Is leaching still an issue?

[Reefing102]

Good morning,

So back in the early 2000s it was a common opinion that if you dosed copper and had live rock, the live rock would absorb the copper and leach it back out so it could almost never be used again in a reef. Is this still the case or has this been debunked?

 

[nereefpat]

Rock and sand will absorb and leach copper. You can remove it with water changes and carbon (and other absorbing products). In 2021, you can use a Hanna copper checker to measure the concentration in the water, so you know if you're safe.

 

[Zach B]

+1 Great advice above :)

 

[Reefing102]

Rock and sand will absorb and leach copper. You can remove it with water changes and carbon (and other absorbing products). In 2021, you can use a Hanna copper checker to measure the concentration in the water, so you know if you're safe.

Thanks! Don’t have the funds right now for a copper checker but will hopefully soon. I have a lot of live rock recently aquired that came from a questionable source as far as medicating goes.

 

[nereefpat]

Thanks! Don’t have the funds right now for a copper checker but will hopefully soon. I have a lot of live rock recently aquired that came from a questionable source as far as medicating goes.

Maybe you could bring a sample in to your fish store and they could check it for you. Give them a couple bucks for the reagent.

 

[Hairyteeth]

Carbon, purit and water changes can work…but who’s to say when the last pocket of copper leaches out and when to stop running expensive medias like purit, in the long run qt is a cheaper/better option