copper in a reef tank

[masterkaw]

What happens if a copper medication is put in a reef tank? My friend started a reef tank about a year ago. Her son got a hold of a bottle of copper treatment and squeezed a few drops in the tank. What are the effects of this on the corals or rocks? Is everything ruined? Will corals die. Its a mixed reef. What should she do?.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depending on how high the concentration gets, invertebrates can suffer or die.

A few drops in a big tank probably wouldn't cause a wipe out, but I'd run a polyfilter or Cuprisorb to remove most of it.

 

[masterkaw]

Depending on how high the concentration gets, invertebrates can suffer or die.

A few drops in a big tank probably wouldn't cause a wipe out, but I'd run a polyfilter or Cuprisorb to remove most of it.

All the brittle stars in the rocks all came out, curled up on the sand. Can corals die from the copper?

 

[Fish76]

Yikes! How big of a tank? Maybe more than a few drops were added! +1 on adding some type of copper removal media....

 

[masterkaw]

A 72g bowfront. Yeah, the drop count is unknown. She said a few drops, but who knows. My concern is the corals and the live rock. Will this be an issue that will be there forever, or long time?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It can be an issue for corals, yes.

It can linger a long time, but the sooner you start pulling the copper out, the better.

If there is sand, consider removing that if more things seem to have an issue since a lot of copper can bind to sand surfaces.

What brand of copper?