Help me read my copersafe levels

[zheka757]

I have a 20g tall tank for quarantine, acording to bottle im adding 5ml for every 4 gallons of water, so i added 25ml of copersafe (liquid). with hanna checker it reads 1.92 i added 5 more ml of liquid and it still reads 1.92 added 5 more ml. and tested next day. im at 1.92 Im afraid to overdose, hanna regants of coppersafe by frits is not to expire untill next year.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have a 20g tall tank for quarantine, acording to bottle im adding 5ml for every 4 gallons of water, so i added 25ml of copersafe (liquid). with hanna checker it reads 1.92 i added 5 more ml of liquid and it still reads 1.92 added 5 more ml. and tested next day. im at 1.92 Im afraid to overdose, hanna regants of coppersafe by frits is not to expire untill next year.

Stop and assure you are doing Hanna test correctly. Also take a water sample to an LFS that can do a copper test for you and have them verify reading. It
Assure you shake the copper solution well before application and assure it isnt expired

 

[zheka757]

Stop and assure you are doing Hanna test correctly. Also take a water sample to an LFS that can do a copper test for you and have them verify reading. It
Assure you shake the copper solution well before application and assure it isnt expired

Yes, doing test correctly, and nothing is expired.

 

[zheka757]

Same stuff I used on 75g tank, about 6 month ago. And when I did apply same amounts 5ml/4gallons. I remember I was in 2.25 range in my readings

 

[vetteguy53081]

Same stuff I used on 75g tank, about 6 month ago. And when I did apply same amounts 5ml/4gallons. I remember I was in 2.25 range in my readings

My suspicion is the test kit
I highly recommend contacting manufacturer for possible replacement or at minimum borrow a test from a local and see if same reading
Assure vials are spit free and clean or you’ll get a false reading Every time

 

[MnFish1]

Yes, doing test correctly, and nothing is expired.

The way you described it, unless you have something in your tank thats actively removing copper - like carbon or some other filter method, something is wrong with your copper dose or your copper measurements. So - I agree - it's a good idea for you to stop. PS - I would suggest you do a 'test test' on RODI water or a 1:3 dilution of your tank water to see if the numbers change

 

[zheka757]

The way you described it, unless you have something in your tank thats actively removing copper - like carbon or some other filter method, something is wrong with your copper dose or your copper measurements. So - I agree - it's a good idea for you to stop. PS - I would suggest you do a 'test test' on RODI water or a 1:3 dilution of your tank water to see if the numbers change

Can you elaborate on "test test"
I want to prepare a 5g bucket full of water for a water change. And I'll measure exactly how much copper safe it will take to get to 2.5 lvl.
But I want to hear your idea in a little more detail

 

[zheka757]

It it helps I'm also dosing microbactor to seed tank

 

[MnFish1]

Can you elaborate on "test test"
I want to prepare a 5g bucket full of water for a water change. And I'll measure exactly how much copper safe it will take to get to 2.5 lvl.
But I want to hear your idea in a little more detail

What I was talking about was - the OP had a couple results that were the same number (the way I read it) - so one way to determine whether the test is at least partially accurate is to take different dilutions and measure. If for example a 1:3 dilution results in a number 1/3 of the original, and a 0 copper sample (RODI) has 0 copper - it suggests that perhaps the copper test itself is not the issue. Hope this makes sense

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

I have a 20g tall tank for quarantine, acording to bottle im adding 5ml for every 4 gallons of water, so i added 25ml of copersafe (liquid). with hanna checker it reads 1.92 i added 5 more ml of liquid and it still reads 1.92 added 5 more ml. and tested next day. im at 1.92 Im afraid to overdose, hanna regants of coppersafe by frits is not to expire untill next year.

That's odd. Even without adding more copper, it is unusual to get EXACTLY the same reading on a Hanna checker with multiple tests, much less after two more additions.

I agree with @vetteguy53081 - don't add any more coppersafe until you've figured out the issue. One trick I use is to mix up five gallons of new seawater and add exactly 5 ml of coppersafe to it (using a pipette or syringe). Then, aerate it for an hour or so and run the Hanna test on that. You should be at 2.25 ppm. If not, there is indeed a problem. If it tests out o.k., you can then use that water to do a water change.

 

[zheka757]

That's odd. Even without adding more copper, it is unusual to get EXACTLY the same reading on a Hanna checker with multiple tests, much less after two more additions.

I agree with @vetteguy53081 - don't add any more coppersafe until you've figured out the issue. One trick I use is to mix up five gallons of new seawater and add exactly 5 ml of coppersafe to it (using a pipette or syringe). Then, aerate it for an hour or so and run the Hanna test on that. You should be at 2.25 ppm. If not, there is indeed a problem. If it tests out o.k., you can then use that water to do a water change.

thats what i was thinking to do, only instructions says 5ml for every 4 gallons on th bottle i got.
also i dont know it it was bad coinsidentce, but later on i tested quarantine tank water again , and it did show 2.09.
is it a thing with copersafe, after it being open it loses its strenth? with that i need to increase the dose to reach the level?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

thats what i was thinking to do, only instructions says 5ml for every 4 gallons on th bottle i got.
also i dont know it it was bad coinsidentce, but later on i tested quarantine tank water again , and it did show 2.09.
is it a thing with copersafe, after it being open it loses its strenth? with that i need to increase the dose to reach the level?

Sorry - you're right. I meant dose it exactly like the bottle says.

I hate that about coppersafe - it would be a simple matter for them to make a solution that is used at 5 ml per five gallons (grin).

I've not had Coppersafe lose strength in a bottle, but it WILL lose strength in a tank if there is anything calcium based in the water - sand, coral rocks, etc. as it will bind with that material to some degree.

 

[zheka757]

Sorry - you're right. I meant dose it exactly like the bottle says.

I hate that about coppersafe - it would be a simple matter for them to make a solution that is used at 5 ml per five gallons (grin).

I've not had Coppersafe lose strength in a bottle, but it WILL lose strength in a tank if there is anything calcium based in the water - sand, coral rocks, etc. as it will bind with that material to some degree.

Yeah, I'll definitely do that today-tomorrow,
I was planning on doing it yesterday, but I tested water for ammonia and I had none, so I'll let water change go for another day or 2.

 

[zheka757]

so 6ml of coppersafe in true 5 gallons of water i get 2.32 copper lvl insruction is 5ml per 4 gallons. i used syringe to messure 6ml.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

so 6ml of coppersafe in true 5 gallons of water i get 2.32 copper lvl insruction is 5ml per 4 gallons. i used syringe to messure 6ml.

That is almost exactly spot on (if my math is correct) - 6.25 ml in 5 gallons would be a full dose.