Randy-S Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 (scratch)So what is th truth about copper and old tanks and equipment. I can see how it could leach out of something like live rock that is really porus and could trap some but what about things like a skimmer? If you run a skimmer in a system with copper is there a potential to have copper leach into the skimmer and then leach back out into a new tank later???(scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister crabs Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I personally would only think filter media and LR would be susceptible (sp?) to copper absorption. thinks like tanks skimmers, pumps, silicone, would be non-porous once all building components were dry and cured. acrylic and silicone shouldnt absorb copper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 You would be surprised what acrylic can adsorb. It is more porous than you may think. Rumor has it that silicon also picks up traces of metals. I cannot verify either of these claims personally. Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy-S Posted June 6, 2008 Author Share Posted June 6, 2008 Thats the problem I have not found anyone that can say yes or no its all guess work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Might try asking in one of the expert forums at Marine Depot's site. Shimek's might be a good start, given his specialization. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I have a 60gal acrylic cube i used for treating my fish with copper. They were in the tank with copper (i used cupramine) for 6 weeks. I cleaned the tank with vinegar and let it soak in a mild bleach/water solution for a week or so. Rinsed and dried out, then in with the SPS for QT. 3 weeks now no losses and no signs of stress I even tossed in a couple hermits at first to make sure. I also have used a 10gal glass tank to treat using copper. That tank has been used about 6-8 times since the copper was in it for QT of various corals from SPS to zoas to LPS to softies. Never had a problem. I do not however use the equipment that i used in the copper. Those are my copper only pumps and heater. I researched this pretty thoroughly before using the copper in my acrylic cube and the general consensus i found that cell cast acrylic is not very porous and would not absorb the copper. Although James did not agree on my findings of it not being porous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Are the copper test kits out there sensitive enough to detect the minimum harmful level? If so, it'd be pretty easy to put the whole questions to a test... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I was using a 75g all glass tank that was previously a copper treated tank that I had cleaned very well as a refugium attached to my main system. I had no problems what so ever and as a matter of fact had thousands of invertibrates and corals in the system. I wouldn't recommend using any of the components and the tank was glass, so I cannot say the same about acrylic tanks but for me there was no problems. Garrett Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefhut Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 This sounds like a support group thread LOL.. "Hello I'm Fred, and I copper treated my fish in my tank. "Hi Fred " The first part to recovery ....... ect.. ect.. etc.(laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 Hi I'm Miles and i'm a former copper user (laugh) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy Posted June 6, 2008 Share Posted June 6, 2008 I can quit copper whenever I want. I just don't want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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