How fast can copper breakdown

[Eckolancer]

Randy have a question about copper in saltwater. I had an issue last night on a tank that was running a refugium. The light used for this was a DIY with copper for the heatsink. Well a couple days ago it fell into the sump and fried the return pump. This heatsink sat in my sump all night. When I woke up I found it and removed it and as much of the water as possible from the sump plus an additional 20 gallons from a 120 gallon system. The copper heatsink was already green and rust after just 8 hours in the water. I added a lot of carbon with higher water flow through it to help absorb any.

Would that have caused any copper to leach into the tank? If so will carbon absorb the copper that might be leached into the tank?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Eckolancer]

I have placed an order for metasorb from TLF and should arrive tomorrow.

 

[toothybugs]

Randy will likely have other information, but I would suggest (highly) running PolyFilter. The oxidation is evidence that something chemical has already happened, and seawater is quite corrosive toward copper.

And no, copper ions will not just "break down" - they can't. Unless you toss them in CERN's Hadron Collider. Which isn't really feasible.

 

[Eckolancer]

I do have a 3x3 polyfilter I will add today after work.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do have a 3x3 polyfilter I will add today after work.

That is specifically a Boyd Polyfilter, not just floss of some sort? Is so, that's good.

Yes, copper likely was released. It doesn't break down, but it can be exported and it can bind to rocks and such, and get into organic matter that is bound to GAC or skimmed out.

 

[Eckolancer]

So I think this color is green ish blue ish. Which would be copper in the water right?

 

[Reef_Chief]

On the ones I've used aqua to blue was copper

 

[Naiad]

Yes. Keep running the pads and doing wc but given the fact that it is just a tinge I don't think the Cu concentration is very high. How is the livestock doing?

 

[Reefpro]

I hav done something similar just recently. But mine was a DIY aluminum LED strip (which the diodes contain copper). I only could estimate it was in there for 12 hours. I quikly started running carbon. Changed it three days in a row, performed 20% water changes and added a polyfilter (Boyd's) per Randy's suggestion. On the day I put the filter in I experienced no color change Over the next few days it turned a light brown /tan which indicate organics only. So I think the carbon and water changes attributes to the quick export as suggested. It was evident of metal in tank as all my SPS had lost nearly all their color with in 2 days of it falling in. They have now since regained most of their colors. I lost 3 frags out of my blunder and not securely mounting that light strip. Hope this provides a little insight and relief in the matter.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So I think this color is green ish blue ish. Which would be copper in the water right?

Might just be brown from organics.

 

[Eckolancer]

Most sps are brown and lost almost all colors. Strange thing is some zoas are looking better than they ever have. The sps has great polyp extension still but is brown or white color. Also water looks a little milky I think from algae died and spawned. Doing another 30% WC tomorrow.

 

[Eckolancer]

Colors are coming back after last water change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Colors are coming back after last water change.

That's good to hear! :)

 

[Eckolancer]

Sps showing growth already.

 

[Eckolancer]

Very hard to see in the pic but starting to see colors coming back on the completely bleached out (thought to be dead) coral. My guess is another month it might be back.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That's good news!