Finall now why corals dont live in tank (lab tested results)

[KathyC]

I recall hearing in the past that some of the salt mixes we use do sometimes contain copper - you know - where they cover themselves by saying 'trace elements' but don't go on to explain exactly what elements they are..
here is an article I found in a quick search
http://www.northcoastmarines.com/salt_comparison.htm

I cannot vouch for the validity of this, but it is an interesting read.

More:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1
and a follow up to that study:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/12/aafeature1/view

 

[Bob 1000]

What salt is he using anyway??

 

[marrone]

Copper Sulfate is an essential trace element in all living things, even natural sea water contains copper sulfate. It is very important to all life forms. It is absolutely safe for your reef aquarium. [FONT=&quot]Copper bind to sulfate doesn't do anything harmful to your livestock. It's the free copper ions that kills invertebrates & corals.

You'll find that most food have copper listed too.
[/FONT]

 

[KathyC]

Copper Sulfate is an essential trace element in all living things, even natural sea water contains copper sulfate. It is very important to all life forms. It is absolutely safe for your reef aquarium. [FONT=&quot]Copper bind to sulfate doesn't do anything harmful to your livestock. It's the free copper ions that kills invertebrates & corals.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]You'll find that most food have copper listed too.[/FONT]

That is interesting Mike, so I'd have to wonder how the testing company that the OP used is looking at that copper reading.

JL - How do inverts do in the tank, do they live or die immediately?

 

[marrone]

If you look at the test breakdown copper is listed as Copper-(Cu++), so it maybe all the copper and not just one specific type. It probably would be good to ask the testing company what types of copper they test for.

 

[SevTT]

I recall hearing in the past that some of the salt mixes we use do sometimes contain copper - you know - where they cover themselves by saying 'trace elements' but don't go on to explain exactly what elements they are..
here is an article I found in a quick search
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/12/aafeature1/view

A certain amount of copper is necessary for various metabolism paths, particularly the hemocyanin that most mollusks and some arthopods use for oxygen transport instead of hemoglobin. Mammals actually require minute amounts of arsenic. Remember, any vitamin or mineral in sufficient quantity is a poison; it's just that in the case of copper in marine tanks, that threshold is low.

 

[KathyC]

A certain amount of copper is necessary for various metabolism paths, particularly the hemocyanin that most mollusks and some arthopods use for oxygen transport instead of hemoglobin. Mammals actually require minute amounts of arsenic. Remember, any vitamin or mineral in sufficient quantity is a poison; it's just that in the case of copper in marine tanks, that threshold is low.

I'm aware of that Sevtt , but as we've heard of in the past, sometimes the salt manufacturers can have a glitch in their systems for loading the buckets of salt mix, and JL could have run into a bucket thaqt might have been overload with copper (if the issue isn't coming from his rock or sand having been treated with copper in the past).
He should test his current bucket of salt for copper content to be on the safe side.
On the other hand I am still curious to see if inverts do stay alive in his tank.

 

[prattreef]

Can we get back to the PO4 issue? Why is it so high? Cause corals of any type aren't going to be very happy with that much PO4 and since it is something you can reduce and test for yourself, why don't you deal with that 1st and see if things improve. If not, you can further investigate the copper issue, but my spidey sense smells a red herring there and you might very well be spending your efforts in the wrong place.

FWIW this "lab" does not have the best track record with many questions surrounding their methods and results. They are a division of the Aqua-medic aquarium company who apparently bought some testing equipment, but I'm told don't necessarily know how to use it all that well.

 

[Bob 1000]

Hhhhhmmmmmmm... That sounds good,,lol..

 

[aznt1217]

Have seen JL's inverts and they do live. Some corals are even living as well. Great tank, when I heard it was copper my jaw dropped to the floor.