Help with copper treated live/dead rock

[Lina5910]

I found a guy selling live rock on craiglist, he told me it was about 20-25 lbs and in good shape with lots of coraline. When I came over to buy it, I found out that he bough the set up from some guy without researching a thing about saltwater. He said everything was doing fine, including a couple of fish, snails and crabs for about a week and then slowly everything started to die off. Apparently he bought premade saltwater from a local fish store and had no idea that when water evaporates, you are suppose to add freshwater instead of salt. For the past two weeks this idiot has been adding saltwater to the tank!!!!!!! When I got there he pointed at bristle worms on the sand and asked if they were dead. Yeah... they were white, swollen and weren't moving....nasty. The live rock was also dead. After I explained to him what he has done, he felt very bad for not doing his research and offered me the rock free of charge including the sand and a box full of additives. I figured I could clean, dry and cure the rock and the sand.

Here is where the problem comes in. When I got home and checked out the goodies in the box, I found an opened bottle of Cupramine which lead me to think that the rock was treated with it. The rock is truly beautiful and it would be a complete waste to just throw it away. I have a reef tank that I would like to add this rock to. I need the input on how I can cure it. Would boiling the rock work in this case? What should I do?

P.S. I tested his water and the salinity was at 1.052!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad2: (I had to make a 1 to 2 dilution to be able to read it!!!!!!!!)

[JasonBJones]

You can buy a copper test kit. Soak the rock in fresh made salt water for a few days or a week and test the water to see if copper is leaching out. If it is, don't use it. You could also talk to the guy and see if he used it in the tank.

Personally, I wouldn't even risk it. Rock is so easy to come by these days for a good price.

[aquaph8]

I agree. I wouldn't use it.

[alanbates12]

Not sure I'd take the chance. There is lots of rock out there. If you were to get copper in your reef you could potential loose everything.