82 CORAL
AMAZONAS
97Poly-Filter® has rescued tens of thousands of freshwater, brackish, saltwater and reef aquaria during the past
Thirty-Five years. During December 2011 alone we received ten emails, from experienced reef aquarists, all
asking about the blue coloration adsorbed into Poly-Filter®. These long term, reef aquarists had not been
previously using Poly-Filter®. Instead they had chosen: activated carbon, activated carbon and ion exchange
resins, macro reticulated styrene adsorbents and other sorbent media. However, when problems with the
corals developed each had decided these other filtration products didn’t work. Maybe a Poly-Filter® would
solve the problem?
The unique, Patented color change in Poly-Filter® appeared to indicate
copper being adsorbed. How could this happen? Each of these
aquarists had been treating tap water using low pressure reverse
osmosis and mix bed deionization. We explained that if the
mixed bed D. I. resins failed copper would certainly enter the
aquaria. Could ten very experienced reef aquarists, all having
mix bed resins fail? It is certainly possible, low pressure reverse
osmosis will bypass sufficient copper that it would negatively
impact corals. However, we suspected additional copper and
other heavy metals, so inquiry was made about amount, frequency
and types of water treatments and/or coral “additives“ being
used. Every reef aquarist had been dosing: calcium, magnesium,
strontium, iodine /iodide, carbonates and trace elements. Would
copper, iron, lead be trace contaminates found in these additives?
It is a scientific fact that lead is the major contaminate in all
calcium compounds! Iron is another almost a universal contaminate.
Copper may have entered aquaria as a trace contaminate found
in the trace elements or other coral additives? However when
Poly-Filter® adsorbed the copper it would also adsorbed: iron,
lead, excess heavy metals, dissolved organics, phosphates, volatile
organic chemicals, pesticides and any biotoxins. Water quality was
corrected, aquarists reduced the amount of additives and the clarity
of their aquaria greatly increased. Coral health and growth problems
solved! Poly-Filter® adsorbed 31.97% of 718.95 micrograms per liter
ionic copper @ 14.307 liters per minute within seventeen seconds.
Activated carbon/resins (283 grams) adsorbed only 20% of the 718.95
micrograms per liter of copper but needed
30 seconds. Zeolite resin adsorbed 14.5% of the 718.95 micrograms per liter of copper within
17 seconds. Poly-Filter ® also adsorbed 61.8% of 211 micrograms per liter within 60 seconds at 14.307 liters
per minute out of saltwater. Poly-Filter® adsorbed 46.4 % of 1570.2 micrograms per liter of chelated copper
@ 14.307 liters per minute within 14 minutes. A strong chelating resin (1000 ml.) could only adsorb 13.03 % of
1570 micrograms per liter @ 14.307 liters per minute within 14 minutes.