Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line to the
filter system. I do not rember the chemical reaction that caused the
toxic condition, but I have always been very cautious about copper
ever since.

Cla




"BenignVanilla" wrote in message ...
I just replumbed my entire house with copper, and I have some left over. I
am thinking about building a DIY filter for my aquarium, just for fun. Any
thoughts on the safety of using copper in an aquaria environment? I figure
it safe for us to drink, it should be safe in the tank or pond for that
matter.

Any thoughts?

BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

I think the "Don't use copper pipe" warnings may be a typical case of "in
theory" and "I heard once" information that often gets sent around fish
groups because it just sounds "right". I'd argue that what did ornamental
ponds and fish stores use before PVC pipe existed? Copper of course and they
were all fine.

Sam


"Cla" wrote in message
om...
Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line to the
filter system. I do not rember the chemical reaction that caused the
toxic condition, but I have always been very cautious about copper
ever since.

Cla




"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
I just replumbed my entire house with copper, and I have some left over.
I
am thinking about building a DIY filter for my aquarium, just for fun.
Any
thoughts on the safety of using copper in an aquaria environment? I
figure
it safe for us to drink, it should be safe in the tank or pond for that
matter.

Any thoughts?

BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

I think the "Don't use copper pipe" warnings may be a typical case of "in
theory" and "I heard once" information that often gets sent around fish
groups because it just sounds "right". I'd argue that what did ornamental
ponds and fish stores use before PVC pipe existed? Copper of course and they
were all fine.

Sam


"Cla" wrote in message
om...
Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line to the
filter system. I do not rember the chemical reaction that caused the
toxic condition, but I have always been very cautious about copper
ever since.

Cla




"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
I just replumbed my entire house with copper, and I have some left over.
I
am thinking about building a DIY filter for my aquarium, just for fun.
Any
thoughts on the safety of using copper in an aquaria environment? I
figure
it safe for us to drink, it should be safe in the tank or pond for that
matter.

Any thoughts?

BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

FWIW:

OASE Mineralife, "Essential Trace Minerals for Koi and Pond Fish"
contains copper as well as zinc, aluminum, boron, bromine, calcium
chromium, chlorine, cobalt, iodine, iron, lithium, magnesium,
manganese, molybdenum, nickel, potassium, selenium, sodium, strontium,
sulfur and vanadium.

Kent Koi Essential, "Essential Trace Mineral Supplement for Koi and
Other Pond Fish" contains Copper sulphate, Zinc chloride, Potassium
chloride, Calcium chloride, Magnesium chloride, Potassium iodide,
Chromium chloride, Cobalt chloride, Ferric chloride, Manganese
chloride, Nickle chloride, Sodium metavanadate, Sodium molybdate,
Sodium selenate and Strontium chloride.

U.S. Aquagarden Vigor, "Essential Trace Minerals for Koi and Pond
Fish" is identical to the Kent product, also containing copper and
zinc.


Steve J. Noll | Ventura California
| Glass Block Pond http://www.kissingfrogs.tv

FWIW:

OASE Mineralife, "Essential Trace Minerals for Koi and Pond Fish"
contains copper as well as zinc, aluminum, boron, bromine, calcium
chromium, chlorine, cobalt, iodine, iron, lithium, magnesium,
manganese, molybdenum, nickel, potassium, selenium, sodium, strontium,
sulfur and vanadium.

Kent Koi Essential, "Essential Trace Mineral Supplement for Koi and
Other Pond Fish" contains Copper sulphate, Zinc chloride, Potassium
chloride, Calcium chloride, Magnesium chloride, Potassium iodide,
Chromium chloride, Cobalt chloride, Ferric chloride, Manganese
chloride, Nickle chloride, Sodium metavanadate, Sodium molybdate,
Sodium selenate and Strontium chloride.

U.S. Aquagarden Vigor, "Essential Trace Minerals for Koi and Pond
Fish" is identical to the Kent product, also containing copper and
zinc.


Steve J. Noll | Ventura California
| Glass Block Pond http://www.kissingfrogs.tv

(Cla) wrote in message . com...
Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line......

Wild guess here but maybe the "exotic" fish were salt water fish.
Maybe the Salt water and copper reacted?
Especially if there was another metal in the system they could have
had a bad case of electrolisis.

I know I've got a copper patch on the side of my preform pond that's
3 years old. My fish are still ok.

While were repeating things that need repeating - did you
know that Madeline Murray O'Hare was trying to get Touched by an
Angel removed from TV??? --- I'M JUST KIDDING!!!!

Peace!
Dan D. Louisville Ky good ole USA
http://ky-dan.com

acid water an metals are not a good combination.

(Dan D.) wrote:

(Cla) wrote in message . com...
Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line......

Wild guess here but maybe the "exotic" fish were salt water fish.
Maybe the Salt water and copper reacted?
Especially if there was another metal in the system they could have
had a bad case of electrolisis.

I know I've got a copper patch on the side of my preform pond that's
3 years old. My fish are still ok.

While were repeating things that need repeating - did you
know that Madeline Murray O'Hare was trying to get Touched by an
Angel removed from TV??? --- I'M JUST KIDDING!!!!

Peace!
Dan D. Louisville Ky good ole USA
http://ky-dan.com



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

I had a good example of that recently while remodeling my kitchen.
The copper water line to the icemaker was disconnected for over a
month while the plumbing was relocated, cabinets replaced, etc. When
the line was hooked up again water wouldn't flow. Approximately 6" at
one end was plugged with a bright greenish gunk - presumably the
product of a reaction between the local tap water, the copper, and
air.

PlainBill

On Wed, 18 Feb 2004 15:33:15 GMT, wrote:

acid water an metals are not a good combination.

(Dan D.) wrote:

(Cla) wrote in message . com...
Years ago I took a fish health course at Dr. Gratjeck(sp?) and in the
class there was a real horror story about an exotic fish store that
had major fish kill because someone attached a copper line......

Wild guess here but maybe the "exotic" fish were salt water fish.
Maybe the Salt water and copper reacted?
Especially if there was another metal in the system they could have
had a bad case of electrolisis.

I know I've got a copper patch on the side of my preform pond that's
3 years old. My fish are still ok.

While were repeating things that need repeating - did you
know that Madeline Murray O'Hare was trying to get Touched by an
Angel removed from TV??? --- I'M JUST KIDDING!!!!

Peace!
Dan D. Louisville Ky good ole USA
http://ky-dan.com



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.