I received a reply from Randy Holmes-Farley and also "bertoni", their replies are greatly appreciated.
I began using the Poly-Filter Pad as suggested by "bertoni", did major water changes (55 gal twice) & am also running CupriSorb by SeaChem (a copper absorbing media). Things are already beginning to look better. The penny I found in my reef aquarium was about 1/3 the weight of a new penny.
I took Randy’s advice and posted this in the chemistry forum mainly so others could be aware of this potential reef killing problem. Still don't know how the penny got in the tank!
Please see Randy's reply about the penny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David
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You might post this in the chemistry forum, but definitely yes, a penny in the tank can release enough copper to kill certain inverts.
Randy
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DGL wrote on 12/14/2008 08:16 PM:
I posted this on the general reef discussion forum but didn't generate much response.
Do you think enough copper could have leached into the aquarium from a penny to have caused problems?
Yesterday I began running about 1/2 L of SeaChem CupriSorb in a Simplicity Reactor & tomorrow I am doing a 55 gall water change./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
POST:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Has anyone ever had a penny get into their reef tank? I have been keeping reef aquariums for over 15 years and over the past 5 - 6 months my 180 gallon aquarium began slowly developing some problems, SPS corals began loosing color, polyp extension became less and things in general just weren't looking right. I checked and re-checked water parameters, everything tested perfect. I didn't have anything out right die, stuff just kept looking worse.
Today I found a very oxidized penny under the edge of a live rock overhang. It was about 1/2 the weight of a normal penny! I don't have any idea how it got in the aquarium but it did.
I'm thinking this may be the root of my thus far un-diagnosed problem. I don't have a copper test kit but I would believe some amount of copper was or is in the aquarium due to the oxidation of the penny.
I did a 55 gallon water change and put a load of carbon in my Simplicity Reactor. Plan another water change in a couple of days.
Any thoughts?
I began using the Poly-Filter Pad as suggested by "bertoni", did major water changes (55 gal twice) & am also running CupriSorb by SeaChem (a copper absorbing media). Things are already beginning to look better. The penny I found in my reef aquarium was about 1/3 the weight of a new penny.
I took Randy’s advice and posted this in the chemistry forum mainly so others could be aware of this potential reef killing problem. Still don't know how the penny got in the tank!
Please see Randy's reply about the penny!!!!!!!!!!!!!
David
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
You might post this in the chemistry forum, but definitely yes, a penny in the tank can release enough copper to kill certain inverts.
Randy
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGL wrote on 12/14/2008 08:16 PM:
I posted this on the general reef discussion forum but didn't generate much response.
Do you think enough copper could have leached into the aquarium from a penny to have caused problems?
Yesterday I began running about 1/2 L of SeaChem CupriSorb in a Simplicity Reactor & tomorrow I am doing a 55 gall water change./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
POST:>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Has anyone ever had a penny get into their reef tank? I have been keeping reef aquariums for over 15 years and over the past 5 - 6 months my 180 gallon aquarium began slowly developing some problems, SPS corals began loosing color, polyp extension became less and things in general just weren't looking right. I checked and re-checked water parameters, everything tested perfect. I didn't have anything out right die, stuff just kept looking worse.
Today I found a very oxidized penny under the edge of a live rock overhang. It was about 1/2 the weight of a normal penny! I don't have any idea how it got in the aquarium but it did.
I'm thinking this may be the root of my thus far un-diagnosed problem. I don't have a copper test kit but I would believe some amount of copper was or is in the aquarium due to the oxidation of the penny.
I did a 55 gallon water change and put a load of carbon in my Simplicity Reactor. Plan another water change in a couple of days.
Any thoughts?
