Copper
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Help
Forum Name: EMERGENCY FORUM
Forum Description: If you have an Emergency post here and you should receive a quick reply.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74969
Printed Date: August 25 2025 at 2:02am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Copper
Posted By: uppree
Subject: Copper
Date Posted: February 21 2015 at 12:50pm
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I did a really grave mistake putting brass connector on my pump a week ago to my 18 gallon tank. My corals were closing and I cannot really figure out what happen so I took them to my friend. I thought it might be because I used too much epoxy on my aquascape. I read online. People said that I should dump all my LR LS and start a new tank. This is very frustrating because this is my very first salt water tank. Thanks, Up
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Replies:
Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 21 2015 at 12:53pm
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This is a link to my tank though. http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=74852&title=first-reef-tank-up
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 21 2015 at 7:57pm
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So sorry for your troubles. I'm glad to be of assistance. Texting is so limited. Now I have time to fully explain. That amount of time was not long enough for any significant amount of metal ions to ruin the sand and rock. How do I know this? 1. Because your coral started perking up almost immediately after we placed them in my system yesterday. Today most of them are looking very good. There was no permanent damage. 2. Also, brass by it's own physical and chemical makeup (Copper Zinc alloy) is fairly inert in water. Brass is used for water fittings because even just a little corrosion on the surface of the metal can take years. The sand and rock is okay. Don't throw it out. My guess is that what you may have been reading or heard from an uninformed LFS was about not using sand and rock from a tank that was treated with copper based medications. Even if there is a little metal in the water or a tiny bit that bonded to organic material in the sand and rock, I'm pretty sure it was a very tiny, almost insignificant amount. The use of Chemipure for just a week should remove the metallic ions that may be contributing to the coral issue. The most troubling factor in this instance, I still believe is the epoxy. The coral became irritated by the chemicals in the epoxy. FYI, when this much epoxy is used in larger tanks, the skimmer foams like crazy. Skimmers work by the creation of bubbles that form, held together by organic chemicals. It's similar to the bubbling action of soap. Soap and skimate contain one or more of a group of organic chemicals that are scientifically classified as Surfactants. The Epoxy leaches Surfactants into the water. Surfactants can irritate coral and fish because of how they stick to fleshy surfaces. Fish can move water over their gills to help keep them clean. Corals only defense is to produce a layer of slime, as it shrinks, to shed the chemicals. Water movement is the only way that slime can wash away (That's why flow is so important.). In the case of this relatively large amount of epoxy, one shed just wasn't enough. The coral ran out of energy to slime and simply shrank up, waiting and hoping for the water would clear up. This is what I believe happened. Is this making sense? Aloha, Mark  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 21 2015 at 9:23pm
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Oh, one other thing I believe I shared with you but almost forgot to mention here. Your tank water tested ~0.10 for PO4. That's a little high so come visit again as soon as possible and I'll give you a little bag of AA to remove PO4 from the water. Free. Aloha, Mark ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: rastareefer
Date Posted: February 21 2015 at 11:54pm
in case y'all hadn't noticed mark is an aweosme guy ha
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Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 22 2015 at 10:41am
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Thanks Mark, I will keep updating
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Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 11:15am
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Hi, Any one has this kind of experience to share? Thanks
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Posted By: superman1981
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 11:51am
I'm pretty sure Mark has come to the rescue of most of us at one time or another. ------------- Sure you are, you are Crappy Reef Club Member #1 -Chk4tix 6 gal nanocube 65 gal http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78639&title=tims-65-gallon-build" rel="nofollow - build thread |
rastareefer wrote:Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 8:58pm
| Yep, Mark really save the day. |
Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 24 2015 at 10:00pm
| I used Cuprisorb from Seachem for four days. Today, I bought a copper kit test, and it turns out to be 0 ppm. However, two corals that I left in the tank still dying. Any opinion? Thanks |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 1:57am
| Some copper needs to be tested with different tests. Just fyi |
Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 8:12am
| Ohh, I did not realize that. I might have to buy the Seachem test kit. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 10:25am
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Cuprisorb took out all the deleterious Cu if there ever was any. I would not spend money on another Cu test kit. It isn't necessary IMO. I really believe it was the surfactants produced by the curing epoxy. I'll go look for threads here and report back.
------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 5:11pm
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Two of many comments I found here in this forum about epoxy: "A skimmer can pull out even the tinyest amount of soap and turn it into a bubblebath, trust me , I know first hand. Also, my skimmer will react this way if I use that epoxy clay for adding frags." "I have never been a big fan of the epoxy putty ,clay, whatever. I can never get it to work like I wanted either. And if you use too much at one time, your skimmer goes crazy for a few hours. I just use the gel or just put the colonies in cracks and crevices." I'm thinking that if your skimmer didn't foam like crazy when you used this epoxy, it may be that it's not a very efficient skimmer, OR it may be the wrong epoxy or a bad batch. What epoxy did you use? Aloha ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: ReefdUp
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 5:58pm
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I've never had a problem with epoxy before, and I've used tube upon tube upon tube. ------------- www.reefdup.com Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987 200g, 75g, & 15g Systems PADI Advanced Open Water |
Posted By: phys
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 8:36pm
| Did you change anything else other than the copper connector? |
Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 25 2015 at 10:30pm
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Come to think of it, my skimmer foam like crazy as you said Mark. I thought it was normal because I have the skimmer for just two weeks. Total newbie I am. Lol Phys, I changed the brass connector and also did rock scaping with two chunk of putties. Now, I notice that my devil hand is getting better though. Thanks
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Posted By: phys
Date Posted: February 26 2015 at 12:47am
| Was it new rock? Did you have it out of the water for a period of time? If either of those, you may have seen a spike in ammonia or nitrites due to a small amount of die off. |
Posted By: uppree
Date Posted: February 26 2015 at 1:29pm
| I used live cure rock though. However, I dont think that is the case because I changed water everyday when I notice that my corals did not do well. |