Reef help with 75 Gallon

[magyk]

Here is what is happening

Have 75 Gallon fish only

Decided to turn it into a reef about a month ago, problem is I've used coppersafe to treat some sick fish before

I've been told that I'm going to have to get a whole new system, by alot of people however some suggested getting Seachem Cuprisorb which I did purchase.

I can't afford a whole new system and someone out their must have been in the same position I'm in.

Had water tested for copper an there is .02 amounts which is minimal I haven't done any water changes yet or put the seachem in yet so whatever advice would be helpful

Any Advice

[fishfreek]

Had water tested for copper an there is .02 amounts which is minimal I haven't done any water changes yet or put the seachem in yet so whatever advice would be helpful

But still toxic to the sensitive invertrabits found in reef tanks.

I have heard that there is a phosphate sponge that will also absorb copper but i cant recall the name of it off the top of my head.

Water changes will help in the short run but depending on what kind of substrate and other items you have in your tank you may suffer from copper leaching back into the water from the substrate or even the silicon seals.

Have you changed out your filter media since you used the coppersafe? If not then you should do that aswell.

Since testing for copper is going to be something your gonna do often I would invest in a copper test kit. Seachem has a very easy and affordable copper test kit.

[magyk]

The big question will I be able to establish a reef tank though most likely in July?

[fishfreek]

Well I hope you dont have some kind of deadline you have to adhear to inorder to have a reef by July.

The reason I say this is you dont want to push (rush) your tank back into shape so it can support corals and other inverts. If your diligent in trying to rid your tank of the carbon thru use of activated carbon (changing it out often), doing frequent water changes to help dilute what carbon remains in the water, etc then you should be in good shape at some point.

Will that be in July. I dontknow. ONly your tank knows and regretfully it does not speak. The only way to know for sure is to keep checking copper levels and hopefully watch them drop off till they are nearly nonexistant.

[magyk]

I will be doing frequent water changes and possibly changing either the sandbed or the 80lbs of lace rock

[reefrunner69]

Had water tested for copper an there is .02

How was the water tested? Coppersafe is a chelated copper, and must be tested with a chelated copper test kit. The real question is...since coppersafe is a bound copper, what is the bioavailability of the copper. To find that out, you have to test with the proper kit.

[magyk]

I know what chelated means but why would it matter
and do you know if it would effect the tank directly

[reefrunner69]

It matters because a non-chelated copper testkit will not measure the amount of copper in the system. IME, a reading of .02 will actually be alot higher. This is one of the reasons why you can judge the bioavailability of the CU. A non-chelated kit test for free copper, where a chelated kit will test for total copper. The copper is bound to an organic this reduces the toxicity of the med considerably. I am curious, what are you wanting to use from the current set up in the reef set up, You said it was a FO tank. Any LR? Or just plain decorations? I personally believe that if you change the substrate (do not use the LR) and do a 100% waterchange, you'll be fine. If you have LR in the tank and you need to use that....I do not think it will be safe. In essence, I need more info on your system before I can offer any more advice.