copper in tank

[nathan c]

I added copper (copper power) to my tank about 5 months ago. after several water changes and running carbon I have a very slight trace of copper still in my tank. I still can't get snails to live in my tank. Does anyone have any tips for me on how to get the rest of the the copper out.

 

[Pistonkev]

I don't know that you will ever really get it all out. I would get a new tank and sell yours to someone who wants to do freshwater.

 

[bertoni]

Actually, the tank itself cleaned with muriatic acid diluted with water, or vinegar. The live rock and sand are best pitched, though. You could try dosing the live rock with some diluted muriatic acid, but I won't guarantee that'll do the job.

 

[intfilmpartners]

bump

 

[michaeldaly]

You could try running copper removing media, or copper sponges.

 

[reefkrazy]

I think that you should get rid of the tank. Or soak it in fresh water for a very long time. Let the copper leach out of the silicon.

 

[nathan c]

I don't want to get rid of the tank. It is a 300 gallon acrilic that is not even a year old. Wold it help if I got rid of the rock in there and put 300 lbs of new live rock? it is a fish only tank, no reef. Wanting to put new rock in but i'm afraid of the die off from the rock will cause an anominia spike. Is that possible?

 

[garyw68]

why did you put copper in your tank in the first place?

 

[Sk8r]

If you put in new live rock the copper in your tank will only kill it.
It would be a good freshwater tank.
You might try running polyfilter nonstop for a few months and see if that can get it, but any snail you put in there until you have found something to remove the copper [which is evidently in the glue of the tank, now: this happens when copper is dosed in a tank]...any snail, crab, etc, is going to die. So will bacteria in the rocks and sand, impairing the tank's ability to support fish, which themselves don't quite thrive in a coppered tank.
Offer it on e-bay as a reptile tank: it would be safe for that.

 

[nathan c]

All levels are great. I was told this copper would not kill my bacteria from the lfs. And I was told with water changes it would come out. I have these little goped things living all through my tank. Why is it they are living? I dosed my tank because of a very bad case of ick and nothing was killing it. Did not know about a QT tank.

 

[Pistonkev]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9558073#post9558073 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nathan c
All levels are great. I was told this copper would not kill my bacteria from the lfs. And I was told with water changes it would come out. I have these little goped things living all through my tank. Why is it they are living? I dosed my tank because of a very bad case of ick and nothing was killing it. Did not know about a QT tank.

And that's why we never trust the LFS they love it when everything in your tank dies more $$$$ for them.