I was going to buy a trace elements product this weekend, and found a SeaChem product that *seemed* to fit my needs. However, I was looking at the list of ingredients and to my surprise, discovered it contains Copper.

COPPER!?!?!

Now call me a complete idiot here, but isn't copper harmful? And even if added in miniscule trace amounts, won't that eventually contribute to DSB Toxicity?

Just curious.

If you do regular water changes with a good quality/reliable salt mix you won't need any additives.

OK... that will save me a few bucks.

But I would still love to hear a comment on the fact this product contains copper. Seems to go against everything I have been taught, and I want to understand this.

yes, Jeff, to a certain degree you are right...

the key here is the word "trace" copper is acceptable and needed in trace amounts in a natural reef, along with iron, silicon, lithium and barium just to name a few.

i dont want to complicate things by indicting you should be trying to dose these items, Renee is right on, that 9 out of 10 people really dont have much need for these added "trace element" products. as most high grade synthetic sea salts contain all you need and using them as part of your regular water changes will work wonders.

but again, such elements are found in trace amounts and anything more than that is can be problematic.

trace additives are only useful when you have the means to test for it.
It can become an act of futility or a pre-curser to concentration toxity levels curving with a step climb.
anyway. copper> they pull you up for speeding & unless you've got boobs, they pin you for it! haha,:unsure: ok copper> your crustations require trace amounts of copper consistantly for proper blood/oxygen circulation within their bodies. pretty much anything thats carbon based uses copper on some level as a catalyst to metabolism & growth. You'd be supprissed actually at how much is taken up by various species from both fresh & salt based levels, & more so from land based sources. proberbly the biggest user of copper in any given situation would be bactera, Once again, building blocks for growth.

Even more spun out is the ability of some aquatic fourna to process usable forms of organic copper into in-organic forms to deter or stunt the growth of a would-be aggressor. so you see, copper has its uses, its just the animals you keep determin usage, & as others have mentioned before, modern day salts should be more than balanced in this area.

thanks for the follow up Veriann, and its good to see yeah, haven't seen ya around much.. :)

Between work, family & kite surfing im not left with much time these days rob. I'll still pop in when i can. always home away from home in here.

kite surfing??? What's that?

getting pulled around by a huge modern day kite on land, sea or ice. feet strapped to a board. Im 95kg, & i have a 14ft kite, in the wind power zone it can pick me up like a rag doll no problems at all.
Fun & danger filled adventures a plenty.

go to naish.tv to get a taste of the sport

Cool! Sounds fun!

<---- Bungee fanatic who has jumped 56 times. Sounds like a rush.

Did you see that giant sling shot that throws you up and then you parachute down?

Nope. Never saw that.

I still have yet to parachute, but it's on the list of things to do. Harder to think about now that I have kids, though...

I you have pics odf the slingshot, it'd be interesting to see.

I just happened to see it on CNN the other day. Video Of The Day: Human Slingshot (http://www.wpxi.com/video/10726150/detail.html)

OK... that will save me a few bucks.

But I would still love to hear a comment on the fact this product contains copper. Seems to go against everything I have been taught, and I want to understand this.
Every element on the planet is found in both earth and water. In some quantities it is a trace element, in other quantaties it is a toxin. Everything has a place and a proper proportion.

blub my old friend, your thoughts are gold, & your words are like honey, come on....give us a kiss:whut: