Does copper bleach corals?

username in use · 12/15/2009, 09:24 AM

Im having a hard time finding actual discusssions about this, and this morning I woke up and my purple rim monti was white, my green monti is pale, my xenia is pale, there is a pale spot on a purple acro and my frogspawn is pale. I put a fish in my tank last night and some of the water went into the tank, I know I know quarantine, but its too late for that so lets talk possible causes/solutions please. Is this copper? What do I need to do aside from some water changes, which I cant do until I get home from work, 6 oclock at the earliest. oh yeah, as far as I can tell, all snails and crabs are moving and grooving.

LobsterOfJustice · 12/15/2009, 09:43 AM

Copper would kill them, not bleach them. Are you seeing lightening of the tissue, or loss of tissue (skeleton)?

username in use · 12/15/2009, 09:48 AM

one purple rim monti is white, but still has the purple rim, my candy apple green monti is lightening up, my xenia are kind of pale and there is a light spot on a purple acro. My frogspawn is also fully expanded but looking pale. So far my pink lemonade seems unaffected, as well as my other lps and softies. I just got off the phone with the store and they said that they have dosed copper, but not in a couple of months, so hopefully its only trace. Im going to try and find some poly filter pads locally, but I may have to drive an hour each way to get some after work ugh.

jtrasap · 12/15/2009, 10:06 AM

You could always buy a copper test kit. Check your other params as well. Another thing to watch is your tank temps with it getting colder out. My sump is in my basement, which gets a bit chilly when it starts getting cold outside. Last winter my corals started losing color and it turned out to be a temperature issue. When it starts getting colder outside, I run an extra tank heater to keep my temps up.

username in use · 12/15/2009, 10:16 AM

all other parameters are in check, the pet store owner confirmed they had copper in their tanks, albeit in small amounts. THe main problem is I work till six and closest store that carries polyfilter is an hour away.

jtrasap · 12/15/2009, 10:36 AM

Are you using water from their tanks? Is your tank, a used tank that once had copper in it? Did the corals come from their tanks that they used copper in? Did your rock come from the their tanks that they used copper in? What exactly are your "in check" parameters? How often do you do water changes, how much do you change, and when was your last water change? Was this a sudden loss of color, or gradual?

insane · 12/15/2009, 11:05 AM

From what I have read here on RC about copper in other threads, the very minimal amount of copper in a system that can do damage to coral and inverts is not detectable by regular copper test kits. So even if a copper test doesn't show any copper in your water that doesn't mean there are not enough minute trace amounts of it that can do damage.

username in use · 12/15/2009, 12:35 PM

the color loss was overnight, not gradual and the only change was some water from their system getting into mine. I stated above that I called the store and they confirmed that they had copper in the system, but hadnt dosed it in a month or so, so it should be diluted somewhat. I am going to have to make an hour and half round trip tonight to get some poly filter, and start some water changes. Sucks, lesson learned. I was in a hurry and some of their water got in.

Chiefsurfer · 12/15/2009, 02:13 PM

compared to what I hear(a tank once dosed with copper can stay inhabitable for corals for LIFE) what you may have introduced could be horrible. Best of luck on the water changes. Wish you the best.

Hope I am wrong.

username in use · 12/15/2009, 02:55 PM

Yeah, From what I can gather, it was a really small amount, and I put in a fair amount of carbon before I left for work, and am going to get poly pads after work then start to do some water changes. Fingers crossed. My girlfriend called me when she was home on lunch and said it didnt seem to be any worse, only the "stick thingy" (classic girlfriend terminology lol) in the upper right was white. So we'll see.

Ohiomom · 12/15/2009, 02:57 PM

Honestly the amount you would have added to about 70 gallons probably is having no affect and it is merely a coincidence. What you are describing sounds like rtn to me..has you temperature change drastically, ph drop...

username in use · 12/15/2009, 03:08 PM

Nothing else has changed.

insane · 12/15/2009, 04:00 PM

Stick thingy! Priceless. Tell her we all got a little chuckle out of that one. LOL

Best of luck on getting things back to normal. We are rooting for ya.

username in use · 12/15/2009, 04:12 PM

she just called me, gets off work before me, and said that it doesnt really look any worse than before. Just looks like some the sticks have been dusted with flour. Wanted to know if she should scrub them or something, I said no Ill be home soon. Interested to see what it looks like. Either way Im throwing in a poly pad and doing a 10% change tonight and maybe one in the morning before work.

LobsterOfJustice · 12/15/2009, 04:40 PM

I dont think copper has anything to do with this. Check alkalinity and nitrates.

LobsterOfJustice · 12/15/2009, 04:41 PM

Also what kind of fish did you add?

jtrasap · 12/15/2009, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lobsterofjustice

i dont think copper has anything to do with this. Check alkalinity and nitrates.

+1

12/15/2009, 09:24 AM	#1
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Does copper bleach corals? Im having a hard time finding actual discusssions about this, and this morning I woke up and my purple rim monti was white, my green monti is pale, my xenia is pale, there is a pale spot on a purple acro and my frogspawn is pale. I put a fish in my tank last night and some of the water went into the tank, I know I know quarantine, but its too late for that so lets talk possible causes/solutions please. Is this copper? What do I need to do aside from some water changes, which I cant do until I get home from work, 6 oclock at the earliest. oh yeah, as far as I can tell, all snails and crabs are moving and grooving. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 09:43 AM	#2
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Copper would kill them, not bleach them. Are you seeing lightening of the tissue, or loss of tissue (skeleton)? __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

12/15/2009, 09:48 AM	#3
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	one purple rim monti is white, but still has the purple rim, my candy apple green monti is lightening up, my xenia are kind of pale and there is a light spot on a purple acro. My frogspawn is also fully expanded but looking pale. So far my pink lemonade seems unaffected, as well as my other lps and softies. I just got off the phone with the store and they said that they have dosed copper, but not in a couple of months, so hopefully its only trace. Im going to try and find some poly filter pads locally, but I may have to drive an hour each way to get some after work ugh. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 10:06 AM	#4
jtrasap Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Elmo, Illinois Posts: 2,361	You could always buy a copper test kit. Check your other params as well. Another thing to watch is your tank temps with it getting colder out. My sump is in my basement, which gets a bit chilly when it starts getting cold outside. Last winter my corals started losing color and it turned out to be a temperature issue. When it starts getting colder outside, I run an extra tank heater to keep my temps up. __________________ Jason Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

12/15/2009, 10:16 AM	#5
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	all other parameters are in check, the pet store owner confirmed they had copper in their tanks, albeit in small amounts. THe main problem is I work till six and closest store that carries polyfilter is an hour away. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 10:36 AM	#6
jtrasap Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: St. Elmo, Illinois Posts: 2,361	Are you using water from their tanks? Is your tank, a used tank that once had copper in it? Did the corals come from their tanks that they used copper in? Did your rock come from the their tanks that they used copper in? What exactly are your "in check" parameters? How often do you do water changes, how much do you change, and when was your last water change? Was this a sudden loss of color, or gradual? __________________ Jason Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

12/15/2009, 11:05 AM	#7
insane Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: under your bed Posts: 771 Blog Entries: 7	From what I have read here on RC about copper in other threads, the very minimal amount of copper in a system that can do damage to coral and inverts is not detectable by regular copper test kits. So even if a copper test doesn't show any copper in your water that doesn't mean there are not enough minute trace amounts of it that can do damage.

12/15/2009, 12:35 PM	#8
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	the color loss was overnight, not gradual and the only change was some water from their system getting into mine. I stated above that I called the store and they confirmed that they had copper in the system, but hadnt dosed it in a month or so, so it should be diluted somewhat. I am going to have to make an hour and half round trip tonight to get some poly filter, and start some water changes. Sucks, lesson learned. I was in a hurry and some of their water got in. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 02:13 PM	#9
Chiefsurfer Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Seaside Park, NJ Posts: 2,138	compared to what I hear(a tank once dosed with copper can stay inhabitable for corals for LIFE) what you may have introduced could be horrible. Best of luck on the water changes. Wish you the best. Hope I am wrong.

12/15/2009, 02:55 PM	#10
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Yeah, From what I can gather, it was a really small amount, and I put in a fair amount of carbon before I left for work, and am going to get poly pads after work then start to do some water changes. Fingers crossed. My girlfriend called me when she was home on lunch and said it didnt seem to be any worse, only the "stick thingy" (classic girlfriend terminology lol) in the upper right was white. So we'll see. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 02:57 PM	#11
Ohiomom Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 1,586	Honestly the amount you would have added to about 70 gallons probably is having no affect and it is merely a coincidence. What you are describing sounds like rtn to me..has you temperature change drastically, ph drop... __________________ .....Sandra “Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.” Current Tank Info: 75 galllon reef, T5HO love em!

12/15/2009, 03:08 PM	#12
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	Nothing else has changed. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 04:00 PM	#13
insane Moved On Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: under your bed Posts: 771 Blog Entries: 7	Stick thingy! Priceless. Tell her we all got a little chuckle out of that one. LOL Best of luck on getting things back to normal. We are rooting for ya.

12/15/2009, 04:12 PM	#14
username in use Sciencing Daily Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 6,560	she just called me, gets off work before me, and said that it doesnt really look any worse than before. Just looks like some the sticks have been dusted with flour. Wanted to know if she should scrub them or something, I said no Ill be home soon. Interested to see what it looks like. Either way Im throwing in a poly pad and doing a 10% change tonight and maybe one in the morning before work. __________________ Joshua "With fronds like these, who needs anemones?" - Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: multiple nano's sprinkled around the house

12/15/2009, 04:40 PM	#15
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I dont think copper has anything to do with this. Check alkalinity and nitrates. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles

12/15/2009, 04:41 PM	#16
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	Also what kind of fish did you add? __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles