Help with Copper Power

[Striket85]

So I've been trying to get a 2.0-2.5 ppm with copper power and am becoming overly annoyed. I started about 5 days ago and over the course of the last 5 days and about 5 20-50% water changes to try to get some stability, I'm almost done with this crap. Last night I measured 1.44 ppm with my Copper HR Hanna checker. Added .2 ML to bring it up to 1.75. Measured at 11pm which was 3 and a half hours later and it was at 1.7, yay! This morning I measured it and it was at 1.56. Okay, w/e, so I added 3.5 ML to bring it up to 2. Measure it an hour and a half later and the Hanna checker is reading 5.00 and flashing. I'm seeing HUGE fluctuations. I'm using 2 different calculators online, they both agree with the dosing. Tank is the Fluval 13.5. How can 3.5 ML bring it from 1.56 to unreadable? What am I missing here? I'm using every bit of the reagent provided every time. I'm very precise with it. Any tips? Also, how long can a clownfish survive in high copper?

 

[dwest]

So I've been trying to get a 2.0-2.5 ppm with copper power and am becoming overly annoyed. I started about 5 days ago and over the course of the last 5 days and about 5 20-50% water changes to try to get some stability, I'm almost done with this crap. Last night I measured 1.44 ppm with my Copper HR Hanna checker. Added .2 ML to bring it up to 1.75. Measured at 11pm which was 3 and a half hours later and it was at 1.7, yay! This morning I measured it and it was at 1.56. Okay, w/e, so I added 3.5 ML to bring it up to 2. Measure it an hour and a half later and the Hanna checker is reading 5.00 and flashing. I'm seeing HUGE fluctuations. I'm using 2 different calculators online, they both agree with the dosing. Tank is the Fluval 13.5. How can 3.5 ML bring it from 1.56 to unreadable? What am I missing here? I'm using every bit of the reagent provided every time. I'm very precise with it. Any tips? Also, how long can a clownfish survive in high copper?

I question your test results. I would call and talk with Hanna.

IME clownfish will stop eating in copper that’s too high.

 

[Striket85]

I question your test results. I would call and talk with Hanna.

IME clownfish will stop eating in copper that’s too high.

Gotcha. Like I can see a very large noticeable difference in color between this morning and after I added 3.5 ML of copper power... it went from a very light hue of purple to very dark purple...

 

[Striket85]

I question your test results. I would call and talk with Hanna.

IME clownfish will stop eating in copper that’s too high.

I just did about a 2.5 gallon water change in an attempt to bring the copper down a bit. I don't wanna bring it down to below therapeutic but I'm getting very annoyed that I can't just add the copper power per the calculators instructions and it add up.

 

[LeftyReefer]

using 1.5ML per gallon, will get you pretty close to 2.5ppm copper power.

If you don't trust the results you are getting on your hanna checker, then put the fish in a bucket, empty the QT tank and then refill, with a known amount of water.... add 1.5 ML of copper per per gallon.

if you do that, you will be pretty close to 2.5 ppm. add the fish back.

 

[LeftyReefer]

Do you have anything in the tank that would absorb copper? any live rock, sand, rubble, etc..?

Any copper/metal absorbing filter pads? polyfilters, carbon, etc...? those can also absorb copper and mess with the levels.

 

[Striket85]

using 1.5ML per gallon, will get you pretty close to 2.5ppm copper power.

If you don't trust the results you are getting on your hanna checker, then put the fish in a bucket, empty the QT tank and then refill, with a known amount of water.... add 1.5 ML of copper per per gallon.

if you do that, you will be pretty close to 2.5 ppm. add the fish back.

That is totally an option and I might go that route. I'll give it an hour to circulate after my water change and if it's not where I want it to be, I'll do that... I can't help but feel sympathy for this poor fish, it's like going through the gas chamber with the marines every other day lol

 

[Striket85]

Do you have anything in the tank that would absorb copper? any live rock, sand, rubble, etc..?

All I had was the bio things that came with the tank. I added a sponge filter from my DT and removed the carbon that came with the tank. I just removed the bio filtration in the event it's been absorbing or releasing the copper erratically.

 

[Striket85]

All I had was the bio things that came with the tank. I added a sponge filter from my DT and removed the carbon that came with the tank. I just removed the bio filtration in the event it's been absorbing or releasing the copper erratically.

But no, just a couple PVC fittings and an air stone

 

[vetteguy53081]

So I've been trying to get a 2.0-2.5 ppm with copper power and am becoming overly annoyed. I started about 5 days ago and over the course of the last 5 days and about 5 20-50% water changes to try to get some stability, I'm almost done with this crap. Last night I measured 1.44 ppm with my Copper HR Hanna checker. Added .2 ML to bring it up to 1.75. Measured at 11pm which was 3 and a half hours later and it was at 1.7, yay! This morning I measured it and it was at 1.56. Okay, w/e, so I added 3.5 ML to bring it up to 2. Measure it an hour and a half later and the Hanna checker is reading 5.00 and flashing. I'm seeing HUGE fluctuations. I'm using 2 different calculators online, they both agree with the dosing. Tank is the Fluval 13.5. How can 3.5 ML bring it from 1.56 to unreadable? What am I missing here? I'm using every bit of the reagent provided every time. I'm very precise with it. Any tips? Also, how long can a clownfish survive in high copper?

Over 5 days? You want to build 2.5 within 24 hrs and remove carbon and other resins and run therapeutic level for a full 30 days
If you’re using api copper, that may be your issue
Hanna is a better choice for monitoring

 

[Striket85]

Over 5 days? You want to build 2.5 within 24 hrs and remove carbon and other resins and run therapeutic level for a full 30 days
If you’re using api copper, that may be your issue
Hanna is a better choice for monitoring

I was following Humblefish's QT process. I never had carbon in the tank. I'm using Copper Power which I was told was the best way to do it and I am using a Hanna Checker.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I was following Humblefish's QT process. I never had carbon in the tank. I'm using Copper Power which I was told was the best way to do it and I am using a Hanna Checker.

1.475 mL per gallon = 2.5 ppm.

 

[threebuoys]

All I had was the bio things that came with the tank. I added a sponge filter from my DT and removed the carbon that came with the tank. I just removed the bio filtration in the event it's been absorbing or releasing the copper erratically.

What "bio things came with the tank?

If you are properly conducting the test, you will not see the concentration drop as quickly as you describe unless you have something in the tank that absorbs copper. Anything with a calcareous (calcium) base will absorb copper. Some more quickly than others.

If you know the number of gallons of water and if you test accurately, you should be able to calculate the exact amount of Copper Power in the tank, and if you trust your algebra you should be able to easily calculate what you need to do to achieve the 2.5 ppm target.



Some have problems correctly using the Hanna checker. First, some have issues getting all of the powder reagent out of the envelope an into the cuvette. Some have problems getting exactly 10 ml of water into the cuvette. Some don't wash and rinse the cuvette thoroughly between uses. Finally, some do not get both cuvettes wiped down carefully on the outside before placing them in the checker.

If you don't have any idea where your problem is, I suugest you try a couple of things.

First, run a test after the tank has been stable for an hour or so. Then, an hour later run the test again. Hanna says the accuracy for the kit is +/- .05 ppm. If you see more than that, I would be suspicious of your process, or less like a flaw in the device.

Second, when the tank is stable, run a baseline test, run a second test in 12 hours and perhaps a third test at the end of 24 hours. If the concentration diminishes, then you should expect something in the tank is absorbing the copper.

 

[Striket85]

What "bio things came with the tank?

If you are properly conducting the test, you will not see the concentration drop as quickly as you describe unless you have something in the tank that absorbs copper. Anything with a calcareous (calcium) base will absorb copper. Some more quickly than others.

If you know the number of gallons of water and if you test accurately, you should be able to calculate the exact amount of Copper Power in the tank, and if you trust your algebra you should be able to easily calculate what you need to do to achieve the 2.5 ppm target.



Some have problems correctly using the Hanna checker. First, some have issues getting all of the powder reagent out of the envelope an into the cuvette. Some have problems getting exactly 10 ml of water into the cuvette. Some don't wash and rinse the cuvette thoroughly between uses. Finally, some do not get both cuvettes wiped down carefully on the outside before placing them in the checker.

If you don't have any idea where your problem is, I suugest you try a couple of things.

First, run a test after the tank has been stable for an hour or so. Then, an hour later run the test again. Hanna says the accuracy for the kit is +/- .05 ppm. If you see more than that, I would be suspicious of your process, or less like a flaw in the device.

Second, when the tank is stable, run a baseline test, run a second test in 12 hours and perhaps a third test at the end of 24 hours. If the concentration diminishes, then you should expect something in the tank is absorbing the copper.

I'm fairly sure I figured out my issue. About half of the time, the syringe I use to add the copper power to the tank wasn't not thoroughly rinsed before using it to extract the water from the tank to put into the hanna tube. I used a clean syringe and kept it separate and it seems to make sense now. I found a similar thread here on reef2reef with the same problems and he was doing the same thing. I've gotten it stable at 2.5ppm now so hurray! I will tell you though, I feel like a drug lord every time I test, and I can't say I hate it. I feel powerful