Copper in Display

Overboard · Jan 17, 2020

So my ATI results shows Copper at 7.09 micrograms per liter. I tested with Hanna high ranger copper checker and got .07 ppm. Are these levels problematic for SPS corals?

Thanks!
Mark

Malifry97 · Jan 17, 2020

I’d think you wouldn’t want really any copper...I’d just add cuprisorb to get rid of it

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 17, 2020

Those two numbers differ by a factor of 10. My tank has been higher than the 7 ppb without apparent issue, but the particular organics the copper binds to impacts toxicity a lot. I’d ignore the Hanna value as I think
The icp is likely more accurate.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 17, 2020

Malifry97 said:
I’d think you wouldn’t want really any copper...I’d just add cuprisorb to get rid of it

not true at the extreme. All organisms need copper.

Crabs McJones · Jan 17, 2020

Keep in mind also, that the hannah copper checker has an accuracy of +/- .05 ppm. So you could really be at the lowest .02ppm or at the high end .12 ppm
Agree that I'd trust the icp test over hannah in this case

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 17, 2020

Which Hanna checker?

Malifry97 · Jan 17, 2020

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
not true at the extreme. All organisms need copper.

Good To Know!

Overboard · Jan 17, 2020

Thanks for the input!

The Hanna checker is the high range copper version.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 17, 2020

So the value, assuming you did everything perfectly And Hanna knows the uncertainty correctly is 70 +/- 50 ppb. I don’t think that is a useful test for a normal reef tank.

Scotty Buttons · Jan 17, 2020

I'd be looking for the source, I had a similar issue and finally traced it to a couple blue patina copper penny's in my sump that my 3 year old donated to the aquarium.

Overboard · Jan 17, 2020

Thanks!

Dr. Dendrostein · Jan 17, 2020

Scotty Buttons said:
I'd be looking for the source, I had a similar issue and finally traced it to a couple blue patina copper penny's in my sump that my 3 year old donated to the aquarium.

Maybe foods fed , maybe

Overboard · Jan 17, 2020

I realize the Hanna test is not as accurate as ATI, but I tested my new batch of SW and it tested at the same reading as my display, .07. Like Randy said, way off the ATI result. But when I tested my RO/DI water, it was .02. Maybe the test is not sufficiently accurate for this to matter, but one guess is the old (really old) Eheim pump I use to mix SW might be leaching into the water. Even though there were no other metals detected in the ATI test, I pulled it just to be safe. I don’t have the ATI results on my RO/DI yet, but that will be helpful.

Thanks!!