Removing copper based meds

[Kostrab]

Question: I have a tank (glass) that was used as a hospital tank and may have had copper based meds used in it. The tank has been dry for a couple of months now. Is there any way to use it in a reef system safely again? I was going to use it as a sump/refuge. Any help here is greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[HighlandReefer]

Any organics, coralline algae or calcium carbonate which remain anywhere in the tank can contain heavy metals. That said I would throughly clean it with vinegar to dissolve and remove these. Throughly rinse it afterward. ;)

[bertoni]

I agree with the vinegar rinse. I'd remove any traces of calcium carbonate, too. Vinegar soaks help with that.

[Kostrab]

Thanks for the replies. A vinegar bath it is.

[HighlandReefer]

Happy Reefing :thumbsup:

[Hal]

It's a little known fact that carbon also removes copper. While an acid bath is the best way to remove it from the tank permanently, running carbon is a good thing to do too.