Anyone ever use the poly filter pads? I've been using them for a couple months now and they always turned green on me. I never thought anything of it before but I noticed other peoples always turned brown. When I looked it up it says green means free copper ions. Blue just means regular copper. Since mine are turning green how bad is free copper ions? I have no clue where copper could be coming from though.
Poly Filter pads
- Thread starter Mrcote1
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Tastee
Valuable Member
I’ve used them in my 65g tank since I first set it up just over a year ago. I’ve never had them change anything except for brown, which is a good thing as it means there is nothing in the tank that I don’t want. My initial couple didn’t last too long which didn’t surprise me as it was a new tank.
Since I started dosing NOPOX and getting on top of my tank stability I am finding they are lasting much longer, which I take as good feedback about my water quality. I probably don’t need it on my tank now but I will keep running it as an insurance policy.
I also use a small piece in my QT/HT and after I had a sick fish which I dosed Cupramine for (removed the Poly Filter whilst dosing) I then put it back in to remove the Copper - worked a treat, turned blue fairly quickly. After a couple of weeks I removed that, put a fresh piece in, and as there was no colour change except light brown, was happy to keep using the QT for new incoming fish.
Since I started dosing NOPOX and getting on top of my tank stability I am finding they are lasting much longer, which I take as good feedback about my water quality. I probably don’t need it on my tank now but I will keep running it as an insurance policy.
I also use a small piece in my QT/HT and after I had a sick fish which I dosed Cupramine for (removed the Poly Filter whilst dosing) I then put it back in to remove the Copper - worked a treat, turned blue fairly quickly. After a couple of weeks I removed that, put a fresh piece in, and as there was no colour change except light brown, was happy to keep using the QT for new incoming fish.
Brew12
Electrical Gru
I have used them and I dose trace elements. Still haven't gotten anything but brown. The only time mine have turned green is when I've used them to pull copper out of my QT system.
You do use RODI for your water, right? I know my tap water has detectable copper in it. Do you run a GFCI and ground probe in your system? You may have a copper conductor making contact with the water and leaching.
One thing I do find odd is that I would expect it to still turn brown fairly quickly unless your system has almost no nitrates. Not sure you would see the green from any copper.
You do use RODI for your water, right? I know my tap water has detectable copper in it. Do you run a GFCI and ground probe in your system? You may have a copper conductor making contact with the water and leaching.
One thing I do find odd is that I would expect it to still turn brown fairly quickly unless your system has almost no nitrates. Not sure you would see the green from any copper.
I do use RODI and I have a very low nutrient system. 0 nitrate and 0 phosphate. So my corals are a bit dull but I'm in the process of bringing my nutrients up. I do not have a ground probe in the tank. It takes about a month for the pads to go from white to green. I use a PVC check valve I bought from Lowes. That is the only thing I could think of that could possibly have copper in it
Brew12
Electrical Gru
You don't get tingled when you put your hand in your tank, do you? I asked about GFCI and a ground probe because if you had exposed copper from a pump or heater it could leach copper without tripping a breaker. It would trip a GFCI when using a ground probe.
Do you have kids making a wishing well of the tank and tossing in a penny. How new is your tank, I always like running them when I first set up a tank, sometimes you never know what might leech out of rocks and sand or any other source. Keep running it, then replace with a new one to see if all has been removed.
They will turn green in a day or two if you had an abundance of copper. Since it takes a month, this is probably some sort of organic or algae growing in it. Do the pads get even a trace of light to fuel growth?
No tingling sensation when putting my hands in the tank, I'll get a meter though and test for stray voltage. The and tank has been up for 9 months. No kids throwing pennies in the tank haha. And yes the pads are used next to my refugium so they get some of the spill over light from the fuge (not very much at all though)
It is nearly certainly organic build up then. I would not sweat this.
There is almost no possible way that you have a build up of free copper unless you are adding it daily. It will bind to aragonite, bind to organics and get skimmed out and otherwise be rendered useless very quickly. Even a penny, brass or copper pipe cannot dissolve/release enough free copper in our lifetime to make a difference. Just ask people who tried to run a QT tank with sand or rock... the sand and rock binds up the copper in no time leaving none in the water which is why they are all bare bottom with PVC hiding places.
There is almost no possible way that you have a build up of free copper unless you are adding it daily. It will bind to aragonite, bind to organics and get skimmed out and otherwise be rendered useless very quickly. Even a penny, brass or copper pipe cannot dissolve/release enough free copper in our lifetime to make a difference. Just ask people who tried to run a QT tank with sand or rock... the sand and rock binds up the copper in no time leaving none in the water which is why they are all bare bottom with PVC hiding places.
I'm glad I posted this question. My mind is more at ease. Plus my cleaner shrimp has tripled in size in my tank and all snails and a starfish are doing great so I'm assuming they would die if there was any amount of copper before my corals would
Tastee
Valuable Member
Yes, I dose the AquaForest 3 part solution daily.
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