# Copper In aquarium water



## redza (Mar 5, 2008)

Hey guys, i was gonna construct some sort of chiller using a radiator method and i figured the best heat conductor is probably a metal and i was wondering if i flowed water through a copper tube and bank into the tank, would it be harmful? smack me if its a stupid question but im new haha thanks!


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Copper is fine for about 75 years.
It forms an oxidized layer that protects it from degrading.


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## redza (Mar 5, 2008)

thanks man!


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

Friendly reminder that water that flows through copper pipes has the potential to wipe out shrimp/sensitive fish ecosystems.

Doesn't matter what copper it is, if it's oxidized or what. It will leach trace elements into the water which will then kill off your entire tank of Grade SSS Red Crystal Shrimp.


Oh the horror stories...


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

AVN said:


> Friendly reminder that water that flows through copper pipes has the potential to wipe out shrimp/sensitive fish ecosystems.
> 
> Doesn't matter what copper it is, if it's oxidized or what. It will leach trace elements into the water which will then kill off your entire tank of Grade SSS Red Crystal Shrimp.
> 
> ...


Every water pipe in my house is copper. My shrimp never magically died because of this. Even used the dreaded water heater water.... 

The fact is copper piping oxidizes and DOESN'T leach copper into water.


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## HD Blazingwolf (May 12, 2011)

im all copper as well, so is my water heater fish and shrimp are fine, algae doesn't die on water change day either


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

Try aluminum conduit, aluminum oxide doesn't scale off like copper's.

Aluminum is actually the best conductor, copper is the cheapest conductor.


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## longbeach (Nov 2, 2011)

My house was built in the 50's.... copper pipes....never have had a problem. Keeping OEBT's, TT's, CRS, CBS and mischlings all is and has been ok. I think new copper pipes need to "age". Anyway I would worry about copper except in new pipes or hardware.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

longbeach said:


> My house was built in the 50's.... copper pipes....never have had a problem. Keeping OEBT's, TT's, CRS, CBS and mischlings all is and has been ok. I think new copper pipes need to "age". Anyway I would worry about copper except in new pipes or hardware.


They come "aged". They oxidize Sitting on the shelf. 

People don't seem to understand that when we talk about copper toxicity were talking about excessive copper dosing or copper based meds. Incidental copper isn't relevant.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

I used to manage the thousand gallon public aquarium at my community college campus (OCC) and we deal mainly with saltwater.

Copper is forbidden for any piping in our building because we've had mass die-offs when we unknowingly put copper piping in our automatic top-off system.

So much hated is this metal that when the building was first built and designed, one marine biologist Professor Dennis Kelly decided to stand by and watch them install all the copper piping for the building before telling them that it was in their contract to avoid metals like copper. Needless to say they had to redo all the piping and we had to hear about it during class.

Then came a huge lecture about what to use and what not to do when it comes to system water. You won't begin to believe the amount of [censored][censored][censored][censored] you're not allowed to use in the water.


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## AVN (Oct 3, 2012)

Meant to say that I agreed, and realized I was only referring to the oxidation that occurred between salt water and copper pipes. Freshwater and copper obviously has no ill effects, so long as the minerals in the water don't react over time with copper.


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## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Yes, saltwater and acidic water will corrode the copper but safe for fairly neutral freshwater. Nor worries for those SSS shrimps.


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## redza (Mar 5, 2008)

Thanks for the response guys. Really appreciate it. really answers all my questions!


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## Sotty (Aug 31, 2012)

AirstoND said:


> Try aluminum conduit, aluminum oxide doesn't scale off like copper's.
> 
> Aluminum is actually the best conductor, copper is the cheapest conductor.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't copper usually like 5 times more expensive than aluminum by weight? Most recent time I was at the junk yard copper wire was going for just over 5x what cast aluminum was per lb. 


or is aluminum conduit just more expensive than copper due to manufacturing issues? I'm just curious.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

AirstoND said:


> Try aluminum conduit, aluminum oxide doesn't scale off like copper's.
> 
> Aluminum is actually the best conductor, copper is the cheapest conductor.


Where did you get your source? 

copper is 3-6x more expensive than aluminum... 
And copper is one of the best conductors, that why they use it for electricity, and heating elements. The best conductor is gold, but that's to expensive to use.


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

AirstoND said:


> Try aluminum conduit, aluminum oxide doesn't scale off like copper's.
> 
> Aluminum is actually the best conductor, copper is the cheapest conductor.


http://www.tibtech.com/conductivity.php

Copper is both more expensive and a better conductor. Second only to Silver. 



nalu86 said:


> Where did you get your source?
> 
> copper is 3-6x more expensive than aluminum...
> And copper is one of the best conductors, that why they use it for electricity, and heating elements. The best conductor is gold, but that's to expensive to use.


I'm not sure where the idea that gold is the best conductor came from, but it isn't true. Both silver and copper are better conductors than gold(both electrical and thermal conductivity). 

Aluminum has about half of the EC of copper and just over half of the thermal conductivity.

Gold seems to be used on some things because it resists oxidation.


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## AirstoND (Jun 17, 2011)

Sorry I was weighing corrosion resistance and density.

I was thinking condenser fins on cars and not electrical circuits/plumbing.

It would be good if not connected to copper (so plastic pumps are ideal)

I found this to be interesting:


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