Does cloudy water screw up the results? (Hanna copper)

[jsvand5]

Quarantining a new convict tang. Prior to introducing it the cupramine level in the tank was .45. I did a 50% water change prior to putting the tang in. I am feeding nori heavily to get some weight on it which is making the water cloudy. I checked the copper lever and it now said .53. Did another water change and it still stayed over .5. I’m assuming the cloudy water makes the Hanna checker useless?

 

[Billldg]

No, that's the reason why you have to take 2 measurements, the measurement before gives it a baseline for the 2nd reading. U need to clean the vials after every use. Trust me, I know. U can use their cleaner or a micro fiber cloth. I clean the inside with a pipe brush and wipe down the outside with their cleaner after every use and they have been accurate since.

 

[jsvand5]

No, that's the reason why you have to take 2 measurements, the measurement before gives it a baseline for the 2nd reading. U need to clean the vials after every use. Trust me, I know. U can use their cleaner or a micro fiber cloth. I clean the inside with a pipe brush and wipe down the outside with their cleaner after every use and they have been accurate since.

Something is definitely messing it up. The vials are spotless. I clean them very well and dry them after every test.

 

[jsvand5]

Just checked it again and it now says .62. Guess I’ll have to switch back to the seachem kit for this fish since it’s eating almost exclusively nori. The water after I add the reagent and shake is almost not pink at all so I’m sure there is very little copper in the water. I usually feel like I can get pretty close to predicting the copper level just based on how dark pink the water is before testing it.

 

[Reefahholic]

Just checked it again and it now says .62. Guess I’ll have to switch back to the seachem kit for this fish since it’s eating almost exclusively nori. The water after I add the reagent and shake is almost not pink at all so I’m sure there is very little copper in the water. I usually feel like I can get pretty close to predicting the copper level just based on how dark pink the water is before testing it.

What is the expiration on that bottle?

I’d chunk it and get some Copper Power. It’s so accurate and every time I dose it....it’s spot on.

 

[jsvand5]

This morning I just checked tap water and it came up at 0.0 so it’s not anything to do with the cleanliness of the vials. The checker was working fine for other fish I’ve QTd but I wasn’t feeding nori so water stayed clear. I did another 50% waterchange this morning and the checker still says. .53. I’m just giving up on the checker for the round.

 

[Smo]

One of the early mistakes I made when using the Hana tester was using the same syringe to fill the vial as I used to dose Cu. Even though it was thoroughly rinsed there was enough residue to throw off the test. Be sure there are no smudges on the vial and any bubbles have settled out. I set the tester on a counter top to take the readings.

 

[jsvand5]

One of the early mistakes I made when using the Hana tester was using the same syringe to fill the vial as I used to dose Cu. Even though it was thoroughly rinsed there was enough residue to throw off the test. Be sure there are no smudges on the vial and any bubbles have settled out. I set the tester on a counter top to take the readings.

I definitely don’t use the same syringe. It’s not my technique. If it was I would have got a reading when I did the test on tap water.