Post Cooper treatment, filter clean out

[Lost in the Sauce]

Copper is DONE! First time having to use it.
I'm planning a few back to back 25% water changes over a few days to help quickly reduce the copper in the system but wondering about filter media.

Are there any precautions that need taken to remove copper that may be in our filters? Will repeated WC's eventually get everything out?

My hospital tank is being run off of a fluval FX4 with all but the sponges removed. No bio rings or ceramic media. Just sponges.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

There is no major issue with copper adhering or absorbing on non-calcareus substances, whatever residual copper you have in the water is all that is left. Be aware though, that most hobbyist test kits don’t test well below 0.05 ppm, and if you are going to keep corals in the tank, you need to be below 0.01

Jay

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Copper is DONE! First time having to use it.
I'm planning a few back to back 25% water changes over a few days to help quickly reduce the copper in the system but wondering about filter media.

Are there any precautions that need taken to remove copper that may be in our filters? Will repeated WC's eventually get everything out?

My hospital tank is being run off of a fluval FX4 with all but the sponges removed. No bio rings or ceramic media. Just sponges.

Thanks for the input!

I used Polyfilter and carbon to remove copper. It did a good job.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

There is no major issue with copper adhering or absorbing on non-calcareus substances, whatever residual copper you have in the water is all that is left. Be aware though, that most hobbyist test kits don’t test well below 0.05 ppm, and if you are going to keep corals in the tank, you need to be below 0.01

Jay

Thanks Jay. Testing via Hanna checker. This filter will run copperless for a few months then likely go offline, but I'm hoping to be able to use it as a backup just in case filter.

No Corals will hit this water. Hospital tank only so I assume that over the next few weeks (after a few days of back to back wc) the copper will continue lower and lower until it really is non existent.

Will the Hanna accurately really low end?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I used Polyfilter and carbon to remove copper. It did a good job.

How long did it take with carbon? I've heard that's about the slowest method?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Jay. Testing via Hanna checker. This filter will run copperless for a few months then likely go offline, but I'm hoping to be able to use it as a backup just in case filter.

No Corals will hit this water. Hospital tank only so I assume that over the next few weeks (after a few days of back to back wc) the copper will continue lower and lower until it really is non existent.

Will the Hanna accurately really low end?

Sorry, IDK about the hanna, I’ve only used mine to test at full doses, I use a different test - poryphrin on a spectrophotometer for low dose testing.
Jay

 

[Sebastiancrab]

How long did it take with carbon? I've heard that's about the slowest method?

I didn't use just carbon so don't know. The Polyfilter alone should pull it out.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Grabbed some today at the shop.

Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

How long did it take with carbon? I've heard that's about the slowest method?

Carbon is really poor at removing copper. I was taught to use carbon 50 years ago, so it is really ingrained with me, but it truly doesn’t work well. Water changes always work. Cuprisorb does also.
Jay

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Water changes and floss is the plan. No carbon