new tank, suggestions please....

[rcupak]

I have a 30 gallon Oceanic that I am going to start. I have to T5 HO fixtures, maxi jet 1200 PH and a Prizm skimmer. Not going to use a canister filter or the HOB Marineland that I have. Also, the tank used to be a freshwater tank that has been treated for Ich using copper sulfate, will this still pose a problem for a saltwater tank even after it is flushed out and clean? I've heard it can embed itself in the silicone and kill inverts and some fish. I plan on using strictly RO water from the start and making this a FOWLR tank and a killer cleanup crew, a sump will follow later down the road. Any thoughts would be great, thanks a million....

 

[Smitty]

Yep, if you've used copper in the tank before, then its in the seams, and will leach out slowly over time, killing any inverts and corals you may get in the future. You could try cleaning the tank out with bleach or vinegar and letting it sit in there for a few days to try to remove the copper, and then rinse several times very well.

 

[littleyea1]

I would not hastily say that it will kill all your corals, it depends on what you used and how much you used and how old your tank is... I used copper to treat fish in my tank for about a year before i turned to reef...

 

[Melosu58]

I would not hastily say that it will kill all your corals, it depends on what you used and how much you used and how old your tank is... I used copper to treat fish in my tank for about a year before i turned to reef...

IMO you were very lucky. I know some folks that whole reef was knocked out. Total crash from the copper. I would try to wash it with bleach and use a copper remover they sell out there. I forget the name.

 

[sen5241b]

I've heard people say they used polyfilter to take copper out. One fellow treated a tank full of LR with copper. He then used polyfilter and carbon and after a couple weeks the water tested no traces of copper.

I think its worth trying to use your tank. Maybe you could use the canister filter with carbon and polyfilter -temporarily- and before adding fish to get the copper out. Its worth a try. If it consistently tests zero copper than what's the problem?

 

[rcupak]

I was looking into the polyfilter, i wanted to avoid using the canister or bio wheels because they are nitrate factories. If the copper is in the seams then using a specific copper remover sounds to me to be the best choice.

 

[Bifferwine]

Look into Cuprisorb by Seachem:
Seachem CupriSorb

You will want to run that in the tank before adding any inverts.

 

[tankedchemist]

Also, just run carbon all the time, after your water tests 0ppm Cu. I suggest this because any copper leached out of the seals over time will get caught by the carbon before it gets to a high enough concentration to affect the inverts. But you'd have to change the carbon regularly and consistently.

I use polyfilters in my 29g, and never had a prob with them-- but make sure to always rinse it when you do a water change, in the dirty water...otherwise, like any spongy filter material, it will become a nitrate trap.

 

[rarecoral21]

Use vinegar it will work the best in my opinion I have a friend who had a 80 gal with the same problem 2 years later,so it can happen so we broke down the tank after discovering copper still in the seams and cleaned it with vinegar just to make sure after you do this rise really well.Also we put a ploy filter and lots of carbon when done for 2 week everything is ok now.:D

 

[Bifferwine]

Well, vinegar is good for cleaning, but it's not going to have any effect on metals like copper.

 

[rarecoral21]

vinegar dissolves the copper oxide and the poly and carbon will help over time,vinegar will help thats all i was saying

 

[dcantucson]

I don't think the past use of Copper will cause you that great of a problem. On solution would to remove and then re-silicone the seams, if you are that concerned.

Good luck.

 

[rarecoral21]

+1 dcantucson