Possible copper?

[fattyratrat]

My fuge now is an old 40 gallon freshwater tank i picked up from my dad. He doesnt specifically remember treating it with copper, but it is possible. The tank has been dry for several months, and rinsed out since then. Still completely dry, I just made a refugium out of it. I am filling it up tomorro, but not yet hooking it up to the main system. Is there a chance that copper (if he did infact treat) is still in there? Should I run a copper test? Can I get it out somehow? maybe seachems cuprisorb? or is it hopeless?

thanks

 

[stevelkaneval]

yes copper will still be in the silicone around the edges. yes you could take all the silicone out and re do it or you could go the safe rout and buy a new tank.

 

[mbbuna]

all you need to do is scrub it down with vinegar and rinse with ro water. copper will not be absorbed by silicone

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=861048&highlight=copper

 

[stevelkaneval]

hey whatever, its your money. better safe than sorry.

 

[stevelkaneval]

nice read but he also states imo which means in my OPENION (sp?) and that hes never tested it.

 

[jamiep]

I had no QT tank to start off with so disconnected my sump with a built in fudge, put a powerhead and heater in my fuge with a fish and some copper, treated the fish, the fish died, took the sump out, give it a good rinse and hooked it back up again. Silicone was a little blue but it was a bad job so I tidied it up a bit cut a few bits off but other than that didnt worry too much.

I had a cleaner shrimp in there when I hooked it back up, he lived for a good few months until my pseudo ate him, and then I put in 1 shroom, its doing fine, I now have 4 hermits, 1 cleaner shrimp and 3 zoas! All my live rock has plenty of feather dusters aswell!

If your really worried you could resilicon it. Copper wont be absorbed by glass deffently, silicone maybe but not deep into it. Its not worth buying a new tank over IMO.

 

[daven]

According to Randy Holmes-Farley in the chemistry forum:

"IMO, silicone will not absorb any worrisome amount of copper, but the glass, and especially any deposits on it, will have to be carefully cleaned with acid. Search on this forum for acid and copper and you'll see many descriptions of the process. "

Personally, I set up a new tank, used RODI and ended up with slightly elevated copper. Ran Cuprisorb and it took care of it.

One caution - don't try running Cuprisorb in a reactor. The beads are very small and work their way through the sponges in the reactor and you end up with them in your display.