Still showing signs of copper in converted qt??? Help please!!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Triton Detox claims to remove all copper. I've considered this in case something breaks and metal is exposed. Haven't used it but perhaps worth the research and perhaps Randy has some input.

Natural copper is almost entirely bound to organics in the ocean, and so it is not surprising at all that organics like triton detox, cuprisorb, metasorb, and other materials can bind it effectively.

 

[SlugSnorter]

Hello,

I have a nuvo 30 that I used for treating qt’ing fish. The fish are out, and I wanted to use the tank to qt coral & nems BUT I can’t get rid of the copper!

I did a full water change, and ran cuprisorb for a couple days. Hanna checker showed 0.06 ppm. I emptied the tank completely, wiped tank / equipment with white vinegar, added fresh saltwater, let circulate overnight, and still showing 0.06 ppm???

i checked my reef tank, and it reads 0 ppm. I use same salt and Ro.

I have a skimmer, heater, bare bottom, return pump, and hob filter with cuprisorb.

How do I get the copper out? What am I missing?

copper can be in/on the equipment too. Once a tank/equipment has been used for copper, best to leave it as a QT/FOWLR IMO.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Glad you figured it out. I never would have guessed you were adding copper to your mixing station... I don't think I'd do that again once you get it out. Just use a bucket for mixing your copper QT water. or add the copper to the QT tank just before adding the water.

When I'm mixing copper water for QT, I just fill a 5 gallon buck with fresh SW from my mixing station, then add copper in the bucket, and then add to the QT.

I don't run copper through any equipment, that I don't have too.... saying that I've never had trouble cleaning copper out/off equipment that was used in copper either. I've re-used HOB filters, heater, etc.. that have been used in copper before. As long as they aren't absorbing copper, they should be pretty easy to clean.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

For over Forty Years I’ve dealt with Copper Plating on HVAC Components. From Copper Plating on Piston, Rings, and Scrolls on Compressors. Miss use of Torches, not dehydrating Refrigerant Systems, it becomes a really big problem with the newer Refrigerants. On Ceramic Bearings, and Seals. Wet Rotor Pumps, which are very similar to our magnetic drive pumps. Not from random post on the internet, but real world and classroom studies. BTW I have Copper Plating on my Ceramic Valves in my Plumbing System, with very little Copper pipe in my house, from the well water picking up Copper. I have yet figured out where the Copper is coming from.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

For over Forty Years I’ve dealt with Copper Plating on HVAC Components. From Copper Plating on Piston, Rings, and Scrolls on Compressors. Miss use of Torches, not dehydrating Refrigerant Systems, it becomes a really big problem with the newer Refrigerants. On Ceramic Bearings, and Seals. Wet Rotor Pumps, which are very similar to our magnetic drive pumps. Not from random post on the internet, but real world and classroom studies. BTW I have Copper Plating on my Ceramic Valves in my Plumbing System, with very little Copper pipe in my house, from the well water picking up Copper. I have yet figured out where the Copper is coming from.

I still don't believe it without some sort of evidence and rationale. There are tons of crap claims about copper and magnets and all sorts of pseudoscience on the internet.

Again though, if you have a specific link, I will be happy to review it and change my mind if it is convincing. I did not see any by simple and quick searching.

IMO, the question here is how an oxygenated system like seawater in a reef tank can plate it, and then retain it. I don't believe it can. Many of the systems you mention are not oxidizing environments. To plate copper implies a reducing agent of some sort that is quite strong, like another metal. None are typically present in seawater, but they are present in nearly every system you mentioned.

 

[GARRIGA]

Natural copper is almost entirely bound to organics in the ocean, and so it is not surprising at all that organics like triton detox, cuprisorb, metasorb, and other materials can bind it effectively.

But does it's claim to remove it completely hold true considering it can bind to other items in the tank thereby unable to be grabbed by Detox? That's my concern in using it and getting a false hope it removed it completely. Although I grasp some amount does naturally exist in seawater.

another concern is if it strips out other essentials which I believe could happen with cuprisorb, per Seachem.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But does it's claim to remove it completely hold true considering it can bind to other items in the tank thereby unable to be grabbed by Detox? That's my concern in using it and getting a false hope it removed it completely. Although I grasp some amount does naturally exist in seawater.

another concern is if it strips out other essentials which I believe could happen with cuprisorb, per Seachem.

No, it would not (or only very slowly) remove it from bound sites on CaCO3 or detritus.

But those concentrations are not impacting organisms in the water, and are not detectable by testing.

Removing too much or removing other metals is always a big risk, IMO, of all of these methods.