# Is anyone using Cuprisorb?



## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Hi all,

I was just wondering if anyone has experience using Cuprisorb? I just picked up a small bag of it on clearance from a LFS. My town water supply has a significant copper reading (I can't recall the #'s offhand, but there used to be a lot of green staining of sinks, etc. when the pH was lower).

The breeding of Cherries and other Cardinias just stopped in my shrimp tank last spring. I had been doing frequent (weekly) small water changes using tap water treated for chlorine/chloramine/heavy metals. Then, over the summer, my tanks got rather neglected (for various life reasons). 

Anyhow, plant growth continued, and although the tank was in serious need of topping off, last month I saw the first baby shrimp in ages! Lately, what I'll use for the shrimp is water from another tank in which I've done a water change a day or two before. And there are more babies now!

So I'm thinking to soak the Cuprisorb media bag in any water destined for the shrimp tank, and I was wondering if anyone else has tried this. The product is intended for the Marine Aquarium hobby, but is safe for freshwater, too. Also, on order is a copper test kit (yeah I know... DUH!) and I've got to locate that town water report I received. 

So, any thoughts?
-Jane


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

When I worked in an LFS we used Cuprisorb in saltwater with pretty good success. One time we saved a shark that was accidentally exposed to water treated with copper. The one thing is that I am not sure that using Cuprisorb as a pass through filter will work; i.e. water goes from tap, flows through Cuprisorb and then to aquarium. I think the water needs a fair amount of contact time with the Cuprisorb to work. It might even need the water to be forced to glow through the Cuprisorb. You might ask in the Seachem forum here.


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## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Hi,

yes, I usually let water for water changes or topping off sit out for about a day, so I was thinking I'd just keep the intended shrimp water in a bucket, and hang the bag in the water, teabag-style. 

Are you saying that the water has to be forced through it - its not something that diffusion would handle? I would have thought that contact was the important thing, and since the localized concentration would be reduced, diffusion over a longer exposure time could also give similar results. 

Still, knowing it acted quickly enough to save that copper-exposed fish says its quite effective!

I'm not so sure about the "Easily Regenerated" claim - soaking it in a muriatic acid bath..... perhaps not a kitchen sink kinda project. 

Thanks for the info!
-Jane


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

Hi Jane,

You got me curious so I looked it up and on Seachem's site they have a FAQ on Cuprisorb. While none of the answers directly states that it has to flow through there was this exchange:



> Q: I have 125 g tank, wet/dry filter, protein skimmer, uv light. Where is the best place to put CupriSorb for my setup?
> A: Most wet/dry filters have a drip plate on top of the biological media where the water enters the filter. That drip plate would be an ideal spot or anywhere that water will pass through the CupriSorb.


In your situation, I'd invest another buck or so into one of those old box filters . I'd put the Cuprisorb inside it and use an airpump to have the water flow through by the Cuprisorb. That ought to do it!

I agree with you about the regeneration. I have never regenerated any of the regenenerable resins... always seemed like too much danger/trouble/work as compared to purchasing a new one.

Best luck with the shrimplets!


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## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

Thanks Andy!

yep, I'm using a HOB filter on that tank anyhow, and since I do El Natural setups, airstones are not generally used - they'd drive off any valuable CO2 there is in the tank. I use the HOB (and will implement a powerhead/quickfilter combo soon in the largest tank) for water circulation. I have a fine mesh over the intake to keep the babies out of the filter.

OK, so to make sure its in an area of flow, I have put the bag of media into the filter box. And, since its mainly for water movement anyhow, (and very gross-level mechanical filtration) there was plenty of room for it. There seems to be a good flow through/around it. 

So do you think its worth putting the Cuprisorb into the water-change bucket of water for awhile, or should I just keep it in the tank which has received a WC lately? I assume that the short-term exposure to the copper level from the tap isn't too bad (they were surviving after all, just not breeding) and that the resin, in a high-flow area, will extract it soon enough. After that, the plants themselves should be a heavy metal sink for the long term. So, I'll use the Cuprisorb baggie in conjunction with water additions/changes.

Thanks! I'll keep this updated on how the inverts do!
-Jane


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## AndyT. (Jun 28, 2006)

Sounds like a plan to me. 

I just got Diana Walstad's book and can't wait to set up an el natural aquarium. Please do let us know how it works out.


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## blacksmith37 (Oct 10, 2006)

I don't understand how you decided you had a copper problem. It is pretty toxic and I would be suprised if the EPA would permit levels of Cu in potable water that could cause stains. 
Soft water is more corrosive to metals; I would check to determine if home water softeners are used where the stains are, they could cause corrosion of Cu. I had to replace some leaking ,corroded copper pipe in a house where the previous owner used a water softener (which I trashed).


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