Dosing Cupramine

[ledford1]

Is it me, or is testing for copper an excruciating experience?

I have a Blue Tang in quarantine. She shows signs of Ich and I'm dosing with Cupramine.

I have followed the instructions for dosing on the bottle. But with the Seachem copper test kit, I still don't detect the slightest amount of copper.

How horrible is this kit? How could Seachem make it any more frustrating. You use some elctrostatic rod to collect the appropriate amount of reagent. Yet, IME, each dip of the rod bears a different amount of reagent - sometimes you pick up a lot of powder and sometimes get pick up only a little. How can that be accurate?

On one hand, I want to dose more copper, but on the other hand, what if there is plenty of copper but I'm getting a bad reading?

The test kit says 75 tests. I have tested 4 times and used half of reagent 1.

What a way to spend $30.

I'm sorry. This is half rant and half a request for help.

Am I alone with this type of experience with the Seachem copper test kit?

What can I do to ensure proper dosage if I don't trust the test kit?

 

[Triggerfish]

not sure how you could have used half the reagent on only 4 tests?
anyway. this is what to do.
ensure the kit is testing properly by using the reference sample.
if not, request another kit from seachem.
if it is, continue to add copper until the kit displays the correct level. i as well as others, have needed to add more copper than instructions indicate in order to reach the recommended treatment level.

if you run out of any reagent prior to 75 tests, contact seachem and they will ship you out another one. request another test reference as well..

 

[bureau13]

Dump the Seachem multi-test and go get the Red Sea copper test. It will test for Cupramine just fine, and all you have to do is put six drops in a test tube full of tank water and read it against the color chart. As an added bonus, the colors are much easier to differentiate. The only downside is it only reads up to 0.4 ppm however that is enough to be therapeutic, and if you really want to read a higer level, dilute your test water specimen by half and then double the reading from the test kit.

jds

 

[LargeAngels]

I second that. Dump the Seachem copper test kit. Even if the reference sample shows good it doesn't meant the test kit is any good. I've gone round and round with Seachem on this with no acceptable results. I think they have a flaw in either their kit, quality control or storage. Either way I have a love/hate for Seachem. I love their Cupramine and wouldn't be without it, but would never use their test kit until one of their engineers and quality department explain what went wrong and what they have done to fix the issue.

 

[Triggerfish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8783333#post8783333 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LargeAngels
Even if the reference sample shows good it doesn't meant the test kit is any good.

this is interesting, could you explain this in some way?

 

[LargeAngels]

I'll have to go back and search the Seachem vendor forum threads.

 

[LargeAngels]

Here is a quote from Seachem.

"After researching, we have found that one of the reference solutions listed (0311jp71) was skewed and will likely not give accurate results. Another listed reference solution was old (0311jn7i) and will also likely not give accurate results. All reagents should be in working condition unless exposed to extreme temp or moisture (powdered reagent). I will send each of you a PM with more info."

Here is the link: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=691263

 

[Triggerfish]

interesting to hear about the reference sample issues.i was aware of the bad reagents reports.

however, i would like to know from them if the bad reference samples were expected to give false positives..if so, then that would be a problem user would be having not detecting copper level in tank..if false neg..then that should not have effected tank readings.... or perhaps the whole kit was a mess and nothing was working.
i have a few follow-ups to them in that thread.
thanks for the info.......