Biodiversity After Copper

jacksoje00 · Nov 20, 2023

Hi All, my 90 gallon DT has been up and running for ~10 months now. About 6 months ago I had a velvet outbreak and treated the tank with copper soon enough to not lose any fish. I eradicated the velvet, and began removing copper with Cuprisorb, carbon, and water changes. It took me a good while, but as of about a month ago, I'm testing 0 copper via Hannah. I did add a small hermit crab and seems to be doing well. I'm now gearing up to convert the tank to SPS dominant reef. I will eventually start with (1) small frag of monti or birdsnest to see how it goes.

I'd like to re-establish biodiversity in the tank. What are your recommendations - bacteria, phyto, pod, ect. additions or just leave it alone?

My nutrient levels are slightly high and I do have a well established refugium growing chaeto nicely with a Neptune GRO light on reverse light cycle.

Via Hannah checkers:

Nitrate = 50-60 ppm
Phosphate = .09-1.0 ppm

TIA!

Spare time · Nov 20, 2023

The problem is biodiversity is poorly defined in the hobby and has a mystical element about it. Its probably not totally clear how the copper would impact bacterial and microbial populations. As for inverts, adding a mix of copepods (avoid tigrio) and amphipods would be helpful. Adding live ocean sand may help. You can also add live rock but you have to weigh the pros and cons of that. Adding corals, fish, snails, crabs, etc. all will bring in microbes.

KrisReef · Nov 20, 2023

Nice save on the fishes!
I would recommend adding pods or a piece of live rock from a pest free tank to encourage the diversity of the micro fauna. (What Spare time said!)

I would also look into QT for corals to prevent introductions of new pathogens hitchhiking with the corals.

jacksoje00 · Nov 20, 2023

Thanks for the replies! I think I'll make a purchase on some pods and follow with some phyto dosing as well. Always appreciate the support!

jacksoje00 · Dec 5, 2023

Hi again all. I haven't added pods/phyto just yet, and decided to test for copper again. I'm now testing via Hanna at 2.0. I'm assuming copper is leaching from rock, sand, ect. Yesterday, I added some fresh carbon, a bag of Cuprisorb, and poly filter. Are there any other methods you can recommend to remove copper? I'm also wondering how long it will take before copper is removed completely. And when it will be safe to start adding coral?

V_Sh · Dec 5, 2023

jacksoje00 said:
Hi again all. I haven't added pods/phyto just yet, and decided to test for copper again. I'm now testing via Hanna at 2.0. I'm assuming copper is leaching from rock, sand, ect. Yesterday, I added some fresh carbon, a bag of Cuprisorb, and poly filter. Are there any other methods you can recommend to remove copper? I'm also wondering how long it will take before copper is removed completely. And when it will be safe to start adding coral?

Hi,

Kelps and algae do absorb copper so you may decide to run the refugium 24/7 for some days and pull out the excess kelps and throw them away, also Seachem "Safe" is a good addition to eliminate heavy metals and unwanted N and P, and Cl

I suggest some water changing or monitoring microelements (also macro is good) as you use active carbon.

The carbon source for bacteria is another option to make sure about your bacteria colonies.

Live rock is the best option for inducing diversity, at least add a small piece.

I suggest building a small coralline community before you start to have some reef, If one can grow Coraline with no problem then SPS can be an option (you may have some?)

Have you added any corals by now?

jacksoje00 · Dec 5, 2023

Thanks for the reply. I do have a refugium running in my Trigger Systems sump. Chaeto and green hair algae do grow very well and I harvest once/week. I have not added any corals yet, but good idea on seeing how coralline could do. I'll see if I can add some coralline via small piece of live rock from a fellow reefer.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 5, 2023

I recommend continued use of metal binding polymers such as cuprisorb. I do not believe the Hanna is useful for validating that copper is sufficiently low. ICP MS by, for example, oceamo, would be adequate.

KrisReef · Dec 5, 2023

Interesting. I Used Hanna but I don't think I ever did validate the repeated "Zero's" after a long treatment with Cuprisorb.

exnisstech · Dec 5, 2023

Much of the rock in my aquarium display badge was run through copper when I treated the DT. I removed it with cuprisorb but it was a few years ago and I'm sorry I didn't document the time frame so I have no idea how long it actually took and my memory is not so great. My understanding is inverts are one of the first to die from copper so they can be used as canaries so to speak.

V_Sh · Dec 6, 2023

jacksoje00 said:
Thanks for the reply. I do have a refugium running in my Trigger Systems sump. Chaeto and green hair algae do grow very well and I harvest once/week. I have not added any corals yet, but good idea on seeing how coralline could do. I'll see if I can add some coralline via small piece of live rock from a fellow reefer.

Yeah Live rock is always good

water change and Seachem "Safe" gonna be my choice then adding a good quality coraline booster and maintaining parameters after that

best of luck

Dan_P · Dec 6, 2023

jacksoje00 said:
Hi All, my 90 gallon DT has been up and running for ~10 months now. About 6 months ago I had a velvet outbreak and treated the tank with copper soon enough to not lose any fish. I eradicated the velvet, and began removing copper with Cuprisorb, carbon, and water changes. It took me a good while, but as of about a month ago, I'm testing 0 copper via Hannah. I did add a small hermit crab and seems to be doing well. I'm now gearing up to convert the tank to SPS dominant reef. I will eventually start with (1) small frag of monti or birdsnest to see how it goes.

I'd like to re-establish biodiversity in the tank. What are your recommendations - bacteria, phyto, pod, ect. additions or just leave it alone?

My nutrient levels are slightly high and I do have a well established refugium growing chaeto nicely with a Neptune GRO light on reverse light cycle.

Via Hannah checkers:

Nitrate = 50-60 ppm
Phosphate = .09-1.0 ppm

TIA!

What in particular are you wanting to diversify?

Diversity in the hobby is poorly defined in terms of what it is and what the benefits are. I see this as another fad with many miracle products in a bottle supporting it. The upside is there are no none side effects from adding bottled bacteria. As for adding other life forms, consider the possibility that the numbers of these creatures in the aquarium now are low only because of conditions in the aquarium, which includes predation. Just adding more is just a temporary increase in population that will likely die off.

My advice is to forget biodiversity. Solely focus on learning about and providing each creature in your system what they have in nature.