Will carbon remove ferts?

[ellena]

I'd like to add shrimp to some tanks which have been treated with copper based meds in the past. I bought some carbon to put in the filters but I haven't added it yet as I didn't know if it would remove ferts too.
Any thoughts?
Thanks

 

[NeilW]

Seachem do a product called Cuprisorb which definately will remove it but it needs to be in there a while before Water changes help and certain 'tap safe' (de-chlorinators) products will 'bind' heavy metals such as a copper. I know that Nutrafin Aqua Plus does this. I would whack some of that Cuprisorb in the filter and do regular water changes and be confident to introduce shrimp in a couple of weeks. Hope thats helpful.

 

[Fred Dulley]

Carbon does a tiny bit, so much that it is negligible. You'll be dosing nutrients frequently anyway, so it wont matter.

 

[ellena]

Thanks guys, I'm using seachem prime as a dechlor atm which says it 'detoxifies' heavy metals. It's been over 7 weeks since the last dosing, so loads of water changes since then. I think I'll get a kit to see if there's any there, and use the cuprisorb if there is.
Is there a safe level of copper for shrimp, or does it have to be 0?

 

[CeeJay]

Hi ellena

Ideally it would be nice for copper to be zero for your shrimps but I have just checked my Thames water report and it tells me that their average reading for copper (Cu) for the year was 0.043 mg/l.
As I am running a 180l tank, I'm sticking in 90-100 litres of the stuff once a week and my shrimp are breeding

 

[NeilW]

Thanks guys, I'm using seachem prime as a dechlor atm which says it 'detoxifies' heavy metals. It's been over 7 weeks since the last dosing, so loads of water changes since then. I think I'll get a kit to see if there's any there, and use the cuprisorb if there is.
Is there a safe level of copper for shrimp, or does it have to be 0?

This sounds a good plan. In addition to your water supply theres also small quantities in a lot of 'all in one' liquid ferts so it just has to be kept to trace amounts. Oh yeah... I don't use hot water from the taps in our house for water changes as you can get copper from the pipes. I think in newer houses its not so bad but its just one less thing to not worry about. You could get a build up if you had copper from your water supply AND pipes AND ferts I guess. I wouldn't too paranoid though, its only where you used the copper based medication it was something to worry about.