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question about tank treated with paraguard(sp?)

gpx1200

GPO
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Sep 1, 2012
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i am looking at a used tank right now that i want to setup for an octo and the owner said he had treated it for ich with paraguard, i am unfermilar with this product and he said that it does not contain copper. are their any special precautions i should take or should i definetly avoid this tank alltogeather wich i don't want to do becouse it's just what i'm looking for and it's right near me
 
I have never used Paraguard, or even heard of it, but after a little research:
Paraguard contains Malachite green, which is toxic to inverts. I'm not sure if the chemicals will stay with the tank. It is suggested not to use a tank that has been treated with copper, so it is my assumption not to use a tank treated with Malachite green either.
I would probably stay away from it, but I'll let someone else chime in.
What's so special about this particular tank?
 
i just called seachem tech suport and they said the it does not contain copper and that it totaly disapates in 24 hours.
if thech suport is contradicting their own website then i have no faith in either of them
 
couldn't find anything on the seachem website that says paraguard has copper but i found a post in the faq section that stated specificaly that it did not, it also stated that it could be compleetly removed by skimming, but im still not shure this tank would be conected to my mantis shrimp system shairing the same sump/water so i would know if it was toxic before i ever got an octo but i don't think i want to risk my 3 mantis shrimp either
i wonder if flushing with a muriotic acid or lye solution would help detoxify it, i use them bolth to recharge my di resin anyway so i know those can be washed away cleanly
 
i never questioned if it was toxic to inverts and cephs, i was questioning weather it can bond to a tank and give off harmfull residuals later like copper can and iv'e found nothing to indicate that. it was used in the tank for about a weak six months ago and the tank has housed corals and inverts along with the rocks that wer treated in the tank untill they wer moved to another tank and are still alive.
i just pict up the tank so i guess i'm going to find out for myself. the inside of the tank is coverd with coraline and iv'e read that the paraguard destroys coraline quickly so this is a good sighn to me that their is no residue left but i still intend to give the tank a masive cleaning and flushing out in my driveway with viniger and mabie some diluted muriotic acid before setup i might even set it up in my garadge and keep filling it with old waterchange water from my other tanks for a few months just in case
 
I suspect you will be OK if you sanitize the tank. People often think Malachite Green is copper based but from prior research on this chemical, my findings were that it does not contain copper (I have NOT researched ParaGuard - edit: much - I did end up seeing what RC and SeaChem had to say and no copper but did find the same name and copper in an IUD :wink: ). There is always a risk with a used tank but cleaning it as you have suggested (I'm kind of big on Clorox) and NOT using the filter media and substrate (including any LR) are going to be your best bet going forward.
 

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