Copper badness...

stapet77 · 01-02-2007, 08:11 PM

A couple of months ago we put 10 turbo snails in our tank. They all died overnight. Baffled, we did not put anymore in for a while. A couple of weeks ago our water quality was looking great so we tried a few more once again. They died overnight. A friend of mine asked if we had ever treated with copper and we have not, but I just found out today that the other reefer who gave us our live rock had treated a fish with copper and he had put one of the pieces of my rock in with it as a biological filter. We also have been using a trash can he gave us to do water changes - this trash can was used to quantine the fish with the copper. If you think it can't get worse, the fitting we were using on the pump (used for water changes as well) has a brass (copper and tin alloy) fitting. Uggh. What do we do now? It has been in our tank for months and I don't even know which rock it was. We haven't tried corals yet because our nitrates are still up around 20. Is it going to be an issue?

cheeks69 · 01-02-2007, 08:28 PM

The copper binds to the rock and substrate and even to the silicone so it'll be difficult to remove. I have heard of using poly filters to help remove copper but don't know if it would remove all traces of it or at least enough to keep inverts.

Quote:

We haven't tried corals yet because our nitrates are still up around 20. Is it going to be an issue?

Yes it will !

Woodstock · 01-02-2007, 08:34 PM

Get a copper test kit, use Polyfilters, replace the fitting, reduce the nitrates.

What is the salinity?

bluespotjawfish · 01-02-2007, 08:51 PM

And/or you may also be acclimating them too fast or you may have fluctuations in your ph...

01-02-2007, 08:11 PM	#1 (permalink)
stapet77 Bryozoan Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 40 View Gallery Karma Komment	Copper badness... A couple of months ago we put 10 turbo snails in our tank. They all died overnight. Baffled, we did not put anymore in for a while. A couple of weeks ago our water quality was looking great so we tried a few more once again. They died overnight. A friend of mine asked if we had ever treated with copper and we have not, but I just found out today that the other reefer who gave us our live rock had treated a fish with copper and he had put one of the pieces of my rock in with it as a biological filter. We also have been using a trash can he gave us to do water changes - this trash can was used to quantine the fish with the copper. If you think it can't get worse, the fitting we were using on the pump (used for water changes as well) has a brass (copper and tin alloy) fitting. Uggh. What do we do now? It has been in our tank for months and I don't even know which rock it was. We haven't tried corals yet because our nitrates are still up around 20. Is it going to be an issue?

01-02-2007, 08:34 PM	#3 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Copper badness... Get a copper test kit, use Polyfilters, replace the fitting, reduce the nitrates. What is the salinity? __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

01-02-2007, 08:51 PM	#4 (permalink)
bluespotjawfish Tridacna maxima Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Utah Posts: 4,480 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Copper badness... And/or you may also be acclimating them too fast or you may have fluctuations in your ph... __________________ Lorraine To BB and all Bluespots - Journey of the 2nd Year ...The 2nd Year - Photoshow Check out Mr. BJ and friends... Mr. BJ's Aquarium - PhotoShow

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