Problem with Copper Salts

Greggb

New member
Looking for some help solving the mystery. My tank and equipment were in storage for 6 years. I set up my 180 gal. tank at the end of last year. All was starting well and then we began losing fish. We're using RO water and salt crystals, used live sand to start the bio-filter, using a wet/dry filter with bio balls, a good protein skimmer and two sterilizers. I've done water changes monthly. I am also running an Apex Fusion system and LED lights.

The water parameters are all good. The water tests great at the local fish store. When tested specifically for copper the results are extremely low (within an acceptable level) and I have an amonia monitor that is showing no amonia. BUT, I started using a Poly Filter and it consistently turns blue, indicating copper salts. I cannot determine the source of the copper salts - or what else might be the problem. The tank looks great but I am down to 4 fish, two of the original damsels, a yellow coris wrasse and a cinnamon clown. Any clean up crew I add dies within a day and a half (snails within a couple hours). New fish either die immediately or about a month later.

Does anyone have any idea what the problem could be? Can Poly Filters turn blue as a reaction to something besides copper salts?

The tank has corner spillways, plumbled in PVC which converts to PEX pipe to run to my filter room where it converts back to PVC. I used no brass fittings, it's all nylon fittings and external screw clamps.

We had a leak in one of the spillways around the PVC pipes but since the tank has a cabinet built around it, we sealed the leak with some Flexseal. Later we covered the Flexseal with silicone in case that was the problem. But we've seen no improvement.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
 
post a pic of the tank and list your parameters, also post a pic of the leak/repair, do you know the brand of silicone you used?
 
Copper Salts

Copper Salts

No damage to cables or electronics. The Apex system is new. Dont' recall the brand of silicone but it was aquarium safe. The problem was there before the silicone.

parameters:
salt 34.5
temp 80
PH 8.07
ORP 250
 
We're using RO water and salt crystals, .

salt crystals? does that mean reef crystals from instant ocean?
Using any medication in the tank?
Any brass plumbing fittings used anywhere from RO to tank?



A good starting test is to put a small piece of the poly filter into freshly mixed salt water.. See if that turns blue.. That will help rule out contamination of the source saltwater.
 
How sensitive are polyfilters for metal detection? Did you confirm the presence of copper with a copper test? Have you consider that the fish are dying for another reason?
 
I might try some CupraSorb, and I agree that trying a copper test would be a good idea. That said, at this point, the more likely sources for the copper are the sand or live rock. Tank surfaces can be cleaned, but they lack the surface area to bind a lot of copper.

If the issue isn't electrical equipment, you could consider discarding the sand and trying to clean the live rock. If there is a substantial amount of copper in the system, there's not much else that will help. In theory, enough CupraSorb would do the job, but I am not sure about the quantity or cost. An actual copper reading might be useful in that regard, if we can get a specification on CupraSorb.
 
Back
Top