rusting check valve?

Updating everyone.. Good news.. no copper was detected from my LFS test kit.. so i avoided a problem by staying on top of things.. and thanks to all of you for your help..
Also through in some poly fiber just in case and i will find out if it turns colors for detecting any copper but as of now i think im in the clear.

 

If we all have something in common, it's that we're tempted to be swayed by information once we hear the same song dozens of times from as many different sources. It's almost as if things become true because so many people say it. One of the reasons I appreciate Tangster's advice so much, is because he almost exclusively speaks from personal experience. I'll be the first to admit, I don't have a ton of personal experience about all things reefkeeping; and I'm often tempted to take to heart, at face value those things I hear repeated on 3reef.

IMO people overreact to copper. I was in Borders books a few weeks ago reading, "Chemistry And The Reef Aquarium" by Brightwell. This is the fellow that worked for Kent (I think), before he went solo with his brand name of products. In the book, he discusses most of the chemicals and compounds we speak of regularly here; and he states that our aversion to copper is mostly through heresay. A poster above stated this. There is no doubt that in sufficient amounts, copper is a killer to corals and invertebrates--this we know. But our water need not be copper free.

Brightwell discusses in his book how to make a tank once treated with copper, safe for housing corals. He prefaces the chapter with comments that seemingly respond to the degree of incredulity with which he knows the reader will have.

I've held back on posting in this thread b/c I don't remember exactly the process he outlines. If I'm not mistaken, it involves filling the tank with freshwater, running the sump and water-moving pumps and powerheads while bringing the pH up to quite alkaline levels. This coaxes the copper out of silicone, afterwhich cuprisorb, or some other copper reducing media is used; and after sufficient time, and some repetition of the process--the tank can be used to safely house corals.

Again, I'm going from memory, and it might not be heightened pH, maybe more on the acidic side, but what I do remember, is that copper use in a tank doesn't necessarily mean game over with regard to keeping corals and inverts. We need not think of copper as poison to corals the same way we think of cyanide to humans. Corals actually need copper, but its presence in NSW is so low that it's almost on trace element levels. Commercial salt mixes all contain copper at levels adequate to foster coral health, but prevent toxicity.

If you have a questionable tank, pick up the book and see for yourself what a trusted chemist and reef keeping scientist has to say about copper. It might change your mind.

 

I found this thread and you like to ask a question without creating a new one.

My corals have shrink over the past few days, and 6- 10 snails have died.

This morning as more snails dies, I did a research about using brass valve for reef tank, and everything I read so far said brass is a BIG NO NO. Anyway, I quickly remove the brass valve and replaced it with a plastic ones.

Does this mean game over for me? The brass valve have been installed for about 3 weeks, all the fishes are fine, and so are all the crabs. Snails on the other hand took the biggest hit.

I bought 250mL of Cuprisorb hoping it would remove the copper and I will do 10% WC later on today. Should I get the poly filter as well? How much copper do you guys think could leach into the tank?