Does copper evaporate from the water?

[Reefing102]

Forgive me as I’m sure this has been asked. Let’s say I’m running a quarantine at 2ppm copper. When the water evaporates, does the copper also evaporate so the top off needs to be balanced with additional copper? Or does it concentrate into the water and the top off would rebalance the tank to 2ppm?

 

[hunterallen40]

As for as I am aware -- and the assumption I've been operating on -- no, it does not evaporate.

Are you seeing a decrease in levels? If so, do you have any rock in the QT?

 

[bushdoc]

Copper does not evaporate from water, but it can be absorbed by some type of rock, sand etc.I am pretty sure that chelated copper is broken down in QT by some processes decreasing it’s activity. Main issue would be absorption by rock and sand.

 

[sc50964]

Following

 

[Reefing102]

Thanks for the replies! I can’t say I’ve seen a decrease as I haven’t ran my quarantine in forever, however the rock and sand absorption makes sense

 

[sc50964]

Thanks for the replies! I can’t say I’ve seen a decrease as I haven’t ran my quarantine in forever, however the rock and sand absorption makes sense

Coppersafe and power stay in the water and that’s why it’s more stable. Cupramine gets absorb by things like rock and sand. So it makes sense to me that water evaporation would lower copper concentration if it’s coppersafe & power.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So it makes sense to me that water evaporation would lower copper concentration if it’s coppersafe & power.

I’m not sure what you are suggesting, but there is no form of copper that you would encounter that has any ability to evaporate at reef tank temperatures.

 

[sc50964]

I’m not sure what you are suggesting, but there is no form of copper that you would encounter that has any ability to evaporate at reef tank temperatures.

I’m not suggesting that copper would vaporize at reef temp but i do see why it could be confusing so let me try again.

If it’s right that the copper content of coppersafe & power would actually stay in the water itself instead of being absorbed by other things in the tank, it makes sense that the overall copper concentration in the tank would lower when fresh water is used to fill up due to daily evaporation.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m not suggesting that copper would vaporize at reef temp but i do see why it could be confusing so let me try again.

If it’s right that the copper content of coppersafe & power would actually stay in the water itself instead of being absorbed by other things in the tank, it makes sense that the overall copper concentration in the tank would lower when fresh water is used to fill up due to daily evaporation.

Daily evaporation removes only water and refill adds only water, with no effect on copper concentrations when the two match.

 

[sc50964]

Daily evaporation removes only water and refill adds only water, with no effect on copper concentrations when the two match.

How does that science work? What sort of temp do the hydrogen and oxygen molecules change phase to cause evaporation yet leaving the copper molecule behind? It’s been a long time since I did thermal dynamics.

 

[Pod_01]

How does that science work?

Maybe this helps, actually interesting question.

Evaporation

When performing any type of vacuum heat treatment it is always important to be aware of the possibility of evaporation and/or sublimation of elements, which can be present in the material being processed, introduced into the vacuum system with the workload, inherent in the equipment design or...

vacaero.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How does that science work? What sort of temp do the hydrogen and oxygen molecules change phase to cause evaporation yet leaving the copper molecule behind? It’s been a long time since I did thermal dynamics.

Vapor pressure and rates of evaporation are lengthy and complicated topics relating to how molecule interact with one another.

In very short form, the stronger they interact with each other or with other chemicals in the liquid (including water) the kess they will enter the gas phase.

Water molecules can enter the gas phase in significant numbers even at temperatures below freezing.

All normal forms of copper only enter the gas phase in significant numbers at very high temps, far above the boiling point of water.

 

[Reefing102]

This is awesome information. Thanks!