Cougra
Well-Known Member
Everyone knows the standard warnings about using copper in a saltwater aquarium in so far that it should never be used with live rock, filter bacteria, inverts, or corals, it should never be used in main display tanks and that any tank that has ever had a copper treatment should never be used for setting up reef tanks. Copper can be absorbed into the rocks, substrate, and silicone in the tank and leach back out over time.
Now my question is this:
Realisticly, how long can this copper actually stay in the aquarium making it unsafe for the inhabitants? During treatment there was a finite amount of copper added and only a fraction of that amount would have been absorbed into the tank decor/silicone so only a finite amount will be able to leach back into the tank before there isn't any more copper left.
If copper leaches out into the water over time then there will come a time when it should be safe to use that tank again for a reef aquaria. If it takes years for it to leach out then couldn't the trace amounts that are in the water be removed through chemical filtration such as Polyfilters or resins like CupriSorb before it raises to levels that will harm reef inhabitants?
What are your thoughts or findings on this issue? Is there any actual proof out there that support the arguement that a tank can never be used again after copper is added or is there only ancidotal evidence that is passed back and forth between hobbyists with the better safe then sorry approach?
Just to make things clear, I will never advocate using copper or any other medications in the main display tank or with inverts and senstive animals.
Now my question is this:
Realisticly, how long can this copper actually stay in the aquarium making it unsafe for the inhabitants? During treatment there was a finite amount of copper added and only a fraction of that amount would have been absorbed into the tank decor/silicone so only a finite amount will be able to leach back into the tank before there isn't any more copper left.
If copper leaches out into the water over time then there will come a time when it should be safe to use that tank again for a reef aquaria. If it takes years for it to leach out then couldn't the trace amounts that are in the water be removed through chemical filtration such as Polyfilters or resins like CupriSorb before it raises to levels that will harm reef inhabitants?
What are your thoughts or findings on this issue? Is there any actual proof out there that support the arguement that a tank can never be used again after copper is added or is there only ancidotal evidence that is passed back and forth between hobbyists with the better safe then sorry approach?
Just to make things clear, I will never advocate using copper or any other medications in the main display tank or with inverts and senstive animals.