Has anyone ever heard of putting pennies in an aquarium to keep ick away?

Question

I put 3 pennies in my aqaurium, and when i got home from work my aquarium leaked and i had 2 dead fish. Could be coincidence tho.

Answer 1

I have indeed herad of that and have several older books like the Innes book that recommend it. That was from before the days of many medications being readily available but it was grounded in some fact. Some of the very best ich medications are copper compounds. Pennies of the day were solid copper and you were banking on enough copper dessolving in the water to kill stray ich that got into the tank. Todays pennies don;t contain nearly as much copper and do contain a few metals that are less healthy even than copper. The leak and the dead fish would be coincidence as 3 pennies wouldn't have been able to leech enough metal into the water to do any damage especially in such a short time.

That was an old time cure who's day is past, now it's better to use either current medications or the salt / heat method of killing ich when you get it in the tank.

MM

Answer 2

Aquarium Ick

Answer 3

NEVER put anything in an aquarium that is NOT aquarium grade products... if you do.. you get just what you did.. dead fish!

To prevent ick... keep the tank clean..and use an approved ick prevention medicine... keep the tank's water properly adjusted...

As for the leak.. that I think is coincidence.. The dead fish.. is definately from the pennies..

Answer 4

Throwing pennies into any water, especially a small space like an aquarium will kill your fish. Pennies are toxic.

Many animals in zoos have died when people foolishly threw pennies into their pool of water...

Answer 5

Copper treatments are used to treat ich, but throwing in a penny is rather in exact. Personally I find copper based treatments to be easier on my fish, but less effective on the ich. Also copper is toxic to fish in large amounts. A better preventive is to quarantine new fish, and keep the ammonia/nitrite//nitrate levels under control.

Answer 6

Money is usually covered with germs. People's hands are one of the dirtiest things in the world, but you can wash the germs off of your hands or your pennies with soap and water. The soap and the scrubbing is important. Try squirting a dirty car with plain water. You will end up with a wet dirty car.

Answer 7

i heard it and i tryed it once it worked, but the second time same amount of pennies 5 all my fish died even those with out ich i think they died from the pennies :D

Answer 8

Don't put pennies in there. The copper will kill your fish.

Answer 9

Do not do that! Pennies, like other coins are very dirty and full of bacteria. They kill fish. It is a fact.

Answer 10

pennies will kill your fish!!! besides using some kind of medicine...make sure your water temperature doesn't fluctuate alot. thems the ideal conditions for ich to strike.