Calculate Copper Power dosage for aquariums by volume in gallons or liters, current and target ppm, or water changes for saltwater and freshwater.
Copper Power Dosing Formula
The calculator uses one base formula and rearranges it for each mode. The dosing rate depends on the product strength.
mL = Gallons × Rate × ΔppmCu
- mL = volume of Copper Power to add
- Gallons = water volume being treated (liters × 0.2642)
- Rate = 0.592 mL/gal/ppm for Copper Power Blue (saltwater), 2.36588 mL/gal/ppm for Copper Power Green (freshwater)
- ΔppmCu = target ppm minus current ppm
The Blue rate comes from the label spec of 29.6 mL per 20 gallons to reach 2.5 ppm. Green is dosed at four times the Blue rate per the manufacturer.
Each mode applies the formula differently:
- Dose tank: Δppm is target minus current, applied across the full tank volume.
- Water change: Δppm equals the maintained ppm, applied only to the volume of replacement water.
- Mix new water: Δppm equals the target ppm, applied to the new batch volume (assumes 0 ppm starting copper).
Reference Values
Common target ranges and product rates for quick reference.
| Use case | Target ppm Cu | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saltwater ich / velvet treatment | 2.0 to 2.5 | Hold for 14 to 30 days |
| Saltwater prophylactic QT | 1.5 to 2.0 | Lower stress on sensitive fish |
| Freshwater parasite treatment | ~1.5 to 2.0 | Use Copper Power Green |
| Below therapeutic threshold | < 1.5 | Not effective; ramp up |
| Product | mL per gallon per ppm | mL for 20 gal to 2.5 ppm |
|---|---|---|
| Copper Power Blue | 0.592 | 29.6 mL |
| Copper Power Green | 2.366 | 118.3 mL |
Examples and FAQ
Example 1: Initial dose. You have a 30 gallon saltwater QT at 0 ppm and want to reach 2.5 ppm with Copper Power Blue. mL = 30 × 0.592 × 2.5 = 44.4 mL. Split into two or three doses 12 hours apart to ramp slowly.
Example 2: Water change top-up. Your 40 gallon QT is held at 2.0 ppm and you swap 25%, or 10 gallons. Dose the replacement water (not the tank) with 10 × 0.592 × 2.0 = 11.84 mL of Copper Power Blue, then add it.
Why dose the new water instead of the tank? Pre-dosing the replacement water keeps the tank closer to the target through the change and avoids a temporary low-copper window that lets parasites recover.
Do I include rock, sand, or decorations in the volume? Use the actual water volume. Subtract a rough displacement estimate if the tank is heavily aquascaped, otherwise net gallons close to the listed tank size is fine.
Why ramp up over several doses? Going straight from 0 to 2.5 ppm stresses fish. Stepping up by about 0.3 to 0.5 ppm per dose lets you test along the way and stop if a fish reacts poorly.
Can I use this for invertebrates or scaleless fish? No. Copper at therapeutic levels kills inverts and harms many scaleless species. The calculator is for compatible fish in a bare quarantine system.
