Removing copper with cuprisorb

[WisconsinReefing]

Spelling may be off lol

So I saw some evidence of ich on my purple tang. I dosed copper and did 45 gallon water changes for 3 days adding more copper after each change. Got the level to between .3 and .35 for 14 days. Visually the purple tang looks perfect now and the 14 days is up today. So my next step is to add cuprisorb. I’m putting it in my filter socks. It’s a 180 gallon tank and I want to make sure it’s removing correctly. About how long should it take to get the copper to 0?

Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This is a reef aquarium?

 

[64Ivy]

Might consider grabbing a Hanna copper tester to be sure. Oh, and unless you’re doing tank transfer, 14 days may not be long enough.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

This is a reef aquarium?

No it is a FOWLR system, sorry

 

[WisconsinReefing]

Might consider grabbing a Hanna copper tester to be sure. Oh, and unless you’re doing tank transfer, 14 days may not be long enough.

I am using Hanna copper tester.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

This is a reef aquarium?

I do have a reef as well, so that’s why I’m on the forums. Figured it didn’t hurt to ask about my FOWLR tank here

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think the Hanna may not be accurate on the low end, so I'd be careful to not assume there is still copper in the water once it has dropped much below 0.1 ppm. Especially not at 0.01 ppm. There are a lot of threads of folks suddenly worried about copper in their reef tank water from this test, when it is pretty unusual for folks to detect that much copper by ICP.

Example:

Copper still kicking my butt in DT

Ive had other threads not long ago about having a copper reading of 0.10 up to 0.15 in my tank with the hanna checker consistently for the past couple of months. Im still waiting for the icp report but in the meantime i have tried absolutely everything, from draining the sump to check for any...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[WisconsinReefing]

I think the Hanna may not be accurate on the low end, so I'd be careful to not assume there is still copper in the water once it has dropped much below 0.1 ppm. Especially not at 0.01 ppm. There are a lot of threads of folks suddenly worried about copper in their reef tank water from this test, when it is pretty unusual for folks to detect that much copper by ICP.

Example:

Copper still kicking my butt in DT

Ive had other threads not long ago about having a copper reading of 0.10 up to 0.15 in my tank with the hanna checker consistently for the past couple of months. Im still waiting for the icp report but in the meantime i have tried absolutely everything, from draining the sump to check for any...

www.reef2reef.com

Thank you that makes sense. How long should I expect it to take to get to 0 regardless of what the test says. 1 week, 2, more?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

It looks too fine to put them in any filter bag, what kind of filter bag did you use and wonder if I run it by a reactor perhaps mixing it with carbon, gfo and cuprisorb?

 

[WisconsinReefing]

It looks too fine to put them in any filter bag, what kind of filter bag did you use and wonder if I run it by a reactor perhaps mixing it with carbon, gfo and cuprisorb?

I was going to put it in filter socks. There is a bag around the actual substance.

 

[Fishingandreefing]

I was going to put it in filter socks. There is a bag around the actual substance.

I got the 250ml and I don’t think it comes with any bag.

 

[Miller535]

You dosed your display tank with copper?

 

[Fishingandreefing]

You dosed your display tank with copper?

No but found magnetic sands in the sandbed so suspecting heavy metal

 

[Miller535]

No but found magnetic sands in the sandbed so suspecting heavy metal

I'm confused, opp said he does copper and did a 45 gallon water change because of evidence of ich.

 

[WisconsinReefing]

I'm confused, opp said he does copper and did a 45 gallon water change because of evidence of ich.

Yes. It’s a new tank. No coral yet

 

[WisconsinReefing]

Yes. It’s a new tank. No coral yet

And I followed a schedule. I did 4 straight days of 45 gallon water changes, while increasing the ppm of copper. And holding it there for 2 weeks

 

[Miller535]

Yes. It’s a new tank. No coral yet

Your problem is going to be that sand and rock will leach a certain amount of copper. Because of this, that is why it is recommended to use in a bare QT tank and not a display with rock and sand.