*COPPERSAFE WARNING* along with Research on Hanna Instruments High Range Copper Checker

[4FordFamily]

I got mine! Thanks @HotRocks haha

 

[Big G]

I got mine! Thanks @HotRocks haha

 

[lagatbezan]

Whaaatttt...the Hanna kit is a digital kit that reads copper concentration??? It does Exist!!!
I had no idea!

 

[HotRocks]

Whaaatttt...the Hanna kit is a digital kit that reads copper concentration??? It does Exist!!!
I had no idea!

Yes, Hanna has yet to validate accuracy. But I have done some very preliminary testing with much success.

 

[Brew12]

Yes, Hanna has yet to validate accuracy. But I have done some very preliminary testing with much success.

Even if they won't certify it to their typical + or - 5% it still appears much more accurate than anything else a hobbyist can use.

 

[HotRocks]

I did do some additional testing this weekend. For those of you familiar with my coppersafe nightmare. I had done 50% water change in the middle of the nightmare with my last round of QT, no copper added back (QT remained above 2.5ppm after the WC). So, yesterday I got a new batch of fish in. 100% water change prior to, except for the HOB filter which I'd guess holds a couple gallons. So this am, I thought I'd check and see what copper I had left remaining in my system. Results again about where I would have expected based on the math. To the naked eye, after I added the reagent to the sample no visible change but low and behold. Hanna checker detected the trace amount.

So next step, I will be dosing this batch of fish with copper power. As I begin to ramp up copper I will test with Hanna checker on a daily basis and see if after my morning and evening doses the result is yeilding the expected target.

 

[HotRocks]

Even if they won't certify it to their typical + or - 5% it still appears much more accurate than anything else a hobbyist can use.

That is where I am at with it. Especially if my testing through ramping up the batch of fish I received yesterday follows suit. I will be comfortable using it regardless of what they say.

I am excited for @Big G and @drstardust to get their testers. With them and @4FordFamily it will make 4 of us that can contribute data. I don't see any reason why their results would differ from mine. The tester does have some strict instructions. But if followed correctly. It seems to be very accurate.

 

[Kyl]

Darn, if this is 100% then you have answered my prayers @HotRocks ! I've struggled with the API kit, at this point I have to blame my eyes, this would be a reefing QT game changer for me.

 

[HotRocks]

Darn, if this is 100% then you have answered my prayers @HotRocks ! I've struggled with the API kit, at this point I have to blame my eyes, this would be a reefing QT game changer for me.

I agree, I think there will be a whole lot of people riding in that same boat myself included. I don't necessarily struggle with the color cards but definitely second guess myself and nothing compares to an actual digital reading! Exciting stuff!

 

[4FordFamily]

Alright so we had a pow wow at my house. First, we tested another bottle of copper power, and arrived here:

+/- .05 is pretty close. That said, our measuring methods here at my home were slightly less accurate than @HotRocks due to us measuring a gallon in 16 cup measurements.

Then, we decided to measure my bottle of coppersafe, identified below:

Dosing exactly as the bottle reads should yield 1.12 or whatever, and here is what we got:

This is with a different Hanna checker and new bottles of copper power and copper safe.

Both results were tested via api test kit to verify, and they appeared spot on.

In short, coppersafe is nearly twice as potent as the bottle reads on my bottle.

Warning— you’ll need very accurate measuring practices to get this correct and there’s a 2-4 test learning curve. We measured in 1 gallon amounts.

I’m a believer both in Copper Power and in the Hanna Checker!!

 

[cmcoker]

In short, coppersafe is nearly twice a
Warning— you’ll need very accurate measuring practices to get this correct and there’s a 2-4 test learning curve. We measured in 1 gallon amounts.

I’m a believer both in Copper Power and in the Hanna Checker!!

We need a video of the test procedure, me thinks..

 

[Big G]

Alright so we had a pow wow at my house. First, we tested another bottle of copper power, and arrived here:

+/- .05 is pretty close. That said, our measuring methods here at my home were slightly less accurate than @HotRocks due to us measuring a gallon in 16 cup measurements.

Then, we decided to measure my bottle of coppersafe, identified below:

Dosing exactly as the bottle reads should yield 1.12 or whatever, and here is what we got:

This is with a different Hanna checker and new bottles of copper power and copper safe.

Both results were tested via api test kit to verify, and they appeared spot on.

In short, coppersafe is nearly twice as potent as the bottle reads on my bottle.

Warning— you’ll need very accurate measuring practices to get this correct and there’s a 2-4 test learning curve. We measured in 1 gallon amounts.

I’m a believer both in Copper Power and in the Hanna Checker!!

Well, it can't be more challenging than their URL Phosporus Checker test procedure. LOL

 

[HotRocks]

Alright so we had a pow wow at my house. First, we tested another bottle of copper power, and arrived here:

+/- .05 is pretty close. That said, our measuring methods here at my home were slightly less accurate than @HotRocks due to us measuring a gallon in 16 cup measurements.

Then, we decided to measure my bottle of coppersafe, identified below:

Dosing exactly as the bottle reads should yield 1.12 or whatever, and here is what we got:

This is with a different Hanna checker and new bottles of copper power and copper safe.

Both results were tested via api test kit to verify, and they appeared spot on.

In short, coppersafe is nearly twice as potent as the bottle reads on my bottle.

Warning— you’ll need very accurate measuring practices to get this correct and there’s a 2-4 test learning curve. We measured in 1 gallon amounts.

I’m a believer both in Copper Power and in the Hanna Checker!!

I think the key is to test larger volumes and accuracy will be closer. As when only dosing 1 gallon. 1 additional drop of copper, or using a 2 cup measuring cup to make up a gallon, leaves alot of room for error (I have been using a 5 gallon food grade transparent bucket marked with 1/2 gallon increments up to 4 gallons). 2-4 gallon test will probably get even more accurate. Then when dosing 10, 20, 40, 55 gallon QTs there is so much less room for error.

Tricks for the tester, mainly involve making sure the glass cuvette is super clean and dry, there are no bubbles stuck to the inside of the cuvette. Then there is a trick for cutting the little reagent packet and getting 100% of the powder into the tiny hole! That's what @4FordFamily speaks of!

 

[HotRocks]

We need a video of the test procedure, me thinks..

We can probably get that done!

 

[rkpetersen]

Tricks for the tester, mainly involve making sure the glass cuvette is super clean and dry, there are no bubbles stuck to the inside of the cuvette. Then there is a trick for cutting the little reagent packet and getting 100% of the powder into the tiny hole! That's what @4FordFamily speaks of!

Getting all of the powder into Hanna checker cuvettes can definitely be tricky. And you can't waste time doing it, either. I find these very helpful.

 

[drstardust]

We can probably get that done!

That would be awesome. My checker still hasn’t arrived but I’m hoping to use it soon! If it’s anything like the phosphate checker, it’s not hard to use, but not very intuitive, and an instructional video would be super helpful.

 

[4FordFamily]

I told @HotRocks today to do a video.

 

[HotRocks]

That would be awesome. My checker still hasn’t arrived but I’m hoping to use it soon! If it’s anything like the phosphate checker, it’s not hard to use, but not very intuitive, and an instructional video would be super helpful.

I have never made an "instructional" video of sort. So it may just be a cell phone sitting on a desk type thing. But I can at least show what I have figured out this far!

 

[Humblefish]

If this all pans out, I will be rewriting some stickies and changing my recommendations. I’ll also be ordering a Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter for myself. Thanks for challenging the status quo @HotRocks!!

 

[4FordFamily]

If this all pans out, I will be rewriting some stickies and changing my recommendations. I’ll also be ordering a Hanna High Range Copper Colorimeter for myself. Thanks for challenging the status quo @HotRocks!!

I believed before but after today I definitely believe! One thing I noticed about copper power is there that is no batch number or dates anywhere on the bottle. That said, all 3 we’ve tested were near spot on. Just something for the casual reader to know.

It probably matters little, since they seem to have a lot more quality control than coppersafe and we now have an accurate way to measure copper potency.