Dosing copper to your DT...the documented journey.

[Marc88]

This is easy. When this hobby started we kept copper in the water continuously because we didn't know what we were doing and neither did anyone else. We actually didn't even have liquid copper so we used pennies.

Anyway, those rocks and gravel are still in my tank almost fifty years later but I did wait a few years to put in corals.
There were no corals for sale anyway.

But in your case, I would have removed those few rocks you have to a five gallon bucket with salt water. Then I would have gotten red, clay bricks like they sell in Home Depot for a buck or so each and used those because fish need hiding places and they are not afraid of bricks like they are of PVC pipes.

I use bricks all the time. After the fish are cured, I would change a good part of the water and add cuprisorb or carbon until there is no more copper. Then remove the bricks and maybe build a bar be cue out of them and replace the rock after you fresh water dip them for a few minutes.

Son't worry about copper being absorbed by the silicone as that is an old wives tale that any old wife can tell you.

After the fish are cured, try to go the natural route so they never get sick again.
Good Luck.

BTW, your Hippo tang also has HLLE

The man, the myth, the legend...thank you PaulB for commenting. I appreciate the insight. I will stay the course. I'm still retaining the option of changing out all of the rock. Though it's not what I'm planning right now, it will still be an option down the road.

I did see the HLLE on the hippo. It's embarrassing but I'm doing what I can to combat it. My Yellow tang also has the same problem with HLLE but that prsisted from the last QT he went through a year and a half ago.

 

[Marc88]

May Update. I started removing the copper from the tank Via large WC and carbon. Last few days I stopped dosing additional copper, this was based on the fact that some of the gurus of QT only run cooper at 2.0 _ 2.25. I'm saving the Cupisorb until I get the concentration lower via water changes.

So far, I've done a 45 gallon change, which brought the concentration down to 1.7.

I will do a 50 gallon change today. With an additional 10 over night via Dos.

I flipped the lights on a few days ago to see how everything looked. Had an algae bloom, then it started multiplying on the rock and glass. I tested the phosphate with my Hanna ULR, and it read 200 ppb...so I turned the lights off again. I'm going to keep them off until I get both the copper out of the water and the phosphate down. Interestingly enough, the nitrate showed 12 ppm on the Nyos, not sure if that's accurate because of the copper. Either way, the lights are staying off until I change the water out a few times. I'm going to need more salt.

On a side note, my RODI system is worth it's weight in gold. Especially if you have a large /multiple tanks, it is a must have. This wouldn't be possible without it. I'm glad I made the purchase.

 

[Marc88]

Update:

Fish look good. No signs of the parasite at all!
Added PolyFilter because Cupisorb was not working as quickly as advertised. I learned that Cupisorb is better for Cuprimine than Copper Power. PolyFilter did the trick I will run it in my reactor for a few months, or continuously...we will see. Copper on the hanna test at .08. Which is close to hanna 0 since it's a high range tester. I will continue to test in the coming days and eventually send an ICP in, if the corona will allow the delivery to Germany.

Calcium and Alk at spot on but Phosphate is off the charts. I added GFO to absorb the extra and
I will dose a little Phosphate E to help eliminate the extra. Once I get the Phos and Nitrate in check and the copper test at Hanna 0 for a few weeks I will drop in some test corals and Inverts.

 

[Marc88]

Update.

I added two corals as a test to see if it's sustainable. It's been a few weeks and they are still alive so that's good news.

I sent out a ICP test I will post the results when I get them.

No signs of disease on any of the fish!

I added a few snails to deal with an algae issue. I didn't nearly have enough, so I have more on the way. Also have some phosphate issues to tackle, not too insurmountable tho.

 

[Han]

I thought i’d comment since I fall under category 2... dosed cupramine to my fish only display for several months due to velvet. When I was done I added cuprisorb, chemi-pure, and polyfilters to the filter socks and within a few months I was able to keep corals, and made the tank into a reef. Still in the process of slowly stocking it, but so far all the corals are doing well and growing (toadstool leather, gsp, zoas). I keep cuprisorb in a filter sock at all times in case of any leaching copper, especially since the tank has a deep sand bed.

 

[Marc88]

I thought i’d comment since I fall under category 2... dosed cupramine to my fish only display for several months due to velvet. When I was done I added cuprisorb, chemi-pure, and polyfilters to the filter socks and within a few months I was able to keep corals, and made the tank into a reef. Still in the process of slowly stocking it, but so far all the corals are doing well and growing (toadstool leather, gsp, zoas). I keep cuprisorb in a filter sock at all times in case of any leaching copper, especially since the tank has a deep sand bed.

Thank you for your response. Your input is valuable for the community. If you want to post a pic it would be appreciated!

 

[Marc88]

My progress. I'm learning to be patient. I'll have a great looking tank one day but for now I fight the algae.

 

[jsvand5]

You can be pretty aggressive pulling the phosphate out since you don’t really have any sensitive corals. Lanthanum works amazing well.

 

[TriggerFinger]

Thank you for documenting this experience. I’ve always read that rock used with copper has to be tossed out because its forever contaminated. Glad to see here are other alternatives.

 

[Marc88]

You can be pretty aggressive pulling the phosphate out since you don’t really have any sensitive corals. Lanthanum works amazing well.

I've been using Brightwell PhosphatE it's probably the same stuff in a fancy bottle for double the price.

 

[Marc88]

Thank you for documenting this experience. I’ve always read that rock used with copper has to be tossed out because its forever contaminated. Glad to see here are other alternatives.

You are welcome. I just wanted to provide an alternative for those who don't have the option of going Follow.

 

[Han]

Some recent shots of the tank. It isn’t much, but that’s because of $, not copper lol. I have a colt coral in QT that will be added in a couple months.

 

[jsvand5]

I've been using Brightwell PhosphatE it's probably the same stuff in a fancy bottle for double the price.

Yea. I think that’s just diluted Seaklear basically. Likely way more than double the price. A bottle of seaklear would probably last you for a decade if you want to try that after you run out of the current stuff.

 

[Marc88]

I went to my LFS today. Great guy! He gave me a few corals today to help with the tank recovery. He's been providing advise along the way. Picked up a Green Slimer, purple stilo and an Acan. Also came up on a 10 head Duncan from another local hobbiest, pick that up next week.

I can't speak highly enough of this shop and the owner! If you are ever in Fresno Ca stop by Blue Planet Aquarium.

Bad news as I was gluing the frags in my file fish took a bite out of wet glue and it got stuck in his mouth. I'm trying to catch him so I can remove it but he keeps going inside the rocks. I'm hoping I can intervene before things turn for the worst.

 

[Marc88]

I never claimed to be a photographer here are some shots if the corals in the tank.

 

[SifuMemphis]

Awesome. glad to hear it worked out for you!

 

[Henryb9]

I went to my LFS today. Great guy! He gave me a few corals today to help with the tank recovery. He's been providing advise along the way. Picked up a Green Slimer, purple stilo and an Acan. Also came up on a 10 head Duncan from another local hobbiest, pick that up next week.

I can't speak highly enough of this shop and the owner! If you are ever in Fresno Ca stop by Blue Planet Aquarium.

Bad news as I was gluing the frags in my file fish took a bite out of wet glue and it got stuck in his mouth. I'm trying to catch him so I can remove it but he keeps going inside the rocks. I'm hoping I can intervene before things turn for the worst.

It will fall out of its mouth, give it couple of days, this happened to my yellow tang.. just make sure it could still eat when your feeding.

 

[Marc88]

It will fall out of its mouth, give it couple of days, this happened to my yellow tang.. just make sure it could still eat when your feeding.

You were right! There's still a little piece attached but it can eat so we are all good. I'm glad it worked out this way.

 

[Marc88]

Got my ICP results back today. It said the salitiy was high but I checked with a refractometer and my Hanna and the results were close. I need a silica remover and the phosphate I already started working on. I knew it was high when I sent the test out. All and all the copper showed to be .02 ppm so there still some but not enough to concern me. I'm going to continue to work on chemistry as the months go on.

I also added a few other test corals.

 

[tuan12321]

I did the same thing in a 90g and have been keeping some cuprisorb in but it is no longer turning blue. I think the Hanna checker is off for low range as others have said! In the process to remove copper from a 220g. I just wanted to nuke the ich and velvet after losing $1,000 in fish.