Copper wire fell in tank.

Anthony.Luciano · 05/02/2012, 08:11 PM

I was working on the LEDs above the tank and I cut a tip of a wire off that had copper and some solder on it. about 1/4" but it fell down right into the tank behind the rocks. I don't see it any ware and it's a 36" tank so its going to be really hard to get it out even if i do find it. Will this cause any serious damage to the tank say if it oxidizes or something? The total water volume is around 550 gallons.

Rploaded · 05/02/2012, 08:17 PM

I suggest you get that out and soon.... The amount of copper it takes to kill things is very small......

Anthony.Luciano · 05/02/2012, 08:21 PM

OK I'm going to search for it right now. This might sound stupid but it's just an idea that popped up. Is there any color light that accents copper to make it stand out?

tkeracer619 · 05/02/2012, 08:35 PM

Get it out!

Mpfaff77 · 05/02/2012, 08:37 PM

Possibly a magnet??? I don't think copper magnetic but I would say solder is. Maybe???

James77 · 05/02/2012, 08:38 PM

I'd suck out every last spec of substrate until I found it were it me. I would take a baster or powerhead to the rocks in case it lodged there. Get it out right away!

agruetz · 05/02/2012, 08:41 PM

I would run a Poly Filter Pad until you find it. That will remove copper and other heavy toxic metals.

Anthony.Luciano · 05/02/2012, 08:52 PM

Well guys I am in so much relief right now. I went crazy looking for it. I swear I was about to put on a snorkel and get inside but I looked on top of the canopy where i was working and it turned out there was a little pocket I can't really explain but I was working with a piece of wood in front of me and behind that wood I thought it just is empty but its actually all connected so I saw the little wire laying there and felt so relived.

Note to self... It's worth it in the future to go through the hassle of taking the lights completely down then working on top of the tank.

tkeracer619 · 05/02/2012, 08:56 PM

Great

Go get a lotto ticket.

Bowels · 05/02/2012, 09:03 PM

WOW HOLY &$*#*%*# <--- use your imagination you got lucky... btw copper is magnetic, that woulda been my way to go. make an electro magnet out of a car battery wire and a nail for god sakes. lol but you may suck your neighbors crowns off her teeth lol

Rploaded · 05/02/2012, 10:13 PM

You are very lucky.....

Never work over open water.....

AcroporAddict · 05/03/2012, 12:58 AM

Or if you have to work over an open tank, cover it with a plastic drop cloth.

Danny_B · 05/03/2012, 02:05 AM

Copper is not magnetic and neither is solder, BTW.

disc1 · 05/03/2012, 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowels

WOW HOLY &$*#*%*# <--- use your imagination you got lucky... btw copper is magnetic, that woulda been my way to go. make an electro magnet out of a car battery wire and a nail for god sakes. lol but you may suck your neighbors crowns off her teeth lol

Copper is not even a little bit magnetic. In reality it is slightly repelled by a magnetic field.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

ejdustin · 05/03/2012, 08:22 AM

Okay so all this copper talk... copper does not have any unpaired electrons therefor it is diamagnetic. Basically for any magnet we would use it is not "magnetic" but in truth if the magnetic were strong enough it could interact with copper, as all matter is technically magnetic to some level. Anyhow you couldnt get a magnetic strong enough to grab the copper. Also if a magnetic were repelling then just flip it opposites attract all magnets have two poles

R_Hudson · 05/03/2012, 09:55 AM

Taken from Wikipedia

In metallurgy, a non-ferrous metal is a metal that is not ferrous, that is, any metal, including alloys, that does not contain iron in appreciable amounts. Generally more expensive than ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals are used because of desirable properties such as low weight (e.g., aluminium), higher conductivity (e.g., copper),[1] non-magnetic property or resistance to corrosion (e.g., zinc).[2] Some non-ferrous materials are also used in the iron and steel industries. For example, bauxite is used as flux for blast furnaces, while others such as wolframite, pyrolusite,thus making ferrous metals not like inferrous metals, and chromite are used in making ferrous alloys.[3]

Important non-ferrous metals include aluminium, copper and the alloy brass, lead, nickel, tin, titanium, and zinc. Precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum are also classified as non-ferrous. Exotic or rare metals such as cobalt, mercury, tungsten, arsenic, beryllium, bismuth, cerium, cadmium, niobium, indium, gallium, germanium, lithium, selenium, tantalum, tellurium, vanadium, and zirconium are also non-ferrous.[4] . They are usually obtained through minerals such as sulfides, carbonates, and silicates.[5] Non-ferrous metals are usually refined through electrolysis.[6]

05/02/2012, 08:11 PM	#1
Anthony.Luciano Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 769	Copper wire fell in tank. I was working on the LEDs above the tank and I cut a tip of a wire off that had copper and some solder on it. about 1/4" but it fell down right into the tank behind the rocks. I don't see it any ware and it's a 36" tank so its going to be really hard to get it out even if i do find it. Will this cause any serious damage to the tank say if it oxidizes or something? The total water volume is around 550 gallons. __________________ My name is A.J. 450 gallon SPS dominated tank in progress.

05/02/2012, 08:21 PM	#3
Anthony.Luciano Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 769	OK I'm going to search for it right now. This might sound stupid but it's just an idea that popped up. Is there any color light that accents copper to make it stand out? __________________ My name is A.J. 450 gallon SPS dominated tank in progress.

05/02/2012, 08:35 PM	#4
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Get it out! __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

05/02/2012, 08:38 PM	#6
James77 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 8,158	I'd suck out every last spec of substrate until I found it were it me. I would take a baster or powerhead to the rocks in case it lodged there. Get it out right away! __________________ Jim Current Tank Info: 120g Mixed Reef and 75g Freshwater

05/02/2012, 08:41 PM	#7
agruetz Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 591	I would run a Poly Filter Pad until you find it. That will remove copper and other heavy toxic metals. __________________ 27 Gallon BioCube - 1 Gold Striped Marroon Clowns, Assorted Zoa's, and a clean up crew running around

05/02/2012, 08:17 PM	#2
Rploaded Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 361	I suggest you get that out and soon.... The amount of copper it takes to kill things is very small......

05/02/2012, 08:37 PM	#5
Mpfaff77 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Posts: 373	Possibly a magnet??? I don't think copper magnetic but I would say solder is. Maybe???

05/02/2012, 08:52 PM	#8
Anthony.Luciano Registered Member. Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Bronx, NY Posts: 769	Well guys I am in so much relief right now. I went crazy looking for it. I swear I was about to put on a snorkel and get inside but I looked on top of the canopy where i was working and it turned out there was a little pocket I can't really explain but I was working with a piece of wood in front of me and behind that wood I thought it just is empty but its actually all connected so I saw the little wire laying there and felt so relived. Note to self... It's worth it in the future to go through the hassle of taking the lights completely down then working on top of the tank. __________________ My name is A.J. 450 gallon SPS dominated tank in progress.

05/02/2012, 08:56 PM	#9
tkeracer619 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Westminster, CO Posts: 17,289	Great Go get a lotto ticket. __________________ Hobby Experience: 9200ish gallons, 26 skimmers, and a handful of Kent Scrapers. Current Tank: Vortech Powered 600G SPS Tank w/ 100gal frag tank & 100g Sump. RK2-RK10 Skimmer. ReefAngel. Radium 20k.

05/02/2012, 09:03 PM	#10
Bowels Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Buffalo, NY Posts: 647	WOW HOLY &$#%*# <--- use your imagination you got lucky... btw copper is magnetic, that woulda been my way to go. make an electro magnet out of a car battery wire and a nail for god sakes. lol but you may suck your neighbors crowns off her teeth lol

05/02/2012, 10:13 PM	#11
Rploaded Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Ohio Posts: 361	You are very lucky..... Never work over open water.....

05/03/2012, 12:58 AM	#12
AcroporAddict There is no substitute. Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Southeast Posts: 2,269	Or if you have to work over an open tank, cover it with a plastic drop cloth.

05/03/2012, 02:05 AM	#13
Danny_B Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: North Phoenix Posts: 399	Copper is not magnetic and neither is solder, BTW.

05/03/2012, 08:22 AM	#15
ejdustin Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Buffalo Posts: 141	Okay so all this copper talk... copper does not have any unpaired electrons therefor it is diamagnetic. Basically for any magnet we would use it is not "magnetic" but in truth if the magnetic were strong enough it could interact with copper, as all matter is technically magnetic to some level. Anyhow you couldnt get a magnetic strong enough to grab the copper. Also if a magnetic were repelling then just flip it opposites attract all magnets have two poles __________________ 120 gal in wall reef with 40 gal breeder sump, 2 ecoray 60D lights, 80 lbs of rock, crushed aragonite bed, lps dominated. Current Tank Info: 120 in wall reef tank, minimal rock, zoa dominated

05/03/2012, 09:55 AM	#16
R_Hudson Just having fun Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Tulsa, Ok. Posts: 990	Taken from Wikipedia In metallurgy, a non-ferrous metal is a metal that is not ferrous, that is, any metal, including alloys, that does not contain iron in appreciable amounts. Generally more expensive than ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals are used because of desirable properties such as low weight (e.g., aluminium), higher conductivity (e.g., copper),[1] non-magnetic property or resistance to corrosion (e.g., zinc).[2] Some non-ferrous materials are also used in the iron and steel industries. For example, bauxite is used as flux for blast furnaces, while others such as wolframite, pyrolusite,thus making ferrous metals not like inferrous metals, and chromite are used in making ferrous alloys.[3] Important non-ferrous metals include aluminium, copper and the alloy brass, lead, nickel, tin, titanium, and zinc. Precious metals such as gold, silver and platinum are also classified as non-ferrous. Exotic or rare metals such as cobalt, mercury, tungsten, arsenic, beryllium, bismuth, cerium, cadmium, niobium, indium, gallium, germanium, lithium, selenium, tantalum, tellurium, vanadium, and zirconium are also non-ferrous.[4] . They are usually obtained through minerals such as sulfides, carbonates, and silicates.[5] Non-ferrous metals are usually refined through electrolysis.[6] __________________ I don't pay to have my dirty work done for me. I do it myself. Ted Nugent