Longspine Urchin and Low Level Copper

[mkszolo]

Does anyone know how much copper an Urchin can tolerate. I want to move a longspine urchin from my small reef tank to my larger (125 gallon) fish only tank which had been treated with copper quite a while ago. The copper level is almost down to zero. I put a "tester" turbo snail in 31 hours ago and it is still alive.

All the info I can find says urchins don't tolerate "high copper levels", but no one gives numbers on copper levels.

Any help you can give would be great. Thanks!

 

[Calappidae]

None whatsoever.. even if you got a reading of 0 copper it could still leech out of the sandbed or rock work in small traces undetected. Copper isn't an instant death either, so a snail living for a couple weeks doesn't necessarily flag it's safe.

 

[mkszolo]

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks! You have saved the life of an Urchin. I will find him a safe home.

 

[3FordFamily]

I disagree on the leeching copper.. If the tank has been full of water testing at 0 for a long time it will be fine. We had a reef tank that was dosed with high levels of copper due to complete ignorance on my mother's part several years ago. It was drained and water replaced. Amazingly, some mushrooms, star polyps and even a leather if I remember correctly made it through. No other corals all shrimp all inverts died.

Anyway, it was filled back up and new coral put in that next week and several inverts and it's been that way ever since (5+ years ago) no problems ever.

I think the leeching issue is literally true but not significant and very exaggerated. Just my experience and .02. Unique personal experience. Wish it hadn't happened

 

[mkszolo]

Thanks! Maybe I will hang on to him for a while in the little reef tank until I test out at 0 a few more times in the larger tanks then give it a try...?

 

[3FordFamily]

I would, based on my experience. The copper we used wasn't cupramine or a more chelates copper than leeches less. This was the real deal "oh ****" copper and more than the recommended dose, unfortunately. No issues

 

[rssjsb]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand this:

"The copper we used wasn't cupramine or a more chelates copper than leeches less."

I'm usually pretty good at reading past typos, but can't get what you're saying. You used a form of copper that doesn't leech as much as cupramine? A less chelated version?

Really, I'm not trying to be a pedantic jerk, I just don't know what you're saying.

 

[mkszolo]

I used Mardel Coppersafe (can't get it anymore). It is supposed to be "safer", but two water changes ago the snail I put in died. The snail I put in a week ago is still alive. I think that is a good sign, but I will be patient and wait and see before I move the Urchin in.

It is my son's urchin that has out grown his reef. I would like to avoid tears if possible.:spin3:

 

[rssjsb]

Frankly, I would rehome it. I'm not sure that the snails are a good indicator of how well your urchin would tolerate residual levels of copper. My experience is that urchins are pretty sensitive to conditions that never phased my snails.

 

[Betta132]

Rehoming it might be a good idea. Maybe see if somebody in your area would take it?