Copper??

[Nas19320]

I have been using tap water for the past 3 years in my FOWLR and have all kinds of feather dusters, bristle worms and copeopods in my tank. I have not yet had my water tested for copper but I soon will. If I have all these things in my tank is it more than likely that I do not have copper in my water. I am switching to RO/DI water regardless. If I do find copper in my water am I pretty much doomed to ever have invertebrates in the tank or over time can I remove any traces of copper?

[AWestphal]

Eventually the copper would come out. But I doubt highly that you have copper in your tank mainly because of my experience with bristle worms. My fish where sick at one time and I placed some cc in the bottom of the QT for the algae blenny to have algae to eat.

Well by day one I had tons of bristle worms and other worms floating on the top of the water. I am sure it was the copper that did this because I have never seen this before.

Also I doubt if the feather duster would survive any copper.

Happy Reefing, Annette

[Nas19320]

Good thats what I want to hear. I also have had crabs and things live for a while and then die. I don't know how long it takes copper to kill an invertebrate though probably because my tap water has a high nitrate level. I'm still gonna have it tested and switch to RO/DI water.Any other opinions.

[AWestphal]

how new is you tank?

It may be too new to support the nutritional needs of crabs and snails etc...

I waited until my first algae blooms and put snails and hermits in the tank and most of them died. I just think there was not enough food for them.

Now I don't seem to have any loss of life with those inverts.

[Nas19320]

My tank has been running for about 3 years. I never put much in it but now I bought about 45 lbs more live rock and am planning on adding some inverts.

[AWestphal]

Interesting. Well atleast you are doing the right thing with getting the water tested. They sell copper test kits if you are interested in doing it your self.

Thanks