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

[Willy315]

Another update with a different batch #0467FID101 - 1ml > 1 gallon > 1.89ppm

I was pretty close to the same with my bottle. 1ml/gal = 1.80
Honestly I'm ok with still using Coppersafe, I just know that I need to test each bottle before using. In my opinion, there are many products in this hobby that need tested each time you use them, salt being one of the big ones.
For those that don't see this thread, the 5ml/4gal directions will be quite a bit high...

 

[Willy315]

Forgot the batch number 2616FID101

 

[HotRocks]

I was pretty close to the same with my bottle. 1ml/gal = 1.80
Honestly I'm ok with still using Coppersafe, I just know that I need to test each bottle before using. In my opinion, there are many products in this hobby that need tested each time you use them, salt being one of the big ones.
For those that don't see this thread, the 5ml/4gal directions will be quite a bit high...

I agree that it can still be used. It is just annoying that you have to adjust your dosing every single time you change bottles. Copper power is not that way. Same bottle after bottle...

 

[Kyl]

I have to say, this checker continues to impress - it's the bees knees. While I have burned through about 10 reagents so far on the current QT tanks, the first is steady at 1.75ppm, the second just hit 1.71ppm this evening. Almost exactly as the formula I've figured for the current Coppersafe strength to be. The only thing I need to do is keep track of strength degradation and plan to do the first tank every two days for a week or so to see if there's any trend. The second I'll mimic what I'm doing to the first, it should work out perfectly.

Though I've lost a batch of fish in the first tank, I have to think it was a result of velvet and a lax ramp up that didn't observationally catch it in time. The three remaining fish are doing great after being therapeutic for about four days, eating and swimming like nothing is up. So, I would say anyone on the fence about the checker, even if you can distinguish the colour kits fairly well, there is no comparing a colourimeter versus the human eye - we lose every time.

Again thanks @HotRocks for pushing this thread, and @Hanna Instruments for not dismissing things, but instead validating hobbyist findings. Hopefully this saves people time, money and most importantly avoids having fish flushed that could have otherwise survived if not being over-dosed with copper.

 

[Hanna Instruments]

@Hanna Instruments Does your Low Range Copper Colorimeter (HI747) work with saltwater??

We cannot confirm the HI747 Low Range Copper Checker for use in seawater at this time. Only the HI702 High Range Copper Checker.

 

[Sleepydoc]

BRS now has the Hanna high range copper checker in stock!

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Get your HI702 Copper Checkers today from @Bulk Reef Supply
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/copp...er-hi702-hanna-checker-hanna-instruments.html

 

[Brew12]

My Hanna tester came in yesterday. So, I mixed up a gallon with an old bottle of Coppersafe and tested it.

I suspect the reason I didn’t hit 1.17ppm like I expected was measuring error due to the small volumes I was working with.

 

[HotRocks]

My Hanna tester came in yesterday. So, I mixed up a gallon with an old bottle of Coppersafe and tested it.

I suspect the reason I didn’t hit 1.17ppm like I expected was measuring error due to the small volumes I was working with.

Confirmation that they definitely have changed the formula. Which we all suspected. Why they won't admit it is unbeknownst to me...

 

[Brew12]

Confirmation that they definitely have changed the formula. Which we all suspected. Why they won't admit it is unbeknownst to me...

It may not have been intentional.

 

[HotRocks]

It may not have been intentional.

Very true, but seriously, over double the potency consistently. My one bottle that reads 3.0ppm. QC measures definitely could use improvement.

 

[BrewPug]

I'm so glad that I saw this thread. I have two new fish in QT and planned to use the Coppersafe that I already have, but to do so by using a good bit less than called for until I was able to test levels. I still almost screwed up.

I have a 10 gallon QT. I dosed 3ml on day one and another 3ml on day two, at which point I tested with the Hanna checker. The level was roughly double what I expected -- 1.4 ppm. After checking my Coppersafe bottle, I saw that it was indeed the same lot number others have mentioned above (# 2616FID101). At least I had the heads-up from this thread to check the levels carefully rather than just go by the bottle directions. Now I can finish ramping up to therapeutic levels without blowing the values through the roof.

Thanks a lot folks! Great information in this thread.

 

[falconut]

A big thanks to everybody here. I picked up this Hanna copper checker today at RAP. Apparently I had my levels low, 1st tank was 0.28 & 2nd tank was 0.25, both using cupramine. So, I'm going to raise to correct levels.

One question I have is about the reading. The checker is ppm & the cupramine levels are listed in mg/l. Is this the same or do I need to do a conversion?

 

[Brew12]

A big thanks to everybody here. I picked up this Hanna copper checker today at RAP. Apparently I had my levels low, 1st tank was 0.28 & 2nd tank was 0.25, both using cupramine. So, I'm going to raise to correct levels.

One question I have is about the reading. The checker is ppm & the cupramine levels are listed in mg/l. Is this the same or do I need to do a conversion?

mg/l is the same as PPM so no conversion needed.

 

[falconut]

mg/l is the same as PPM so no conversion needed.

Great thanks. That's what I thought but wanted to be sure.

 

[HotRocks]

A big thanks to everybody here. I picked up this Hanna copper checker today at RAP. Apparently I had my levels low, 1st tank was 0.28 & 2nd tank was 0.25, both using cupramine. So, I'm going to raise to correct levels.

One question I have is about the reading. The checker is ppm & the cupramine levels are listed in mg/l. Is this the same or do I need to do a conversion?

That is the same thing. .5ppm is target.

Did you read instructions carefully? It requires two doses to reach the level, to which we recommend splitting up into more than two doses to "ramp up" slowly.

 

[falconut]

Yes, my situation is more complicated. As I have rock in one tank and rock & sand in the other. I'm in the raising level stage, so it was a great time to get this tester. It just shows how off my eyes where looking at the seachem test. I thought I had them both close to 0.4-0.45.

I actually try to dose 0.08 each dose, like twice a day.

 

[Manics1]

Falconut
I'm in the same situation as you, dosing Cupramine to a tank with sand and rock and trying to match the blues, l'm about to order the Hanna meter. How much Cupramine have you had to dosed so far to get to your current level?
According to the instructions l should have had to dose 18ml over 48hours to get to 0.5, due to the sand and rock l've dosed 40ml and l reckon l'm not far off the target.

 

[Sleepydoc]

Falconut
I'm in the same situation as you, dosing Cupramine to a tank with sand and rock and trying to match the blues, l'm about to order the Hanna meter. How much Cupramine have you had to dosed so far to get to your current level?
According to the instructions l should have had to dose 18ml over 48hours to get to 0.5, due to the sand and rock l've dosed 40ml and l reckon l'm not far off the target.

I would just order a Hanna Checker. I dosed cupramine for years and I think the Seachem test is probably the easiest one out there, but I was still off when i got a Hanna checker and compared. Not by much, but enough to make a difference.

The Hanna Cu checker really is a game changer for dosing Cu. As much as the phosphate checker was, only more so. Just like Phosphate tests, the copper tests depend on distinguishing between subtle shades of blue, except with Cu it can mean the difference between therapeutic and non therapeutic, or toxic va nontoxic levels.

 

[falconut]

Falconut
I'm in the same situation as you, dosing Cupramine to a tank with sand and rock and trying to match the blues, l'm about to order the Hanna meter. How much Cupramine have you had to dosed so far to get to your current level?
According to the instructions l should have had to dose 18ml over 48hours to get to 0.5, due to the sand and rock l've dosed 40ml and l reckon l'm not far off the target.

My 180 has about 200 gallons, sand & rock. From my calcs it should take 38mL to get to 0.5, but I had 72 mL when the hanna read 0.28.