I have a long story but I think you need to hear it in order to hepl me SORRY!!! About 4 years ago I had to treat my fish for ich. I let the main go fallow and treated the fish with copper in another tank. When I reintroduced my fish back to the main tank. I lost all my inverts. I thought maybe an ammonia spike but nope. I came to the conclusion that some of the equitment ( IE the filter ) I used in the qt must have had trace amounts of copper in it. I had an hob filter on the main before I treated my fish and I used it to help cycle the qt. I changed out all the media and the bio wheel before I put it back on the main tank but I guess lesson learned. ANYWAY, I have waited 4 years. I resently had to move my tank so all the sand was replaced and I did a 90% water change. I used one of those poly-filters that take out copper and to my surpize it didn't change color. I was told that the filter changes to blue if copper is present. I am hoping that my copper issues are over. I love inverts and some of the copper sensitive fishes. I am wanting to get a coral beauty but I don't want get it and chance killing it. Thanks so much!!!!!
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coral beauty (1 Viewer)
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So what are you asking? Is it ok to introduce inverts in the tank? reuse the filter?
You could try a couple of snails....
The deal with copper and plastic is can be cleaned with soap and water to remove copper. Glass/live rock/sand not so much. You can soak the tank in an muriatic acid solution to help remove copper. The problem w/live rock and sand is it bonds chemically to CaCO3 and at some later time may leach it back into the water if the chemistry is right (I believe low PH). You could try soaking the rock in an acid solution.
Quote Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
3. It is my opinion that it is not too difficult to remove copper from all plastic and glass objects in an aquarium, but specifically not those that are calcium carbonate. A little bleach will remove organics and copper along with them. A little acid (like vinegar) will remove inorganic copper and some of its precipitates (like copper carbonate or oxide/hydroxide). I think all such objects can be reused after such cleaning.
4. Calcium carbonate surfaces are a much bigger concern. Just as magnesium gets onto and actually into calcium carbonate surfaces, copper and other similar ions would be expected to do the same thing. It is not trivial to clean live rock and sand. In most cases, I'd recommend tossing it. If that is just not an option, cleaning it in acid so that you actually dissolve some of the surface away is a reasonable thing to try, and some folks in my forum have done that."
You could try a couple of snails....
The deal with copper and plastic is can be cleaned with soap and water to remove copper. Glass/live rock/sand not so much. You can soak the tank in an muriatic acid solution to help remove copper. The problem w/live rock and sand is it bonds chemically to CaCO3 and at some later time may leach it back into the water if the chemistry is right (I believe low PH). You could try soaking the rock in an acid solution.
Quote Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
3. It is my opinion that it is not too difficult to remove copper from all plastic and glass objects in an aquarium, but specifically not those that are calcium carbonate. A little bleach will remove organics and copper along with them. A little acid (like vinegar) will remove inorganic copper and some of its precipitates (like copper carbonate or oxide/hydroxide). I think all such objects can be reused after such cleaning.
4. Calcium carbonate surfaces are a much bigger concern. Just as magnesium gets onto and actually into calcium carbonate surfaces, copper and other similar ions would be expected to do the same thing. It is not trivial to clean live rock and sand. In most cases, I'd recommend tossing it. If that is just not an option, cleaning it in acid so that you actually dissolve some of the surface away is a reasonable thing to try, and some folks in my forum have done that."
Here is a link to a thread specifically discussing the issues with copper in the marine environment -- its where I got the quote above
http://www.reefland.com/forum/marin...tment/18835-copper-absorbs-into-glass-no.html
http://www.reefland.com/forum/marin...tment/18835-copper-absorbs-into-glass-no.html
All fish are sensitive to it, but some can tolerate it better than others. Hyposalinity is usually the recommended treatment for fish such as tangs.
One thing to note, when you added the filter to a tank running copper, it really had no effect. Copper will kill bacteria on the pads and in live rock. The only thing you can do to help water quality is large water changes, usually around 30% every couple days.
One thing to note, when you added the filter to a tank running copper, it really had no effect. Copper will kill bacteria on the pads and in live rock. The only thing you can do to help water quality is large water changes, usually around 30% every couple days.
