Filtration on 20g high

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penguin03

Gambusia
MFK Member
Jan 3, 2016
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Hi all!

I’ve set up a 20gallon high with 25lbs of rock and 25 lbs of sand. I am running an Aquaclear 50 on it. I have a sponge, bio media, and chemipure elite in it. I recently read that water doesn't really flow through filter media (chemipure) in a HOB. Is there any truth to this? I want to keep shrimp and I am worried about copper levels hence the chemipure. I am wondering if I should buy a reactor and put cuprisorb in it or and another aquaclear and house the cuprisorb there.

I have established filter media from a betta tank in the 20g. I use tap water with water conditioner and the betta has been doing great since I got him in may. I live in Chicago if anyone is familiar with the water quality here.

RODI water is not an option for me.

Thanks!
 
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My understanding was that shrimp and snails are extremely intolerant to copper. I suppose I should first test my water. I was just trying to prematurely remove as many heavy metals from my water as possible
 
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It's not a bad thing to do, but what if there isn't any heavy metals? You got the point. Why waste the money on stuff you don't need? If you do test and it happens to be needed you'll need the tests again anyway.
 
Check your local water distribution companies water reports, they should be publishing levels in there. Unless you have lots of copper piping in your home (fairly uncommon nowadays to the best of my knowledge) then the water report should be sufficient peace of mind :D
 
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Hendre said:
Check your local water distribution companies water reports, they should be publishing levels in there. Unless you have lots of copper piping in your home (fairly uncommon nowadays to the best of my knowledge) then the water report should be sufficient peace of mind :D
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Good point. All my pipes were copper in my old house. I had no more copper then states on my report. I used a Hanna meter.
 
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twentyleagues said:
Good point. All my pipes were copper in my old house. I had no more copper then states on my report. I used a Hanna meter.
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The mineral buildup in pipes probably minimizes copper leaching into the water
 
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Hendre said:
The mineral buildup in pipes probably minimizes copper leaching into the water
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I would guess this is true. I had a department of water worker come to my old house to install a new meter on the water line and from all the salt tanks he noticed all the outsides of the pipes were patina. He said something about it and I was worried when he said something. I asked if it was an issue he said no it makes them stronger actually. So if the insides also got "coated" I'd guess it's a good thing. Obviously the salt could get inside.
 
Would the chemipure be enough to control the copper levels? What are “high” copper levels and what can shrimp/snails withstand?
 
penguin03 said:
Would the chemipure be enough to control the copper levels? What are “high” copper levels and what can shrimp/snails withstand?
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Find out what is in your water before you waste money trying to treat something that isn't there ;)
 
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