Warm Water From Copper Water Tank

[Ethan040]

Hi, i have just bought my first house and it has a old style heating system where you have to turn the water on before you can have a shower, the way it stores the warm water is in a copper tank in the airing cupboard when i do water changes using some warm water will it harm my fish using the water from the copper tank?

Thanks

 

[fluttermoth]

Unless you're keeping marines or invertebrates (freshwater shrimps or the like) you should be fine, but you can always use a dechlorinator that locks up heavy metals; most do, but check the bottle to be on the safe side.

 

[StandbySetting]

As flutter mouth said dechlorinators deal with metals such as copper, but you shouldn't encounter any problems anyway as Copper isn't soluble in water.

 

[Ethan040]

Thanks guys, my cory tanks full of red cherry shrimp i will have to check my dechlorinator to see it if kills off copper then, i could just do cold water changes on it or fill a large bucket the day before a water change and let it get to room temp just to be sure and add the dechlorinator as i really like my shrimp and they breed like mad which is nice.

Thanks

 

[StandbySetting]

Water comes into contact with Copper regardless of which tap it comes from, the shrimp should be fine, trace levels of Copper are generally OK with freshwater shrimp, as it's in most fertilisers, it's just in large doses that it will kill them.

 

[Essjay]

The main danger with this type of hot water tank is actually what is in the cold water header tank in the attic. Dead mice and such like have been found in them. This is why you aren't even supposed to clean your teeth in the bathroom if that tap runs from the header tank instead of the mains. I have had a couple of dozen dead wasps in mine, quite possibly poisoned with insecticide (wasps nest in attic, twice).

If you have just bought the house, it's worth looking inside the header tank just in case.

 

[seizethecupcake]

The main danger with this type of hot water tank is actually what is in the cold water header tank in the attic. Dead mice and such like have been found in them. This is why you aren't even supposed to clean your teeth in the bathroom if that tap runs from the header tank instead of the mains. I have had a couple of dozen dead wasps in mine, quite possibly poisoned with insecticide (wasps nest in attic, twice).

If you have just bought the house, it's worth looking inside the header tank just in case.

 

[Tizer]

The main danger with this type of hot water tank is actually what is in the cold water header tank in the attic. Dead mice and such like have been found in them. This is why you aren't even supposed to clean your teeth in the bathroom if that tap runs from the header tank instead of the mains. I have had a couple of dozen dead wasps in mine, quite possibly poisoned with insecticide (wasps nest in attic, twice).

If you have just bought the house, it's worth looking inside the header tank just in case.

Most should have a lid on them, but often get left open and forgotten.

My water comes from a copper tank, not had any probs as i attempt to match the water temp every water change.