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View Full Version : Anyone use Madrel's CopperSafe?


cabrego
06/30/2009, 11:32 AM
Hi all,

I am using Madrel's CopperSafe treatment in a quarantine tank to treat a mild case of ich on a new arriviving powder blue tang.

I have never used coppersafe before and was wondering what other's experience has been with this product. There is no specified target PPM on the label, but I found reccommended dose concentrations on the web of 1.5 ppm to 2.0 ppm.

I started out with half the recommended dose for my tank and tested the Cu levels and found the levels to be ~.25 ppm (slightly lower).

At this point I do not plan to deviate from the instructions on the box, therefore based on my initial dose my final medicating dose in the tank will probably be around .5 ppm.

I am not sure why the target dose is so far from the dose I am expecting to see per the instructions on the box..... what gives!

Superstretch18
06/30/2009, 11:43 AM
What test kit are you using? Coppersafe is a chelated form of copper, which won't always test correctly on all kits. You need a kit that measures total copper and not only free copper concentrations...

If you are testing with the wrong kit, it may not be measuring all of the copper you are putting in. Proceed with caution...

cabrego
06/30/2009, 11:48 AM
I am using API's copper test kit which is suppose to measure both free and chelated Cu.

Superstretch18
06/30/2009, 12:15 PM
What's the expiration date on the kit? Also, carbon has been removed, correct?

IME, the coppersafe instructions are pretty spot on. I'm not really a fan of the API test kit because the color scale can sometimes be "obscure," but you are correct; it should measure total copper.

If you are friendly with a LFS, you may be able to have them double check for you, if you explain that you are trying to verify that your kit is testing correctly. Otherwise, I think that the plan you have outlined should be Ok...

cabrego
06/30/2009, 03:49 PM
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15281795#post15281795 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Superstretch18
What's the expiration date on the kit? Also, carbon has been removed, correct?

IME, the coppersafe instructions are pretty spot on. I'm not really a fan of the API test kit because the color scale can sometimes be "obscure," but you are correct; it should measure total copper.

If you are friendly with a LFS, you may be able to have them double check for you, if you explain that you are trying to verify that your kit is testing correctly. Otherwise, I think that the plan you have outlined should be Ok...

I am not sure when the kit expires, but the stamp number is 1208, I believe the kit expires a few years after this date.

I figured out that I was misinterpreting the test kit results, unknowingly it is the type of result that is read downward and now flat against the chart.

Anyway, after adding the 2nd half of my planned dose I am detecting 2ppm. Which is where it should be!

I plan to maintain this level for at least 2 weeks and I am seriously considering 4 weeks to be sure not to introduce ich into my main display.