Salifert Copper Test and Cupramine

[TimeConsumer]

I am in the process of treating my mimic tang with cupramine. I followed the instructions on the bottle and dosed 1ml into my 10g tank twice over a 48 hour period. According to the bottle this should leave me at a final concentration of .5 mg/L. However, using my Salifert test I am only showing a concentration of .05 mg/L. This is a QT tank with no rock or substrate to absorb the copper.

What do I do?

 

[HumbleFish]

Someone on LARC (or Bayou Reefkeeping) must have a copper test kit you can use to double check.

 

[TimeConsumer]

I may have to pursue that option. Doing some other searching I have turned up some anecdotal accounts that filter floss may absorb cupramine? If so, that may be my culprit as I am using a small piece of filter floss as my bio filter.

 

[Mrscribbled]

I may have to pursue that option. Doing some other searching I have turned up some anecdotal accounts that filter floss may absorb cupramine? If so, that may be my culprit as I am using a small piece of filter floss as my bio filter.

No way filter floss will absorb Cu, when will this myth die off already.....



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[lagatbezan]

See if you can get a Seachem test kit. they come with a control solution that will show you what color it should be at .5 so you can compare your results with.

 

[TimeConsumer]

I think getting a second test may be my only option. I avoided the seachem test intentionally as I never really liked how their tests worked and I was never confident in the results, and here I am having this issue with Salifert. Oh well.

 

[sleepydoc]

I have both the salifert and seachem Cu test kits. I think the salifert test is perhaps a bit easier to perform, but the sea chem kit is easier to read, especially in the range that you're looking at.

In my experience with cupramine, following the instructions will get you too high, if anything.

 

[MellowReefer]

You are letting it sit for 20 minutes right? And make sure you put the vial up against the color card like it says. I also think Salifert looks a little light but I trust that i put in the exact dosage and don't have anything in the tank that could absorb it so I don't worry. I actually asked my bf to look at the color because he has a better eye for color variations, maybe you can ask someone for their opinion. I really wouldn't add more than you already did unless you do a water change.

 

[TimeConsumer]

You are letting it sit for 20 minutes right? And make sure you put the vial up against the color card like it says. I also think Salifert looks a little light but I trust that i put in the exact dosage and don't have anything in the tank that could absorb it so I don't worry. I actually asked my bf to look at the color because he has a better eye for color variations, maybe you can ask someone for their opinion. I really wouldn't add more than you already did unless you do a water change.

Yea, I followed the instructions to a T. I really hate tests that make me match a shade of blue, that's why I use a Hanna Checker for Po4. I've pretty much gone under the assumption that the copper is there and my test isn't picking it up, I definitely wasn't about to add any more without being 100% confident in the test.

At least this treatment is prophylactic and I'm not trying to cure anything specific. If it really isn't at a .5mg/L concentration it's not a big deal, the fish still has plenty of time left for me to observe in QT before it goes into the display.

 

[sleepydoc]

Yes - better low than high for copper. It would stink to kill a fish with Cu toxicity when the treatment was only prophylactic. Of course it would also stink to infect your DT accidentally because the fish had ich that you didn't know about and the Cu level wasn't adequate; if the Cu level isn't therapeutic, there's really no point in treating.

Since you've got time I would see if you can get a hold of a seachem test kit to check/confirm your numbers. Will your LFS test for you, or are there any fellow reefers around that have one you can use?

I know what you mean about shades of blue - the problem I have with the Salifert kit is that not only are the increments on the card are too big, but the actual hue seems to change from one to the next, making it very difficult to even estimate.

 

[TimeConsumer]

I know what you mean about shades of blue - the problem I have with the Salifert kit is that not only are the increments on the card are too big, but the actual hue seems to change from one to the next, making it very difficult to even estimate.

The increments are quite easily solved just by changing the proportions of water to reagent.

 

[Spar]

I am having a similar issue and I used the test solution side-by-side; just posted:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2305310

 

[SDguy]

The increments are quite easily solved just by changing the proportions of water to reagent.

Please explain.