Trying to remove copper! Help please!

[blackshirts2004]

Anyone have advice for removing copper from a main display? I have been doing water changes for about a month as well as running cuprisorb but I cannot get below .24. I want to get inverts back in the tank. Any advice?

 

[cdemoss01]

@vetteguy53081 might be able to help with this..

 

[vetteguy53081]

Anyone have advice for removing copper from a main display? I have been doing water changes for about a month as well as running cuprisorb but I cannot get below .24. I want to get inverts back in the tank. Any advice?

Assure you are not getting false readings. Copper can bind to organic material such as rock and assure that too is removed. Poly Filter product does a good also of removal. CupriSorb normally very effective

 

[blackshirts2004]

Assure you are not getting false readings. Copper can bind to organic material such as rock and assure that too is removed. Poly Filter product does a good also of removal. CupriSorb normally very effective

Thank you. Do you think I need to replace the rock and sand in the tank?

 

[jadedog]

Are you using instant reef crystals? My display tank comes back at 0.21ppm copper with a hannah checker. I have many inverts with no problems but this salt for me always shows copper.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Thank you. Do you think I need to replace the rock and sand in the tank?

I removed it and do the same and soak in bleach/water solution and allow to dry which will address copper and any parasites

 

[exnisstech]

I wouldn't remove the rock unless the tank is new otherwise it will be like starting over.
All the rock in this tank was treated with copper and removed with cuprisorb. Unfortunately it was years ago and I don't keep records and I can't remember how long or how much cuprisorb it took.

 

[blackshirts2004]

I appreciate all the feedback. Might roll the dice with a few snails and see how things go.

 

[ga2040]

Cuprisorb maybe your best choice ,place it in a spot where you have good water flow .Then retest after few weeks to see if you get near zero readings.

 

[ReefBrownie]

Anyone have advice for removing copper from a main display? I have been doing water changes for about a month as well as running cuprisorb but I cannot get below .24. I want to get inverts back in the tank. Any advice?

Have you checked everything (pumps, wavemakers, etc.) to make sure nothing is getting water where it shouldn't? That could explain why you aren't seeing decreasing numbers if it is still leaking from somewhere.

 

[Joj]

Had fowlr before where i treated with cupramine and copper power a couple of times separately. Ran thru cuprisorb and also polyfilter pad and some of those same rocks/sand was used in another tank with softies, coral banded shrimp, pistol shrimps, snails, hermit crabs without issues. My hanna at its highest copper was reading .12 and the pistol shrimp is still doing okay. My understanding is Hanna does not read low levels well +- .05. So i just run a polyfilter pad for a few weeks to see if it turns a blue tinge or not just to make sure all copper are gone. But tough since i run a macroalgae tank and add fert that has trace amount of copper

 

[Subsea]

Copper is a trace mineral that is in most seaweed. When I sent Gracilaria Parvispora to a regional agriculture lab both Cu & Zn showed up as 4ppm & 2ppm even when makeup ground water analysis showed zero with the lower detection limit at 10ppb.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Are you using instant reef crystals? My display tank comes back at 0.21ppm copper with a hannah checker. I have many inverts with no problems but this salt for me always shows copper.

I know this is a bit old now, but I would not rely on the Hanna checker to determine if there is excessive copper or not. It appears unreliable for levels below the therapeutic range for fish. Folks see copper by the Hannah, and far less or none by ICP.