Copper fittings with aquarium piping.

[ibr3ak]

I'd like to use a copper elbow on the clear plastic hose going in and out of the canister filter, my question is, could I use copper in a fish tank without any water problems? Both pieces will be outside, but the water will be passing through them.

This is a pic of the elbow I'm talking about:

http://my.ecplaza.net/yscopper/2.jpg

[Sploke]

All the water in my house runs through copper pipes and I've never had a problem.

[ibr3ak]

All the water in my house runs through copper pipes and I've never had a problem.

Yea some water piping in my house is copper aside from pvc, but I thought it needed to be filtered of copper to be used in a fish tank.

The only reason I'm thinking of using these is because I have a chitload of copper fittings and no pvc.

[Sploke]

Well, I use straight tap water into my tanks without issue. There isn't a hardware store anywhere nearby? A PVC elbow costs like 30 cents.

[ibr3ak]

There's HD and Lowes but neither of them have smaller fittings, the smallest is 1 1/4", I could check a few plumping supply shops, but if I could use what I have I'd rather save the money.

Did some googling and found this site:
http://www.aquariumsforcondos.com/DesignEngineering.html

alot of their plumbing is done with copper pipes, so I think I'll just go ahead and use the elbows.

Thanks for the quick replies sploke, really appreciate them. :)

If anyone else has something to say please share.

[Sploke]

It will probably be fine, I just get paranoid about joining non-like materials due to potential leakage issues.

[OldMan47]

It should be OK if you only have fish. If you have snails, shrimp or other inverts, the little bit of copper that will end up in the water should completely eliminate the invert population. The best part is that its very hard to get rid of the copper in the tank once it gets in there so it will go on controlling all the inverts you put in the tank.
I'd avoid copper in the circulation path like the plague. My water comes in the house in copper but its not a long term exposure that gives it a chance to dissolve. I like my ghost shrimp and my mystery snails. Even if I didn't have them I would not want to remove it ever being an option.

[mphunk]

A home depot doesn't have a 3/4" pvc elbow?

Wow.

[duke33]

Try and stick with cpvc, lowes has it. look in a different section.

[Rbishop]

There is a diffenence between short term exposure to copper and long term.

Having copper fittings/piping in your house isn't a big deal. By the time you flush and bring to temp the water, what minute copper may be there is gone.

However, having it in your filtration lines to a closed system such as your tank, can give issue for later on for inverts.

[jones57742]

I'd like to use a copper elbow on the clear plastic hose going in and out of the canister filter, my question is, could I use copper in a fish tank without any water problems? Both pieces will be outside, but the water will be passing through them.
ibr:

Per previous posts the copper will probably work with PVC pipes but
"why are we even discussing this issue"?

The cost of a 90D PVC bend is nothing and if for some reason (which neither you nor I can anticipate) the copper elbow becomes sacrificial .....!

TR

[Bk718]

issue is availability.. not trying to save a buck..

http://www.petsolutions.com/+Qpvc.aspx

[wackydan]

It will probably be fine, I just get paranoid about joining non-like materials due to potential leakage issues.

And there you have the # 1 concern.

I wouldn't do it... They are not meant to be joined.

[ibr3ak]

The leakage is not really a concern, it is a pretty tight fit, clamped and tightened by stainless steel clamps.

Either way, I've stopped at Lowes today and picked up a bunch of 3/4" pvc fittings with a 1/2" pipe (yes Home Depot did not have anything smaller than 1-1/4"). The intake and output nozzle are already made, I'll post pics of everything when I paint it.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

[PDX-PLT]

There is a diffenence between short term exposure to copper and long term.

Having copper fittings/piping in your house isn't a big deal. By the time you flush and bring to temp the water, what minute copper may be there is gone.

However, having it in your filtration lines to a closed system such as your tank, can give issue for later on for inverts.

Yep, especially if the pH is below 7 (acidic).

[Cory Keeper]

Yeah, I avoid metal unless its on the outside, Even more so with copper, I wouldn't want to kill my snails now would I?

[Bk718]

Not everyone has inverts in their tanks :X

[leoslizards]

Not everyone has inverts in their tanks :X

True but if you want to add some later on the road or decide to convert your tank into a shrimp breeding tank your pretty much out of luck. I think the glass and silicone absorb the copper making the tank useless for inverts. I always ask if copper or copper based meds have ever been used before I buy any used aquariums.

[Plecosterone]

Now that would be a good experiment for those that hate snails. Put one elbow on and see if it really will kill all the snails. Perfect for those that NEVER want snails or any inverts again. I personally doubt that one fitting on a tank bigger than 25 gallons would kill anything, but I have been known to be wrong....:grinyes: