copper

[bkvreef]

I am also posting this in reef.
I think I have a copper problem in an aquarium I bought recently.
My question is: Obviously if I ever want to have inverts and/or corals I need to get a new tank. However, will the copper be absorbed into powerheads, pumps, skimmers?
Will I need to get new live sand? I know the copper will absorb into the live rock but is the live sand ok?

 

[hot883]

Originally Posted by bkvreef
I am also posting this in reef.
I think I have a copper problem in an aquarium I bought recently.
My question is: Obviously if I ever want to have inverts and/or corals I need to get a new tank. However, will the copper be absorbed into powerheads, pumps, skimmers?
Will I need to get new live sand? I know the copper will absorb into the live rock but is the live sand ok?
It will be absorbed in lr, ls, sylicone etc.

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by bkvreef
I am also posting this in reef.
I think I have a copper problem in an aquarium I bought recently.
My question is: Obviously if I ever want to have inverts and/or corals I need to get a new tank. However, will the copper be absorbed into powerheads, pumps, skimmers?
Will I need to get new live sand? I know the copper will absorb into the live rock but is the live sand ok?
It does soak into anything porous (sand rocks silicone etc.).All of that will need to be replaced. You will need to replace the filter pads. The other equipment you can just clean realy well with white vinegar.
Just out of curiosity, why do you think this tank had copper in it?

 

[beth]

Have you tested your water for copper? Why do you think you have a problem?

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
It does soak into anything porous (sand rocks silicone etc.).All of that will need to be replaced. You will need to replace the filter pads. The other equipment you can just clean realy well with white vinegar.
Just out of curiosity, why do you think this tank had copper in it?
In the past three months I moved from a 55g to a 110g. Prior to moving I had numerous snails, a green brittle, a cucumber, sand sifting star, frogspawn, green star polyps. When I moved all the lr, ls, water along with the other inhabitants.
I checked often for spikes and I was very fortunate. However, all the above have died. My hermits have survived and my fish, 2 percs, coral beauty, ywg, algae blenney, scooter 3 chromis have survived.
I recently put a green brittle in (after drip acclimating him for an hour) and he died within 2 days.

 

[fbm]

If you have/had copper hermits would die also.

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by fbm
If you have/had copper hermits would die also.
That's what I thought too?!
But I can't come up with any other explanation.

 

[sepulatian]

How did you move them? Did you make sure the new tank water and the old were as close as possible in all readings and drip acclimate them? Inverts need a 3-4hr acclimation and stars need 4+hrs.

 

[lion_crazz]

Originally Posted by fbm
If you have/had copper hermits would die also.
Not always, depending on what type of copper was used. Someone I know used copper in his display tank (Copper Safe) and it did not kill his cleaner shrimp. He cannot put any kind of snail, hermit, or starfish into the tank now though.

 

[bkvreef]

Originally Posted by sepulatian
How did you move them? Did you make sure the new tank water and the old were as close as possible in all readings and drip acclimate them? Inverts need a 3-4hr acclimation and stars need 4+hrs.
When I transfered I used all of the water from the old tank and 55 new water.
and they were very comparable.
The acclimation? do you mean for the introducing or for the transfer?

 

[catman99]

I have been treating my 125 display with Coppersafe going on day 5. Fish are okay, hermits are okay, and cleaner shrimp are fine. I did remove snails and a Red Chocolate Star prior to treating.
I know the copper will remain in this system for some time, after the 30 day treatment period, I will start using carbon filter to remove as much as possible. My LFS guy says we can eventually get the rock back to LR by add Marc Weiss bacteria. Any truth to that or do I now have a great FO tank?

 

[sepulatian]

Originally Posted by Catman99
I have been treating my 125 display with Coppersafe going on day 5. Fish are okay, hermits are okay, and cleaner shrimp are fine. I did remove snails and a Red Chocolate Star prior to treating.
I know the copper will remain in this system for some time, after the 30 day treatment period, I will start using carbon filter to remove as much as possible. My LFS guy says we can eventually get the rock back to LR by add Marc Weiss bacteria. Any truth to that or do I now have a great FO tank?
Copper should NEVER be added to a display tank. Coppersafe is a low dose of copper, but if you are continuing to add it it will kill the invets that are still in there. Do you have a copper test kit? Please keep in mind that ich is an invert. You CANNOT kill one invert without killing them all. As for the rock, if it is in the tank now with the copper it is not going to regrow the life (microrganisms) no matter what you pour into the tank. It will get algae and bacteria, that is all.

 

[catman99]

I added the coppersafe per the instructions on the product. I have been doing regular testing of the water and they are still within the parameter that are recommended. The ICH is gone from the fish, but my crabs and shrimp are still alive. Coppersafe states that it is Chaleated Copper and is only harmful (deadly) to inverts with no exoskeleton (ie jellyfish.snails anenomes)
That is from their directions and brochure. All I know is that my crabs and shrimp are still alive and the ICH is gone at this point.
As for the rock, I guess I just have decoration rock at this point. Is there anything else I should look out for? Obviously I was not told prior to this treatment all of the facts from my LFS guy.
Thanks for your input and suggetions for after treatment other than returning carbon filters and water change?

 

[rafaelosuarez]

Just wanted to say I added some turbo snails along with some conehaed snails, withing 24 hrs I see no movement, I had added recently this produst called organi cure and just by reading the articles I see I wont be able to never add any type of snails to my tank. How long will it take for the copper to vanish? What a lost! I do have some Peppermint shrimp that seem to be just fine.