This is a very condensed version of the Epic tale that was running through my head, if there is a detail I missed that you are curious about, I probably didn't miss it, I just didn't mention it
I have a used 29 gallon tank that I have been trying to setup salt water. The lady I got it from said "Our son put something in it that killed the fish". Before I set it up, I cleaned it VERY well, including soaking it nearly 48 hours in a vinegar solution. After cycling we had some success, but an above average number of failures. A local shop owner finally suggested that whatever was put into the tank by the previous owners may be leaching back out of the silicon and he followed with the suggestion that we re-silicon over the top of the existing. Now three months after that point we are still having problems. The water tested positive for copper.... not HIGH levels, but enough to be a problem.
Question 1: Shoud we just chunk this tank, never look back and consider the price of a new tank a small price to pay?
Question 2: Would the sand and live rock need to go also? Or is there a way to cleanse them of copper?
Question 3: Would the power heads/heaters/filters/etc..... need to go also, or does that hard plastic not soak up stuff the way silicon does?
Thanks all.
P.S. - the reason I thought of this is that the snails I put in my small reef at work went right to town moving and exploring, the snails I put in the tank at home, layed in the front of the tank for several weeks, then most of them died...... started me thinking
