Using an AIO as QT tank

[Muffin87]

I'd like to use this 20G AIO I have lying around as fish QT tank, until I get a simpler QT tank.
However, it's very difficult to get to remove water from the areas in green, in the back chamber of my 20G AIO.

I'm concerned I won't be able to remove copper completely, and won't be able to use the tank again with coral.

Is that a legitimate concern or should I not worry about something like that?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I'd like to use this 20G AIO I have lying around as fish QT tank, until I get a simpler QT tank.
However, it's very difficult to get to remove water from the areas in green, in the back chamber of my 20G AIO.

I'm concerned I won't be able to remove copper completely, and won't be able to use the tank again with coral.

Is that a legitimate concern or should I not worry about something like that?

Thanks a bunch!

The best way to remove chelated copper (the kind you should be using) is through water changes. Those two areas must have some water flow, so by doing large water changes, you would be diluting any copper that is in those chambers. From what I can tell by the dimensions you give (the height of the chamber is missing) the volume of this area is less than 1/2 a US gallon.
A bigger worry would be if you use any calcium-based decorations in the tank, those can absorb copper and release it later on, causing issue with corals down the road.

In the end though, it is always best to completely drain and refill with freshwater, and then lower the pH, circulate the water and drain it again, any tank that is going to go from copper to holding invertebrates.

Jay