when is copper gone completely?

[blade25]

About Dec/Jan I treated my 55 gal with copper to treat ich, since then I have done many water changes and gravel vac on the crushed coral. I replaced carbon and added 3 bags of chemi pure. I do a water change of 10 gal every 2 weeks. Would it be safe now to add live rock and eventualy corals? I did a copper test and it read 0, but im not sure if there could be copper left thta would reactivate itself. Any help is appreciated thanks

 

[Barcochris]

My understanding in that copper can be traped even in the silicone of the tank... I am not sure someone else will chime in

 

[Boomer]

My understanding in that copper can be traped even in the silicone of the tank... I am not sure someone else will chime in

This is a myth

Blade

In the minds of many for a FOT yes but a reef tank no. The gravel will take up copper and it may go back into solution killing inverts and corals. Some have used copper such as you, to inclued me, with no side effects but you are on your own. If you do make sure you use carbon 24/7. Many will tell you to throw away all the gravel and rinse/wash the whole tank and and all of its components in vinegar to be safe.

 

[Barcochris]

learn something new every day,,,, Thanks Boomer

 

[BoomerD]

Most likely, your tank will always be toxic to inverts since treating it with copper. My understanding is that the copper is absorbed into the rock and sand/crushed coral, and once you do your best to remove it from the water, it will leach back out into the tank water for years...The standard is that once you treat a tank with copper, the calcacareous contents remain forever toxic. OK for just a FO tank, but never for inverts of any kind...

 

[blade25]

Thanks a bunch guys i appreciate it, I guess I will keep it a FOT. Eventually I will get a different tank for reef since I have had this one since 1998. This time I will go 90 gall or 120 tall.

 

[BoomerD]

The tank itself would probably be ok to re-use with a serious scrubbing, but the contents, (rock and sand) will not.

 

[Frankie]

I never heard about the silicone mith but i did hear that copper will bond to glass. Any truth to that Boomer?

 

[saltyfishtanks]

from what i understand once interduced, copper is absorbed in the substrate and can be released during ph changes. Even when the water tests 0 for copper.
So copper is never really gone once interduced to a system.

i would never use it in anything but a bare bottom hospital tank!!
copper is super toxic to all marine inverts!!!! it will kill the disease but aslo kill everything in the entire tank but the fish.