copper in water

[gomer]

I am thinking about trying copper blocks in a waterer.Where i work people use kilo solid copper blocks in water troughs for livestock,This kills any algae in the trough and stops the water from fouling.I was wondering if a solid smaller block of copper would have any ill effects on birds? How much if any copper would be absorbed into the water? Does the algae die from contact with the copper? Maybe its one to try in the goldfish pond.

[finchbreeder]

The old copper water tanks used to be eaten away by the corrosive elements in the water, and if you saw the insides of those tanks when they got changed you wouldn't want anything drinking it. I am not in the least surprised it kills alge what worries me is what else does it kill.
LML

[BENSONSAN]

Copper is poison i keep corals and own reef tanks and copper is used a parasitic drug. But i will kill your fish if you treat them for to long. Also u cannot use it in main tank as it will kill everything.

I wouldnt be game enough to use it on birds. Least not finches. Such small body weight dont think it would be any good. Could be wrong but i doubht it.

Ben

[Diane]

You are your own experiment. The water pipes in your house would more than likely be copper. The corrosive element in the water would be lime, this will attack the copper tanks. (Hubby is/was plumber)
What do they hold the water in for the livestock? If its galvanised that may have a different effect. Hubby reckons that would probably cause the galv to react. This is based on the fact he never joined copper pipe to galv pipe.

[gomer]

Most stock troughs around here are concrete or poly Diane.i know you can also buy copper sulphate for troughs as well.And your right about copper plumbing as it is in most houses,So we are drinking water stored in it,even if its for a short time.The link below that I found recommends we all run the tap for a few minutes before using the water for consumption.What a waste of water that would be.Also we all need a small amount of trace elements to be healthy.But I will not be running out and putting Kilo blocks in all the waterers for sure.I would like to put a small block in a waterer for a while, say a month. then get the water tested for copper content.Assuming it is a thing that can be tested easily.If not the cows will have clean free water and copper intake in the water and not a copper lick block.



http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water- ... -water.htm

[fincher]

gomer at work work we use the copper things in our fish pond theres a special device for it too ill try and get a picture of it tommorow and a website or somethen for you. they do work to some degree but youll never always get rid of algae think its called i-tronic or somethen like that but will get the details tomoz

thanks chris

[gomer]

Ok Chris,Will be good to see.

[Diane]

I remember reading up about water clarity when we were thinking of putting in a pond. Im sure I read somewhere about putting some straw in the water. Will have a look and see if I can find it again.

Edited
Well its not the exact page but there are several references to barley straw. Also found a South Australian Government paper for using it for livestock.
http://www.google.com.au/search?q=clean ... d=0CAcQpwU

http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/ ... pplies.pdf

[finchbreeder]

Hey Diane, my Dad was a master plumber and shot firer. House plumbing used to be all gal steel, then copper became the thing now many places are converting to flexiple plastic. All have varying degrees of substance shed. But who knows which are and are not harmful and in what quantities. Oops I just realized, the pipes my auto waterers use are all copper.
LML

[Diane]

Hey Diane, my Dad was a master plumber and shot firer

Seems like we have things in common.

House plumbing used to be all gal steel, then copper became the thing now many places are converting to flexiple plastic. All have varying degrees of substance shed

Thats right....case of choose your poison!

i know you can also buy copper sulphate for troughs as well

I read on one of the links that the copper sulphate is poisonous.
Again from the pond research......it said concrete can leach stuff too.