Help me brainstorm where this copper & tin is coming from..

[inktomi]

I've been trying to figure out where this tin, and now copper, is coming from. I'm out of ideas though..

Here's my most recent triton test - 4 ug/l tin and 9.5 ug/l copper

And this one is a month ago - 6 ug/l tin and 2 ug/l copper

I've replaced my heater, which had a bit of condensation inside it, and checked my vortech pumps. None of the magnets seem swollen.

I have a vertex return pump that also seems fine, ph and temp probes, and a small pump (almost new) that runs my pax bellum algae reactor.

I added some cuprisorb to my filter socks after the test a month ago. Tin has came down a bit as you can see, but Copper is actually going up! I've got to figure this out before it hits a level that impacts my SPS.

Help me brainstorm - what could be the source? I have also repainted my stand where it was beginning to rust with Por15 paint but this was several months ago before the Copper showed up.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Have you had your RO/DI water checked? Perhaps it's getting through and some filters need to be replaced.

 

[inktomi]

I thought of that, but thanks for reminding me. I replaced the RO membrane, DI resin, and all the carbon and sediment filters between these two tests. I did a 40g (so around 15%) water change with fresh RODI water.

I also removed one magnetic frag rack which I found was damaged in between the two tests, but it was just a tiny bit of open magnet there which I'm not sure could cause this much trouble.

I think 9 ug/l is too low to show up on a home copper test kit, otherwise I'd start testing my new RODI water.

Visually everything in my tank is doing fine.

 

[theMeat]

Marine pure block or?
PVC?

 

[inktomi]

I've never used Marine Pure, and haven't added any new PVC other than what's in my pax bellum reactor which I added a few months ago. Nothing added new between the two tests when copper in the water more than doubled.

 

[inktomi]

Well, I pulled out my return pump (Vertex V6, now discontinued) and the pump feeding my pax bellum - nothing weird going on in either of those. I also checked my temperature probe and ph probe, they seem fine as well.

I need to get a hannah copper checker and start testing things. I am up to around .01 ppm copper in the tank, which is very worrying.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

the issue with magnets is that if you can’t see the magnet itself, you don't know if it’s corroded.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/magnets-and-your-tank.289781/

 

[inktomi]

Interesting thread! Thank you for linking it. I did find one magnet that was open to the water inside a frag rack, which I removed. The second triton test was after that, and had higher copper levels. The magnets inside my pumps are on the impeller shafts and have no cracks, scrapes etc. They look pristine.

 

[N2theUnknown]

Any hose clamps, Or check valves?

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

Check your float on your RO reservoir. If it has any metal on it. Some had a little pin that was causing this. Great looking tank and fish.

 

[inktomi]

Thanks! My corals and fish are all doing so well right now, I hate that copper is creeping up!

I have a Tunze osmolator top off, which I don't think has any mechanical swing type things. I DO have a swing style float in my RODI reservoir though. I will check that!

I have almost all hard pvc piping, and the hose clamps I do have are plastic. No check valves.