Almost killed a nerite

[mtnmonster]

I put a nerite in a 5 gallon betta tank to help with some algae and at first the snail was active but after a few days I notthe algae getting worse and the snail was really not doing much but still alive. 

Water parameters were identical to the tank he came from but something just didn't seem right. I noticed a few stones I had for decoration had some green coloring to it and some metal flake.  I took them out, took a water sample and did a water change. 

I took the stones and the water sample to a geologist I know and he ran some tests. Sure enough it was copper ore and there was copper in the water.

The snail is much better now. Took a couple days but its back to normal. I found those stones years ago in a creek while hiking. I've had them with fish in the past and never had trouble so I thought it would be OK. 

Moral of the story: becareful of what you use as decorations especially if you are unsure of the composition. Hope this helps someone.

[Streetwise]

Copper was a popular ingredient in anti-fouling paints for boat bottoms. It is effective with algae and other growth, but is now frowned upon, and prohibited in most bodies of water.