Cleaning Copper out of a tank... HELP

tang_man_montreal

tang_man_montreal

Member
What's the best way to clean copper out of a tank once it's been torn down?
I medicated my QT with a copper based product, and have since torn down and drained the tank.
I rinsed it out, but am now wondering if that was enough to get the copper out? I've heard that it can stay in the silicone and glass.... Is there any truth to that?
Also, what about other things in/on the tank? Like my emperor 400 Filter? I rinsed it out as well, and bought new cartridges/bio-wheels... (Cartridges are currently "charging" with bacteria in my established 90 gal)
What method do you all use?
Please advise.. I want to get this tank going again, this time though, I will be putting a sandbed with LR in it, and QT my fish in there.. If the need arises to medicate, I will put the sick fish in a temporary 10gal tank and medicate there.
 
buzz

buzz

Active Member
I am not sure you CAN actually get all traces of copper from the tank. Although I haven't done it, I have seen in other posts on this board that once copper is introduced, your coral days with that tank are through.
Someone else may want to expand.
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
Copper will be found in any aragonite substrate if used, any LR if used, it will be in any filter media used and it can seep into the silicon in the tank and some acceories that use silicone.
It cannot soak into glass.
I have heard of people succefuly keeping corals and inverts in tanks they "cleaned up" after Cu usage. The method a freind used involved replacing all of the above except the silicon(some have replaced it). He also had not used Cu in that tank in a year, so in his case much of it may have already seeped back out of the silicon. I don't think short of replacing everything above including the silicon, you can't be sure the Cu is gone. It's not always a fixable problem short of replacing everything.
 
tang_man_montreal

tang_man_montreal

Member
DO you guys mean that I may have to replace my Emperor 400, heater, etc????
There must be a way to neutralize copper...
Otherwise it's like saying that all my equipment is now garbage????
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
I doubt you would need to replace the emperor itself, but any media would have to go and I don't see a reason to get rid of the heater. There are Cu neutralizers, but they will only get what is exposed or free in the water. That which is locked away waiting to seep back into the water weeks and months down the line is safe there until exposed. And that's the problem. I would suggest removing the above mentioned things(in my previous post) except the seals and run it a couple months with FW empty and check it for Cu and see where you are. It might help to use distilled or RO/DI water their mineral deficient and that may help pull some of the Cu out of the seals. And may help you get an idea what's left in there.
 
nerdy

nerdy

Member
I had a fish only tank and treated it with copper. I later decided to go to a reef setup. I used a product called Cop-a-Way by Aquatronics, also with a bag of cupri-sorb in my aquaclear filter.
With regular water changes it rendered the copper harmless to corals and inverts. I haven't had a problem since.
 
mykgillespie

mykgillespie

Member
You may want some more opinions on this as it's been a long time since I've used a copper treatment, but I think it will make a difference wether or not you used chelated or non-chelated copper in the medication. In the past I've used poly-pads from poly-bio marine after just about any treatment and never had any problems.
 
entice59

entice59

Active Member
when i was cleaning the tank, i noticed this type of brown color on the papertowel, it could be years of crap that my dad didnt clean up but i dont know now....
 
melbournefl

melbournefl

Member
RE: putting live rock and sand in a QT ??? I know that you said you'ld move the fish to another tank for treatment if needed but what happens if whatever the fish may have, ie parasites etc, gets into the QT tank and hence in the LR and LS? I think one reason QT tanks are pretty much bare glass boxes is so they can be disinfected if needed. Far from an expert here, just wondering?
Thanks and good luck,
Paul
 
broncofish

broncofish

Active Member
Hey paul I agree with you no lr, or ls in the qt. Just a big pvc tube for hiding and a bare bottom. Also just guessing, but if you put a new layer of silicone over the old one would that contain the copper in the silicone?
 
tang_man_montreal

tang_man_montreal

Member
Well, my decision to put LR and LS in a QT is well founded.
EVERY SINGLE fish that I've put in my bare bottomed QT with PVC pipes... EVERY FISH, has died. 3 ocelarus clowns, and a midas blennie.
Yet, I have an established 90 gal tank with tangs and other inhabitants which have NO TRACE of disease.. maybe a little HLLE on the hippo tang (From previous owner), which is being cured...
I've spoken to MANY people on MANY different boards regarding QTing.. and many have QT tanks with LR and LS to help with filtration and environments. Some even QT their fish in propagation tanks... Others don't QT at all, but we won't get into that now....
All those people have no problems QTing. any sick fish are put into a "hospital" tank for medicating.
I'm basically SICK of putting my fish in QT only to have them die. I'm trying a different route for QTing now.
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
I also use substrate and a peice of LR in my QT. It seems to work better. I know about the draw backs, but like the advantages better. Sence many of the medications seep into everyting anyway, why do I care if it's in substrate and LR have it too. The fish have been traumatized by the shipping anyway and many fish respond better if they have some LR to hide behind or substate to dig in and the QT seems more stable aswell.
and many have QT tanks with LR and LS to help with filtration and environments.
I agree.
As far as paristies in the QT. If your fish come in with them, your QT tank has them, and you have to medicate. And when you medicate, you medicate the tank, not the fish. Medication does not kill parasites in or on fish, it kills the free swimming stages in the tank in an effort to break the life cycle. So if the fish is truly cured, the tank is cured aswell. You would never take a fish you believe cured from a contaminated tank and put it in a show tank anyway.
As far as do FW medications have Cu. Yes the parasite killers do and some of the broad band ones do to.
 
tang_man_montreal

tang_man_montreal

Member
:)
Someone else agrees...
NaCl-H2O, question for you... What size is your QT, and how much LS and LR do you have in there??
My QT is a 29gal, I'm going to put about 10# of LR in there, and 1-2" sandbed.
Just wondering what you have, to use as comparison...
 
nacl-h2o

nacl-h2o

Active Member
It's only 15g, 2" of sand, two peices of LR stacked to be an upside down L against the back glass, a small mechanical hang on filter, sm heater and no light. They acclimate better in low light and back ground light works fine. This has worked fine for me for years now.
 
tang_man_montreal

tang_man_montreal

Member
Back on the copper debate...
Can I just put new silicone OVER the old silicone in the tank to essentially seal the old silicone?
Or does it have to be pulled out first?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top