Tanks + Copper
- Thread starter jackson6745
- Start date
- Location
- NY
- Location
- Flushing, NY
I should add that I used the tank back when I didn't realize the silicone can absorb copper. With that said, even though it was successful, I would not do it again to save a few bucks on a tank.
- Location
- The Big City
No, not really. Copper is absorbed by the silicone, rock, sand, filters and other equipment. It can be released over time and for some organisms it can be deadly, even in small amount, while others organisms can take it at high dosages without any problems. Once it is release it can be absorb by carbon or other media or other things, like like rock, sand and corals. Water changes may help to remove some but the thing is over what period of time will the copper be released? It could take some time, as it being released slowly, or something may bit into the silicone or a piece of rock and release a whole bunch of it at once.
Using tap water can also be a problem, as they do put in copper, especially when the water levels get low. In time it can built up, especially if you're not doing water changes or using carbon or poly pads. If you're using tap water, or well water, and get a very good test kit like Lamotte, you'll find that you probably have some level of copper in your tank and your polypad wouldn't even show any signs of blue. Now some fish and inverts don't seem to be bothered by levels of copper, even high levels, while others just can't take it at all.
It's a risk not worth taking especially since you'll never know if the problems that you're having is from the copper, that was in the tank and maybe now is being released, or something you're currently doing or not doing.
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I don't have that sort of time or motivation.
Marrone,
Municipalities DO NOT ADD COPPER to the water... Copper is mostly in tap water because of copper tubing used in homes even though it naturally appears in our drinking water, It raises a red flag over a specific content " as it is unhealthy at high levels". They do add chloromines and floride and not so much the fouridine as they found it makes no real difference in the health of teeth in minors.
Duh
Again... HIGH levels of copper CAN be detrimental to livestock. But you really have to be a jackass to even use a copper laden tank to start a reef tank in the first place.
Kasei
Municipalities DO NOT ADD COPPER to the water... Copper is mostly in tap water because of copper tubing used in homes even though it naturally appears in our drinking water, It raises a red flag over a specific content " as it is unhealthy at high levels". They do add chloromines and floride and not so much the fouridine as they found it makes no real difference in the health of teeth in minors.
Duh
Again... HIGH levels of copper CAN be detrimental to livestock. But you really have to be a jackass to even use a copper laden tank to start a reef tank in the first place.
Kasei
- Location
- The Big City
Kasei, back in the mid 80's a Doctor, who worked in the labs at the NY Aquarium, I think his name was Dr. Lee, told me that when the water levels get low the state will put in small amount of copper, to kill off certain bad things in the water. The amounts are very small but they can build up in a close system, like a fish tank.
- Location
- The Big City
You can see it change color, to blue. Unless it's black silicone.
Silicone DOES NOT ABSORB copper. That would infer porosity which it is not. It does have HOLES.... These holes form while curing.these holes hold whatever it is in contact with. Silicone does not change color. It will fill with material and can become clogged with mold and color. Bleach will return silicone to original color. Silicone does not hold enough copper material to kill anything unless you get a crappy glass cages over siliconed tank.
Detritus, sand beds, rock, ornaments, netting, and so on CAN absorb enough copper to kill inverts and certain susceptable animals.
Blah Blah Blah...
Please show me where silicone turns blue when it has been in contact with copper.
Detritus, sand beds, rock, ornaments, netting, and so on CAN absorb enough copper to kill inverts and certain susceptable animals.
Blah Blah Blah...
Please show me where silicone turns blue when it has been in contact with copper.
- Location
- Baiting Hollow Long Island NY
Wow, smoking in the eightees. I started smoking in the sixtees and quit in the seventees.
Anyway I don't know what that has to do with copper but I used to run copper in my tank continousely for a couple of years. Before reefs fish were never as healthy as they are now and you just had to drive past a fish store and your fish would get ich.
That copper was in my tank with the dolomite gravel that is still in there and a lot of the rocks are too. I consider myself a "real" reefer because I had a reef when we invented them. I stopped the copper for about two years and started adding anemones. That was probably in the early eightees. I never had a problem with copper leaching from the silicone, gravel, rocks or anything else.
I think I needed those two years though as I ran carbon most of the time.
I would not add inverts indescriminately after copper was used unless a substantial amount of time has passed. It's also just my opinion that any copper absorbed by silicone would be minimal and much less than there is in tap water.
I doubt it would be a problem if the tank was rinsed.
Paul
Anyway I don't know what that has to do with copper but I used to run copper in my tank continousely for a couple of years. Before reefs fish were never as healthy as they are now and you just had to drive past a fish store and your fish would get ich.
That copper was in my tank with the dolomite gravel that is still in there and a lot of the rocks are too. I consider myself a "real" reefer because I had a reef when we invented them. I stopped the copper for about two years and started adding anemones. That was probably in the early eightees. I never had a problem with copper leaching from the silicone, gravel, rocks or anything else.
I think I needed those two years though as I ran carbon most of the time.
I would not add inverts indescriminately after copper was used unless a substantial amount of time has passed. It's also just my opinion that any copper absorbed by silicone would be minimal and much less than there is in tap water.
I doubt it would be a problem if the tank was rinsed.
Paul
Psycho graphic
Trouble Maker!
- Location
- Somewhere on the East Coast
This is not how you should do it in my opinion. Set it up dose it, run a removing agent such as a Poly Filter until there are no traces of the copper. Then start testing, while doing WEEKLY water changes.
Of course this seems uneeded as there are many here who ARE running tanks that have been treated in the past.
I want just one bit of actual SCIENTIFIC proof that this happens. Of all the times I've argued this subject with people as i have done here with a post called Mythbusters in the past. the only proof given was "This died in my tank", well how many unexplained deaths are there in this hobby? Quite a few.
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