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Copper - Cu
Copper levels found in sea water are 0.000212 ppm
Acceptable Copper levels in your aquarium are between 0 and 0.01 ppm
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Atomic Number: |
29 |
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Atomic Name: |
Copper |
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Atomic Symbol: |
Cu |
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Sea Water Value: |
0.000212 ppm |
Specific Gravity: |
8.96 |
Copper levels in your aquarium:
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To lower the Copper level in your aquarium we suggest the use of activated carbon;
in extreme cases a complete system teardown, including the replacement of live rock
and substrate, is needed. A complete teardown typically only applies to a reef system,
as most marine fish can tolerate much higher levels of Copper than most other marine
invertebrates, such as, corals, shrimp, anemones and crabs. Zooxanthellae loss also
occurs during exposure of corals to elevated concentrations of Copper; Elevated
Copper levels are known to interfere with fertilization and kill invertebrates.
Medications to treat marine ich (Cryptocaryon irritans) contain Copper and should
never be added to a reef aquarium, as even relatively low concentrations of copper
(0.2ppm) significantly affect fertilization rates of spawned gametes of reef corals.
Typically, the maximum acceptable concentration of Copper in tap water is 1.0 ppm,
therefore, the use of an RO/DI filtration system is required as a minimum for most
reef systems that draw their source water from the aquarists home drinking water.
If you are experiencing high Copper levels in your system, make sure you are not
using the hot water tap for any of your aquarium water. Your water heater can add
a lot of Copper to the water as a result of its design. And, ensure you are changing
your RO/DI filters on a regular basis as well as cycling your activated carbon;
both as instructed by the manufacturers of the respective products.
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The Elements
Element Info.
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