Possible Copper in Water

[zhewitt04]

I can't keep any inverts alive only hermits. I use well water, or I did you use well water my next water change is a 50% RO DI water change i am sick of the algae and the trouble. I have bought two condi anenome both didn't make it more than 6 or 7 hours all parameters seem to be in spec and a temp is 80 sality is 1.023. I have one tomini tang maroon clown and 4 chromis and small hermits. Do they make anything to remove the copper in water chemically? I would like to try that and start doing my water changes with RO water and hopefully all my algea and other promblems go away. Please help! I appreciate it.

[MandM]

Let's start with the water. Did you add copper? What makes you think you have copper in there? You can test for copper, what other parameters are you checking? Please post numbers.

I suspect acclimation. That is a common cause for losing new livestock. Are you comparing your salinity, pH and temp to the water they came in? My LFS often has stock in water around 1.3 and pH under 8. It takes a few hours to acclimate to my levels.

[jenglish]

they do make a medium that absorbs copper, Cuprasorb or something like that. I would rule out acclimation stress before buying copper tests or media.

[zhewitt04]

It was a mushroom rock. I don't know the numbers exactly. They were all in check. I aclimate for 4 to 6 hours on the anemone and I just acclimated the mushroom rock to temp.

[chow]

how effective is the the copper sponge?

[billdogg]

I have used polyfilter on several occasions when I just can't figure out what the problem is. It will change color to reflect what it has absorbed, so that you can avoid the issue in the future. In fact, I keep some around all the time "just in case". Using well water it could be many things other than copper. Using ro/di will be your best option however. When you get your ro/di hooked up, I would do numerous good sized changes to dilute the old water as much as possible as well.

Could you describe your tank?? size? lighting? Actual #'s for pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, CA+, Alk, Phosphate, to name the most common?

[chow]

Do you need to have water running through the sponge or can you just dump it (inside a mesh bag of course) inside your sump?

[jenglish]

I have never tried the product but here is the link

http://www.seachem.com/Products/product_pages/CupriSorb.html

[billdogg]

polyfilter should be placed so that the water runs through it. I use it in place of filter pads when the need arises

[Juruense]

+1 polyfilter

Also, the terms "well water" and "tap water" are so generic as to be meaningless.

If you think you have a water issue you can test or you can just use 100% RO/DI not 50%...