Copper in display tank

[RWhitt907]

I tested my display tank for copper just out of curiosity and it came back at .39ppm. Any suggestions for removing this/keeping copper out of my tank? I have a 4 stage RODI system on well water.

 

[Kipp's Corals]

I tested my display tank for copper just out of curiosity and it came back at .39ppm. Any suggestions for removing this/keeping copper out of my tank? I have a 4 stage RODI system on well water.

Do you test when it comes out of RODI, not just display. That will tell you if it’s coming from your water supply or from DT.

If DT, is your gear new or used? If used did previous owner medicate with copper; can leach from gear or old dry rock. how old is your return / gear. May be starting to break down leaching copper into tank.

What brand of salt are you using, if lower quality might have been slowly rising over time.

 

[RWhitt907]

Do you test when it comes out of RODI, not just display. That will tell you if it’s coming from your water supply or from DT.

If DT, is your gear new or used? If used did previous owner medicate with copper; can leach from gear or old dry rock. how old is your return / gear. May be starting to break down leaching copper into tank.

What brand of salt are you using, if lower quality might have been slowly rising over time.

I've never tested the RODI. But I bought all my stuff new. Rock and sand included. I use reef crystals salt.

 

[anthonymckay]

How did you test it?

 

[RWhitt907]

How did you test it?

Hanna copper tester

 

[anthonymckay]

I assume the HR version? @Randy Holmes-Farley has mentioned that it's not particularly accurate and can gives false positives at the low range that don't show up on ICP tests. I would recommend an ICP test to verify that you do indeed have abnormally high copper levels.

If you do indeed have copper, Cuprisorb works really well to remove it.

 

[RWhitt907]

I assume the HR version? @Randy Holmes-Farley has mentioned that it's not particularly accurate and can gives false positives at the low range that don't show up on ICP tests. I would recommend an ICP test to verify that you do indeed have abnormally high copper levels.

If you do indeed have copper, Cuprisorb works really well to remove it.

Yes. High range. I'll get an ice test and run it again. It's there a particular version I should get?

 

[taricha]

That hanna high range copper test should not be used to assess a normal running reef - only a copper medicated tank. For a reef, it usually gives concerning noise.
Do you have some reason to think Cu would actually be high? If so, then an ICP would be approporiate.

 

[RWhitt907]

That hanna high range copper test should not be used to assess a normal running reef - only a copper medicated tank. For a reef, it usually gives concerning noise.
Do you have some reason to think Cu would actually be high? If so, then an ICP would be approporiate.

Not sure if .39 is high assuming that's correct. Just want to be able to have inverts and what not eventually

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not sure if .39 is high assuming that's correct. Just want to be able to have inverts and what not eventually

If accurate, it is far too high.

But the Hanna is not the tool for this purpose, IMO, and unless you have reason to think you have copper (say, from medicating), I'd ignore it.

 

[RWhitt907]

If accurate, it is far too high.

But the Hanna is not the tool for this purpose, IMO, and unless you have reason to think you have copper (say, from medicating), I'd ignore it.

Whats a normal level of copper ?

 

[anthonymckay]

Whats a normal level of copper ?

The reef moonshiners target is 0.5-0.7ppb (not ppm)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Whats a normal level of copper ?

Many tanks have a few ppb. Mine was 13-15 ppb at one point by my own icp assessment, and there was no apparent issue.