How to "remove" copper?

[AquaKnight]

Well I've had to treat my fish in QT for the first time and their treatment period with Cupramine is up. Just wondering how everyone goes about removing copper for the obversation period afterwards? Just drop a media bag of CupriSorb into the filter? Vihn carries CupriSorb, IIRC?

 

[skinnyjoe1976]

i think the acid in vinegar nuetralizes it.

 

[AquaKnight]

Well it's a running QT. I'm looking for more of a way to keep the tank going and remove the copper. After the treatment usually there's an observation period for the fish for a couple more weeks while still in QT. If possible I'd like to not have to do a drain/refill as the tank is a 55gal.

 

[NATIVEVAMAN]

Poly bio marine makes filter pad they claim will remove trace minerals from salt or fresh water.I used them to remove iron from my sweeties fresh water tank.

 

[chrisstie]

I would just start doing a series of water changes if it is that large of a tank if its a running QT. I'm not sure if cuprasorb would help you go without water changes at all, but the changes would be the inexpensive 'easy' solution.

 

[Mr Neutron]

Run a polyfilter till it stops turning color.

 

[jade2122]

cuprisorb is your best bet. i had my copper catastrophy killing my entire reef tank and cuprisorb and kents heavy metal remover resin both work very well. i now have tank back as reef. polyfilters do work good too but will not remove the copper to as low a level as the other two.

 

[pdkinsel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12222113#post12222113 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jade2122
cuprisorb is your best bet. i had my copper catastrophy killing my entire reef tank and cuprisorb and kents heavy metal remover resin both work very well. i now have tank back as reef. polyfilters do work good too but will not remove the copper to as low a level as the other two.

Jade,
Just curious as I try to determine what might have contributed to my tank problems and realize that I have not tested for Copper. What happened to corals with your copper problem?
Also, where do you get the cuprisorb and kent heavy metal remover resin?
Thanks for any help.

 

[justinzimm]

Carbon will bring down the Cu levels. Why do you need to bring down the Copper so fast? Is the water going into your reef? If it's always going to be used for Quarantine I wouldn't bother trying to get all the copper out.

Justin

 

[AquaKnight]

Justin, it's just that copper is poisonous to the fish and after the desired time, I'd like to get it out as fast as possible without doing more damage then necessary.

I stopped and got some CupriSorb and levels are already down a tenth (.5 to .4). Just added a media bag to the back of my bio wheel filter.

Chrisstie, my WC schedule is alternating 5 gals one day, 10 the next, which comes out to almost 100% WC every week. Water levels have stayed good, nitrates are the worst at 20ppm. I think this schedule is enough, right?

 

[chrisstie]

I think you'll be ok AquaKnight. My only personal experience with copper is in a very large QT system - I'm more used to the hypo method.

On a 55g, though, you're not changing too too much too rapidly but you're doing it to get the copper out. As long as your mixed water parameters are really close to your tank (pH, salinity, temp) you should have no trouble at all I would think with those volumes.

 

[jade2122]

carbon will barely do anything to the copper level, yea just keep running the cuprisorb, pretty good stuff.