What is in... ZeoSpur2

[biom]

Because we were talking about copper in reef tank lately, it is good to share what we know currently about copper in ZeoSpur2.

The main info comes from French reefer Régis Doutre some 10 years ago who find that ZeoSpur2 is a solution of copper chloride with concentration around 2 grams of copper ions per liter, which is about 5.5 grams of copper chloride dihydrate per liter. So if used as recommended: 1 ml ZeoSpur2 per 100 liters tank water, will gives a concentration of about 20 ppb copper in tank water.
The ocean averages around 0.25 ppb total copper. From scientific research copper toxicity varies depending on the coral species, it can vary from 10 ppb - 100 ppb.

From KZ they confirm that Zeospur2 contain copper, but also pointed out that apart from copper, zeospur2 contains other trace elements such as: Antimony, Potassium, Manganese, Chromium, Nickel, Rubidium, Lanthanides, Selenium, Yttrium, Samarium, Vanadium, Cesium, Borate, Palladium, Tin, Aluminum bromine over various other elements.

Some good reading about how copper influences zooxanthellae expelling. http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/149/m149p163.pdf

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks, Stoyan.

From such a list of elements, one cannot be sure what they intend to be there (by adding it specifically, for example), and what is just there as an impurity in the main ingredient(s). For example, I can hardly believe that they intentionally add palladium, but we can't know from a list.

FWIW, I've never been a fan of intentionally stressing corals.

 

[biom]

Yes, it is hard to believe that they put half of periodic table in it . But probably this is the only way to explain why 5 grams of copper chloride costs more than 100$

 

[Myka]

Thanks for posting the paper Stoyan.

 

[marke]

Bleaching of corals following exposure to heavy metals has been described before. Pocillopora damicornis and Montiporra verrucosa discoloured during exposure to 10 pg 1-' copper, and died during exposure to 100 pg 1-' copper (Evans 1977). A visual gradation of colour loss has also been observed in M. verrucosa following exposure to copper concentrations ranging from 10 to 50 pg I-' (Howard et al. 1986). Decreases in algal density have been measured in a colony of Porites lutea exposed to elevated iron concentrations (Harland & Brown 1989); the algal pigment concentration was not measured during that study.

The article provided discussed how lethal toxic metals including copper when elevated above NSW levels? Causing bleaching or the loss of zooaxth? Is this a positive?

 

[Myka]

The article provided discussed how lethal toxic metals including copper when elevated above NSW levels? Causing bleaching or the loss of zooaxth? Is this a positive?

Well, that depends who you ask. Most reefers, if you take the description out of context would say it is undesirable. Those in the know, would tell you that it's common practice in ULNS methods. The whole point of dosing Copper sulfate is to purge zooxanthellae and provide a "controlled" bleach. This is one of the methods to achieve the pastel colors of Zeovit reefs and other brands.

Such as...