Will scrubbing a tank w/ bleach destroy copper?

[dustybottoms]

Just wondering, I am about to clean the snot out of my tank. I think the previous owner used copper. Any advise? thanks guys!

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, Bleach will not remove copper.....just kill bacteria and maybe the fish if you don't get it all rinsed out of the tank. I would not worry if you are using all new rocks and sand and none of the old. How much copper can stick to the inside of a rinsed clean dry tank? I wouldn't think enough to hurt anything. If you ore worried about copper there are some chemicals that can be used in fish tanks to help to remove it. I can't mention the competition on this board so do a search for Cuprisorb that can be placed in a filter to help absorb any remaining copper if you are worried. Mostly copper is absorbed by the rocks, sand and gravel and other porous materials, not the glass on the tank or much in the seal of the tank. I would be careful of any soaps or cleaners that may leave a harmrul residue in the tank. Good luck, Lesley

 

[michaeltx]

actually the copper can go into the silicone so really a lot of copper can stay in a clean and dry tank.
I have heard good things about cuprisorb but IMO if a tank has had copper in it I would use it as a QT and get a new tank for a display just to be safe. and in a QT you can add copper if need to be.
Mike

 

[dustybottoms]

isnt that a bit extreme? I'm going to scrub it w/ bleach and vinegar (sp?). I will also let the cycle process continue for awhile before coral enters the tank

 

[michaeltx]

if there is copper in the tank or has been used in the tank any inverts that add to the tank are in danger. copper is toxic and can kill inverts even in small amounts.
the one thing you can do is to set the tank up with saltwater let it sit for a few days and then use a copper test kit and see for sure if copper shows up in the test kits. if it does show up the cuprisorb might work but I havent used it personally so I cant tell ya.
copper in a FO tank isnt a big deal but all the corals, snails, stars, etcc are effected adversly with trace amounts of copper. and thats why me personally would take the chance if it does show copper in the tests.
one other thing most copper test are calibrated for SW so filling with FW wont give you a accurate test.
Mike

 

[tangman99]

I used copper for ick in my tank when it was a fish only. I was really concerned about it when I wanted to convert it to a reef. It had been over a year since I used the copper and I had done quite a few water changes.
When I converted to a reef, I just removed the CC, added a DSB and live rock. Over the last 10 months, I have added corals and inverts and have had no problems. Thats my HO and .02

 

[shep]

Copper remover. I have seen it at the LFS and mine is by far a country bumkin fish store. Maybe this will not work but I think I would try it first since the label says copper remover in bold blue print.

 

[bheron]

I'm going through this same decision before restarting my tank from scratch, mainly b/c of copper in my water b/c of tap water top offs (I Know).
I am planning starting fresh with new RO/DI water, LR, DSB. I have heard about copper getting into tank seams/silicone but dont want o get rid of a 1 year old 75 gal glass tank. I also want to use the same sump, powerheads, heater, and overflow tank and tubing. I was thinking of cleaning it thoroughly and putting a new seal of silicone on the seams.
Am I crazy for trying this?
What can I clean/soak everything in if bleach is wrong? Cuprisorb?

 

[krishj39]

Bleach will have no effect on the copper whatsoever. You can't just add a chemical to the tank and make the copper disappear, you need a copper sponge kind of product, something that absorbs the copper and then you can remove the media with the copper in it from your tank. That said, I bought my tank used. It had been a FO tank, and the guy regularly dosed copper meds. However, he had run the tank empty, just kept the pumps pumping with no animals in the tank. for about a year before I bought it from him. When I bought it, I expected to have to deal with the copper in the tank still, but there was none to deal with. So, my theory right now is that if copper hasn't been used in the tank for a long time, you might be ok.

 

[bang guy]

Originally posted by bheron
What can I clean/soak everything in if bleach is wrong? Cuprisorb?
A strong acid will eliminate the Copper. Try Hydrochloric. You can buy Muriatic acid (Hydrochloric) at most places that sell pool supplies. Be careful with this stuff and do it outside as the vapors are really bad. Dilute the acid and brush it on all the seams. 15 minutes will do the trick. Rinse with a lot of water.

 

[rhomer]

After cleaning the tank, I would fill it with water and run polyfilters and a heavy metal sponge for a few weeks. The easist and cheapest way to determine if the copper is out is to buy an astrea snail ($1.00) put it in the tank. If it liquifies you probably won't be able to get all the copper out. In fact you could run a copper test and it might tell you that you don't have any copper in the water, and you might still lose the snails.
I personally believe that given enough time, you can absorb all the copper out of the seals, but I'm talkin 6months - 1 year.