Please help!!!!!need input asap!!!!

[larry joe]

found a penny in my sump this morning...What do I do and whats to come of my LR and sand?Penny looks as if its been there a while.I lost a pagoda cup and some of my zoas are closing....Snails are OK

 

[plyle02]

Water changes and carbon are the only thing that come to mind IMO... The penny is now gone, leaching of copper I am sure can happen, I would re-post on the chemistry forum. May get Randy to chime in with some help.
GL

 

[Beaun]

Seachem CupriSorb will help.

 

[etepperman]

I have had this happen too. I don't know how these things end up in our tanks.

In my case there was no ill effect. I guess just lucky.

-E

 

[Korrine]

Water changes and carbon are the only thing that come to mind IMO...

x2

what size tank is it?

 

[James404]

Cuprisorb like Beaun said or a polyfilter will absorb copper as well.

 

[Original Fin]

Most pennies in circulation are 98% zinc, 2% copper. You can tell by the date.
http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/copper_to_zinc.htm

 

[Beaun]

The outside is still 100% copper, the zinc is the "filler".

 

[Original Fin]

Yes, still not good. 1 pre 82 Penney in tank contains the same amount of copper as 98 post '82 pennies.
Countermeasures required either way, but a recovery is much more likely if it's a newer Penney.

 

[Vandal996]

I found one in my sand while sifting through the sand. No telling how it got in there but I had no ill effect. The coin was fully encrusted though. Poly filter for sure to be safe but all of my inverts were thriving.

 

[Beaun]

Yes, still not good. 1 pre 82 Penney in tank contains the same amount of copper as 98 post '82 pennies.
Countermeasures required either way, but a recovery is much more likely if it's a newer Penney.

It wont make a difference unless the penny is in there for a very long time. You would have to corrode through the copper coating first to make it to the zinc. For arguments sake, in an aquarium a penny is a penny.

 

[larry joe]

I really appreciate the input...My tank is a 140 gal and the penny was 1963....Ill put 2 or 3 poly filters in...How can I tell if my LR or sand suffered

 

[Original Fin]

What's at the core is irrelevant...Iagree with you there, Beaun.

At any rate, the OP has his answers. Could be interesting to explore this a little further though...maybe see what they think over in the chemistry forum. If for no other reason than to give myself a better understanding of the processes involved in copper contamination.

Wikipedia had a litle more detail...

1793"“1857 100% copper
1857"“1864 88% copper, 12% nickel (also known as NS-12)
1864"“1942 1946"“1962 bronze (95% copper, 5% tin and zinc)
1943 zinc-coated steel (also known as steel penny)
1944"“1946 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1974 Experimental aluminum variety
1962"“1982 brass (95% copper, 5% zinc)
1982"“present* 97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating

 

[larry joe]

Already posted on chemistry forum THANK YOU LOTS