of copper is negligible to your aquarium unless you are grossly over feeding. Very little is contained, but fish and other livestock do indeed need it. I should note that I work for an aquarium feed manufacturer (Reef Nutrition). __________________ Gresham _______________________________ Feeding your reef...one polyp at a time

05/23/2019, 01:39 PM	#7
ThRoewer Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Fremont, CA Posts: 9,555	Like with everything else, the dosage makes the poison. Traces of copper are actually vital for the well-being of fish, inverts, plants, and even corals. Copper only becomes a problem if it accumulates to concentrations in the toxic range. But for a number of reasons that is rather unlikely in a reef tank, predominantly due to the high calcium levels you usually maintain. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk __________________ Pairs: 4 percula, 3 P. kauderni, 3 D. excisus, 1 ea of P. diacanthus, S. splendidus, C. altivelis O. rosenblatti, D. janssi, S. yasha & a Gramma loreto trio 3 P. diacanthus. 2 C. starcki Current Tank Info: 200 gal 4 tank system (40x28x24 + 40B + 40B sump tank + 20g refugium) + 30x18x18 mixed reef + 20g East Pacific biotop + 20g FW +...

03/26/2015, 11:38 AM	#2
ichthyogeek Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Arkansas Posts: 742	Well Hikari's Shrimp Cuisine has Copper Sulfate in it, yet my freshwater shrimp aren't dead. I think the general rule is that as long as the CuSO4 isn't in too high of a percentage in the product, then your inverts are safe. Some inverts actually need copper for blood, etc. If you're really worried, you might run some Cuprisorb or another type of copper binding agent in the water to keep levels down.

05/23/2019, 12:30 PM	#6
mtgmichaelg Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: Miami, FL (Coral Gables) Posts: 90	I have been using the hikari shrimp cuisine to cycle my tank because I had it laying around. The concentration is 29 mg/kg and copper sulfate is listed as the second to last ingredient. Will I have any problems with coral/inverts in the future? I would assume no, but I thought that I would check before starting to stock my tank. Thank you! Sorry for posting on an old thread!