Help Identifying Where Copper is Leaching into my DT ?!?!?!

[Andrew Schubert]

So in my last 2 Triton tests I have found detectable amounts of copper. Likewise, testing my tank with the Hanna Checker High Range Copper it is showing my copper level is at .15! Yikes!

I've done 2 doses of Detox, and did get the level down to .06 for some time. But not its back up again! I have absolutely no clue where this copper is coming from. Any ideas what I can do to try and find the source? According to Triton my levels went from 0 to .051ppm within a month. In that time I didn't add any new equipment or change anything about the tank. I'm clueless here.

1) I've tested my RO water, and there is no sign of it there.
2) The only magnet in my tank is the Apex Holder to hold my PH and Temp probes.
3) My salt is Tropic Marin Pro Salt (so doubt it is that).
4) The only thing I'm dosing is BRS Kalk.
5) Wav Makers - I have 2 MaxSpect Gyres, and 2 Apex Wavs.
6) 3 seperate Sicce pumps (1 for ATO, 1 for Kalk Dosing, 1 for Zeovit Reactor)
7) Return Pump - Jebao DCP-10000
8. Skimmer - Octopus Classic 150-INT
9) Aqueon Pro 250W Heater

None of it looks "bad", and I don't even know where to start without just replacing EVERYTHING which is just unreasonable to do.

I have no kids in the home, so its just me taking care of the tank..so there is no way some rusty screw or something t have fallen into the tank..I just have no idea what could be causing it or where to even start. Or even how to test if something is the cause of the leaching copper or not :-( ?????

 

[Retro Reefer]

I know you said you doubt it’s your salt mix but just to rule it out test the next batch you make. my only other thoughts would be your rock, where did it come from? If it was in another tank at some point that was treated with copper it will leach it out.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I know you said you doubt it’s your salt mix but just to rule it out test the next batch you make. my only other thoughts would be your rock, where did it come from? If it was in another tank at some point that was treated with copper it will leach it out.

I'm using Reef Saver Rock that I purchased directly from BulkReefSupply. So that should be good there. I'll give my salt a test today, but find it hard to believe the best salt in the game could be leaching copper.

I did think of this..but seems crazy to thing this could be getting that much into the tank if at all. My sump light is handing with a metal bracket that has some rust on it...I suppose it's "possible" the rust is failing off that into my sump? But even if this was the case, I find it hard to believe the little rust on the mount could cause this kind of issue.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I doubt the brackets have any significant amount of copper in them especially enough to raise your copper levels from flakes of rust falling into sump.

lets get some more eye’s on this.. #reefsquad

 

[mtfish]

Regular metal rust will release iron. Do you have any stray voltage? Unplug each device in the system and see if any voltage drop. If a copper wire is exposed it could be coming from there. Any metal clamps, brass fittings in either the tank system or your RODI system. Brass has copper. I did not see total volume of your system. Hope you get it figured out.

 

[Samina]

I had a similar issue and I was able to pin it down to an optical sensor that was rusting. Do you happen to have any of these on your system? I also double checked the ICP with a Hanna Copper checker. But honestly, looking at the sensor, I wouldn’t have thought it would be significant. I was able to narrow it down though as everything else looked good and after removal of it and adding detox, polyfilter, and water changes, the next ICP showed no more copper was in the system.

 

[nereefpat]

Maybe the heater? Your pumps would have copper windings.

Do you use GFCI s? They would trip if your equipment had failed.

I would run activated carbon, if you aren't already. Good luck finding the culprit.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

So far I've tested my heater, salt, gyres, optical sensors, ATo water, and kalk and all are coming back clean.

Only thing left is my return pump, skimmer, and waves.

 

[jda]

Food or bound into aragonite (now releasing) are my two guesses. Don't rule out the rock... aragonite can bind copper, but the bind is not permanent.

 

[Samina]

Hey, I just looked at your other posts and see you mentioned that you use zeovit. Do you happen to use ZeoSpur 2? Reason I asked is because it does contain copper and other traces.

 

[Skynyrd Fish]

You can also run some cuprasorb in a reactor or in direct flow. I keep some in my tank at all times just Incase.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

Hey, I just looked at your other posts and see you mentioned that you use zeovit. Do you happen to use ZeoSpur 2? Reason I asked is because it does contain copper and other traces.

Yea, I read that today. I I haven't used Zeospur at all however. Just ZeoBac, ZeoStart, Zeofood, and the Zeolites.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

So I drained my sump and searched every corner and found a small tiny screw. I hope this is all it was, but I have my doubts. It looks like the screws I used to build a lid to my light canopy which I made on Jan. 1. Copper first started showing up in my tank Dec. 14...so not sure how this could be the direct result of the copper.

 

[Andrew Schubert]

You can also run some cuprasorb in a reactor or in direct flow. I keep some in my tank at all times just Incase.

Yea, I have some Detox I'm going to use tonight, and I have some coprasorb and poly fil coming on Monday.

I hope these media's dont have a negative effect on my Zeovit setup however.

 

[Simeon]

Yea, I have some Detox I'm going to use tonight, and I have some coprasorb and poly fil coming on Monday.

I hope these media's dont have a negative effect on my Zeovit setup however.

I am having the exact same issue as you. I have been running double the required Cuprisorb dosage for a month and still no change. Did you manage to find any answers? I wonder if I just need to start removing pumps 1 at a time...

 

[Andrew Schubert]

I am having the exact same issue as you. I have been running double the required Cuprisorb dosage for a month and still no change. Did you manage to find any answers? I wonder if I just need to start removing pumps 1 at a time...

What I did was take each item out one at a time and sit them in a bucket of water for a couple days and test to see if there was any copper in that bucket.

For me, I actually did end up finding a screw in my sump. How it got there I have NO idea at all. But, what I found to be the best way to get rid of the copper in my water was to use Detox to quickly lower the copper level. Then,I used Seachem Cuprisorb, to get the copper level at the lower level.

Even after removing the screw, it took a while to get the copper out of the system, as I'm assuming some got into the rocks or something because there still seemed to be copper leaching in the water. Using the Cuprisorb was a continuous guard against the leaching copper until it was all gone. Even now, a couple months later, and continuing using the Cuprisorb in my system I still see a small .01 on my Hanna Checker.

 

[Miller535]

If your copper is only .

So in my last 2 Triton tests I have found detectable amounts of copper. Likewise, testing my tank with the Hanna Checker High Range Copper it is showing my copper level is at .15! Yikes!

I've done 2 doses of Detox, and did get the level down to .06 for some time. But not its back up again! I have absolutely no clue where this copper is coming from. Any ideas what I can do to try and find the source? According to Triton my levels went from 0 to .051ppm within a month. In that time I didn't add any new equipment or change anything about the tank. I'm clueless here.

1) I've tested my RO water, and there is no sign of it there.
2) The only magnet in my tank is the Apex Holder to hold my PH and Temp probes.
3) My salt is Tropic Marin Pro Salt (so doubt it is that).
4) The only thing I'm dosing is BRS Kalk.
5) Wav Makers - I have 2 MaxSpect Gyres, and 2 Apex Wavs.
6) 3 seperate Sicce pumps (1 for ATO, 1 for Kalk Dosing, 1 for Zeovit Reactor)
7) Return Pump - Jebao DCP-10000
8. Skimmer - Octopus Classic 150-INT
9) Aqueon Pro 250W Heater

None of it looks "bad", and I don't even know where to start without just replacing EVERYTHING which is just unreasonable to do.

I have no kids in the home, so its just me taking care of the tank..so there is no way some rusty screw or something t have fallen into the tank..I just have no idea what could be causing it or where to even start. Or even how to test if something is the cause of the leaching copper or not :-( ?????

Triton reports are in ug/l not ppm. 1 ug/l is equivalent to 1 ppb not ppm.

So did they report .051 ug/l? if so, that's really small and I wouldn't worry about it. Or did they report 51 ug/l?

 

[Simeon]

What I did was take each item out one at a time and sit them in a bucket of water for a couple days and test to see if there was any copper in that bucket.

For me, I actually did end up finding a screw in my sump. How it got there I have NO idea at all. But, what I found to be the best way to get rid of the copper in my water was to use Detox to quickly lower the copper level. Then,I used Seachem Cuprisorb, to get the copper level at the lower level.

Even after removing the screw, it took a while to get the copper out of the system, as I'm assuming some got into the rocks or something because there still seemed to be copper leaching in the water. Using the Cuprisorb was a continuous guard against the leaching copper until it was all gone. Even now, a couple months later, and continuing using the Cuprisorb in my system I still see a small .01 on my Hanna Checker.

Thanks, I will give the bucket method a try.

 

[Unholy_Rigatoni]

A few years ago, I had a Jebao DC return pump with rusty screws, the ones that hold the main parts of the body together. The manufacturers claimed they're titanium, but they obviously weren't, so it could be worth taking a peek at the return pump.

 

[Simeon]

A few years ago, I had a Jebao DC return pump with rusty screws, the ones that hold the main parts of the body together. The manufacturers claimed they're titanium, but they obviously weren't, so it could be worth taking a peek at the return pump.

I just replaced a return pump with rusty screws about 3 days ago. I hope that was the issue...