Fish store uses copper

[jbc123]

So when adding a fish from a store that uses copper, is there a chance the fish carries enough copper in his system to harm a tank?

I know copper is lethal to inverts.

Does the water in and on the fish hold enough to do damage?

 

[jbc123]

Anyone? I got a blenny in the drip and I don't want to spike my tank and kill my snails!

 

[patsfan1130]

Don't worry about it. A fish may secrete a trace of copper but NSW has a very small amount of it as well. You will suffer no ill effects in your display after you re introduce your buddy.

 

[singold]

It would be buying Live Rock from a tank that is dosed with copper that could be an issue.

 

[aww_419]

re curing the live rock with the help of a skimmer and carbon will help get rid of any traces of copper left in the rock. Most copper treatments require large amounts. such as copper safe which uses a Tsp per 4 gallons so a 75 gallon would require almost 19 Tsp per treatment. this large quantity of copper is deadly to inverts. so the small traces should do much damage if any after curing. its other treatments like ick guard or other staining treatments that even the smallest amount even remaining in the silicone can kill.

 

[tanker]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13321681#post13321681 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by singold
It would be buying Live Rock from a tank that is dosed with copper that could be an issue.

I would not buy LR from a tank that has copper in the water. The risk is not worth it.

Fish--OK.

 

[danielc316]

as long as you acclumate the fish properly you should be ok. my fish store uses cpr and i've been fine so far.

 

[kathainbowen]

Fish ok, since you really want to minimalize the amount of transport water you put in the tank anyway (so, you'll also be reducing the copper levels to trace amounts between acclimation and the eventual final move into the tank).

As other people have stated, though, I'm not a big fan of purchasing liverock that has been left in tanks with copper. Liverock is very porous in nature, hence why we like it for harboring beneficial bacteria, micro, and macrofauna. I know, I know, people might call me a worry wort, but I'm of the nano-realm, and you can never be too careful when you get into nano and pico sized tanks.