I've been thinking about copper...

[thilbert]

The complex is a large molecule but to filter it out the question becomes how fine a filter medium do you need. Some type of millipore filter medium might work.

I agree; however DE filters can handle about 5 microns, what else can handle a better level of filtering and not cause pressure issues (obviously using only your pool equipment)

The main problem would most likely be cost since quite a lot would probably be required to filter a pool!

Cost is, to me, a deal breaker. I was looking for alternative methods to negate that factor. I think that, providing it works, that I can build this for a (relatively) small cost and it can be re-used.

[waterbear]

There are several other synthetic polymer filter media used in aquariums that will physically remove copper from the water by adsorbtion. Many of them can be regenerated and reused. How much would be needed to filter pool water is the question and some type of filter chamber would need to be built to hold the medium as the water flows through it. You might want to check out this link also

http://www.seachem.com/products/prod...CupriSorb.html

Even activated carbon has some binding abiity with copper ions and is what is usually used to remove copper from fish tanks although the synthetics have proven to be much more effective. I assume the main reason they are not used in pools is that many of them (activated carbon in particular) will also remove the chlorine--but then again most stain removers require that you drop your chlorine levels first anyway so it might be a moot point.

As you can tell I don't know a lot about electroplating but do know a lot about water filtration in aquariums!