LFS live sand may have copper!!!!

[cenzo]

I think the live sand I got out of my LFS tanks may have copper in it the tank is only one week old so I dont think its that bad.

 

What should I do make my LFS test it and then start with watter changes?

[hhasty79]

Why do you think it has copper?

What brand/kind of sand is it?

[cenzo]

They took it out of a fish only tank and told me to do three water changes this week being they had copper in the tanks.

 

Will I ever get the copper out even with water changes, I don't think so

[Physh1]

Live sand + copper = not good live sand. There may still be bacteria in it but any chance of any critters is unlikely. Sounds like your LFS need some help in the "how to care and sell reef type life" dept.

 

I'd complain if I was you....I'd be mad.

 

Cameron

[SteveC]

Take it back. Tell them if they want you to take their garbage, they have to pay you. You're better off with no live sand than that live sand, unless you're trying for a toxic waste dump biotope.

[cenzo]

So I should dump and start new water and all?

[glazer]

Maybe third time's a charm? Maybe?

 

Dude.... if you don't understand the hazards of copper in a reef tank you should PLEASE do a search....

 

As Phish has pointed out, your LFS apparently hasn't a clue about the finer nuances of reefkeeping... as in, just change yer water a few times and it be okay.... NOT!

 

Then Stever followed up with the garbage analogy.... and of course "better off with NO live sand than THAT live sand."

 

They aren't kidding and they were indeed serious. It's no frickin' bueno..... you need to ditch the sand, ditch the water. Now I will show my lack of knowledge on this one as I have never treated any tanks with copper (see previous posts). Is the silicone seals on your tank now contaminated? I dunno.... there is prolly something on this site about it.... I'm too tired to search, you do it.

 

Of course if you have no intentions of keeping a reef tank, just some fishies with the dead coral skeletons.... well then, you now have a pre-medicated tank. Of course copper in high enough quantities will kill the fishies too. Uh oh, we're back to where we started.

[SteveC]

I think what we're all trying say here is, copper is toxic to invertebrates. That's why they use it as fish medication; parasites are invertebrates. It kills 'em real good. But...

 

Corals are invertebrates. It kills 'em real good. The beneficial critters in your "live sand" are invertebrates. It kills 'em real good. Shrimp, crabs, and so on are invertebrates. Guess what it does to 'em? (Hint: It does it real good.)

 

Honestly, I'd even be a little nervous about using the same tank again. Make sure you scrub it and rinse it with saltwater. (Rinse it real good--ha! I'm funny!)

 

As for the store that sold you this bag of nummy Toxic Waste Bits, I wouldn't buy anything reef-related from them again. Who knows what else they've dipped in copper or dioxin or plutonium or whatever well-meaning cure all attempt...

[cenzo]

Thanks for all your help, it just sucks to start over just looking for another way if their was one but now I see that the is NONE

 

Thanks for helping me save money and time.

[SteveC]

Cenzo,

 

Yes, it really totally sucks, and I genuinely feel for you. You're definitely making the right choice though.

 

If you know anybody with a reef tank, they will probably be happy to give you a cup of their sand, which is fine for starting a sand bed. Also, once you get your live rock, critters from the rock (if it's good rock) will colonize the sand bed. You really don't need to buy live sand, but it can really help get things started.

 

If you mail order your live rock, you can usually get excellent live sand from any of those places. A few pounds will be enough to get you started, but it doesn't hurt to get more if you want. I think this is your best bet, personally. You can also buy detrivore starter kits from vendors like ipsf.com.

 

Good luck, and keep us posted!

Steve

[cenzo]

Do you have a few good web site that I can order live sand not detrivore starter kits I have a 3 gal so im not looking for 25LB of it I think it will be a little hard to order just four or five LBs

[SteveC]

Someone else on this board was ordering the ipsf.com live sand starter. I'd do a search here for ipsf and track that person down, and ask 'em if they were pleased with their order.

[Dave ESPI]

Originally posted by cenzo

They took it out of a fish only tank and told me to do three water changes this week being they had copper in the tanks.

 

Will I ever get the copper out even with water changes, I don't think so

 

Thanks for all your help, it just sucks to start over just looking for another way if their was one but now I see that the is NONE.

 

This is EXACTLY why reefers should read and research before buying.

 

Yer tank is screwed. d00d

Even the LR is ###### now, because copper leaches. Id take EVERYTING back to the store, and throw a tempertantrum to the likes of which will rival Baby Huey.

 

Full refund are in order. they sold you a cock and bull story about "Live sand"

 

When will people learn that "Live Sand is NOT Bacterially Active Sand"

 

I'd bring this fact up to them and say its false advertizing. Not to mention the fact that if they had livestock in with that sand from display tanks, I highly doubt there is anything "Live about it"

You could always throw a few F-Bombs in the conversation just to extenuate ignorance and the louder you scream, the more people will hear. X)

 

WHen in doubt, ya could always mention the "BBB" that usualy gets their attention.

[cenzo]

I put the sand in the trash, water down the drain, the the live rock under fresh water for a min or two and washed out the tank with cold and hot water not knowing what was better.

 

I think im going to be ok, do you?

[Korbin]

Man-o-man. I say start going to a new LFS. Definitely.

 

Like SteveC said, copper kills invertibrates real good. Bacteria and little microorganism critters are all invertibrates. And those are what makes LIVE sand LIVE. I'd say they sold you recently killed sand. They probably needed to get rid of it and rather than throwing it away, they pawned it off on the unsuspecting customer (you).

 

I think you did the right thing by rinsing out the tank really good. I mean, make sure you rinse it out REALLY good. Imagine if you had a cup that you new had cyanide in it. How well would you rinse it out before drinking? :x

 

Your LFS makes me mad.X)

 

I say buy regular argonite or Southdown or whatever you want, and seed the sandbed from a friends tank or one of the tanks in a REPUTABLE fish store. Go in and ask if you can get a handfull of sand from an established tank or refugium. If they won't sell it to you, move on to the next store. But don't go to the one that scammed you! A 3 gallon shouldn't be hard to seed. I seeded my 12 gallon with about 10 teaspoonfulls of sand and a glob of filter sludge.

[LiQuiD]

I would burn the damn store to the ground! You did tell them you were starting a REEF tank, right? They would not be totally to blame if they thought you may be using the sand to cycle a fish only tank. As we all know with SW fish only tanks, ich will always show its ugly face and chances are you would be dosing with a good copper based medication eventually anyway. And you would have not been poring baby ich dudes into your tank from the sand. However, if you DID tell them it was going to be used for your REEF tank, I say again, burn the store to the ground. what a bunch of idiots. No, washing the LR will not get rid of the copper. I would not call it LR anymore, more like cryptonite. Washing the tank with hot water would do nothing to help the tank (if you would really consider the tank itself polluted) since you hot water has been sitting in your hot water tank and or in the copper pipes of your place of residence. I don't know what you paid total for the LR, LS but I would demand a refund from those morons and never, NEVER do any more business with them.