Removing copper from old rocks

[Smoke-Town]

So this is my old quarantine tank. Been sitting like this for about 5 months. The last thing I did was try to treat ich in this tank. Small doses for about 3 days and the fish died and I basically shut this tank down.

I've read different was to remove copper but I guess you can test the tiny amounts leaching until it builds up over a long time. So what's the best way to be sure these rocks are safe? I don't need these rocks necessarily so there is no time limit. I just don't want to waste good rocks if I don't have to. There's always room for another tank somewhere at some point.

 

[Spare time]

Cuprisorb, I think zeolite, and phosphate removers like phosguard and gfo, can all remove copper. Run those in a hang on back filter or something for a while. I can't say how long it would take, but these are all good options

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure the treatment is cheaper than the cost of new rocks for those few rocks, but a copper binder with good flow over it and the rocks for an extended period can remove a lot.

Bleaching will remove organics that some copper is bound to, but not all. Some will stick to the bare calcium carbonate.

I wouldn't use it without an ICP test of salt water it had been in for a week or more.

 

[arking_mark]

I've always wondered if you could reduce copper to a safe level after treating a tank. My Google research pointed to yes, but would take quite a bit of time with copper removal products. In my case, I was thinking of dosing my display tank which had sand. In the end, I felt the time and effort might not be worth it and just replacing the fish after fallow was more cost effective.

 

[threebuoys]

I've had good success with cuprisorb. GAC did not seem to work as fast for me. My experience was that the copper leeched back into the water at a fairly slow rate. After adding cuprisorb, I noticed a significant drop within a week or so (been a while so my memory may be weak on timing). When I removed the cuprisorb, copper level slowly began to rise. So I continued to use the cuprisorb for an extended period of time.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

I was just going to soak my rocks in water with heater in tub and keep changing the water once every few days until copper levels test 0, but sounds like I might have been over optimistic lol?

I'm not sure the treatment is cheaper than the cost of new rocks for those few rocks, but a copper binder with good flow over it and the rocks for an extended period can remove a lot.

Bleaching will remove organics that some copper is bound to, but not all. Some will stick to the bare calcium carbonate.

I wouldn't use it without an ICP test of salt water it had been in for a week or more.

 

[exnisstech]

I've had good success with cuprisorb. GAC did not seem to work as fast for me. My experience was that the copper leeched back into the water at a fairly slow rate. After adding cuprisorb, I noticed a significant drop within a week or so (been a while so my memory may be weak on timing). When I removed the cuprisorb, copper level slowly began to rise. So I continued to use the cuprisorb for an extended period of time.

I had good luck with cuprisorb as well. And my memory is also weak so I can't remember how long it took . All of the rock in this tank was treated with copper and removed with cuprisorb. No problem keeping inverts.
Like Randy said tho for the amount of rock you have there it may not be worth the effort.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was just going to soak my rocks in water with heater in tub and keep changing the water once every few days until copper levels test 0, but sounds like I might have been over optimistic lol?

If you wait long enough that will work, but a binder in the water may greatly speed up the process.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

If you wait long enough that will work, but a binder in the water may greatly speed up the process.

K well I'll test for everyone and let people know how long it takes before I get zero reading of copper on Hanna through just water + heater soaking

 

[Reefahholic]

I’d send ICP-MS to see where the level actually is.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

K well I'll test for everyone and let people know how long it takes before I get zero reading of copper on Hanna through just water + heater soaking

OK, but the Hanna is not really suitable at its low end. It often reads values when folks find none by ICP.

 

[Bitcoin Reefer]

OK, but the Hanna is not really suitable at its low end. It often reads values when folks find none by ICP.

Ok thanks.

Update:

I let rocks soak in plain RODI water for almost 2 weeks now with heater at ~82F. Copper reading .05. Will now change water and see what it reads in another couple of weeks The rocks had previously sat dry not used for like almost a year probably, but I don't think that has any effect probably?

 

[Enad]

Ok thanks.

Update:

I let rocks soak in plain RODI water for almost 2 weeks now with heater at ~82F. Copper reading .05. Will now change water and see what it reads in another couple of weeks The rocks had previously sat dry not used for like almost a year probably, but I don't think that has any effect probably?

I just want to bump this thread because I plan on doing the same thing. Did you have any success with this?

Additionally, I want to ask - can I soak the rock in unheated RODI or does it need to be heated/aerated?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I don’t believe that soaking rock in ro/di will remove copper. I’d either put them in seawater with a copper binding polymer in it, or I’d dissolve away the surface material.

I also do not believe the Hanna is useful for this purpose. It is apparently inaccurate at low levels.

 

[Enad]

I don’t believe that soaking rock in ro/di will remove copper. I’d either put them in seawater with a copper binding polymer in it, or I’d dissolve away the surface material.

I also do not believe the Hanna is useful for this purpose. It is apparently inaccurate at low levels.

Got it! I can use salt water with some Cuprisorb - unless you know of something that works better? I'm not looking to spend too much on this process as it's not a super important rock ultimately, but I would like to use it if I can extract the copper effectively.

Same question though, does temp matter or can I just leave the rock in a bucket and change water every week or so?

As for testing, yeah, I wouldn't use Hanna but do you think Salifert would be any more accurate? That's really all I have available.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Got it! I can use salt water with some Cuprisorb - unless you know of something that works better? I'm not looking to spend too much on this process as it's not a super important rock ultimately, but I would like to use it if I can extract the copper effectively.

Same question though, does temp matter or can I just leave the rock in a bucket and change water every week or so?

As for testing, yeah, I wouldn't use Hanna but do you think Salifert would be any more accurate? That's really all I have available.

Thst sounds like a fine plan, but there’s no home test kit for copper that will be useful to gauge the process.

 

[Enad]

Thst sounds like a fine plan, but there’s no home test kit for copper that will be useful to gauge the process.

Hmm, right. So ICP is the only way to go?

Alright I'll have to weigh if this is really worth my time and money for one rock, haha.

Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hmm, right. So ICP is the only way to go?

Alright I'll have to weigh if this is really worth my time and money for one rock, haha.

Thank you!

Yes, and I agree it’s not likely worth measuring. Treating it for 2 weeks and then just using it seems reasonable to me.

 

[Enad]

Yes, and I agree it’s not likely worth measuring. Treating it for 2 weeks and then just using it seems reasonable to me.

Appreciate the input. I'll give it a shot!

 

[kvansloo]

Yes, and I agree it’s not likely worth measuring. Treating it for 2 weeks and then just using it seems reasonable to me.

Wouldn't it be better to run the saltwater through a 2 canister DI unit 1st canister from pump has DI and 2nd has 1 micron carbon and let it rip for a few days.