Ammonia badge test kit discrepancy

[PeterG]

My fish have been in a 20 gal QT for a couple of months while my DT lies fallow. Did Cupramine and then Prazipro. Waiting til 3/10 to repopulate DT.
My Seachem ammonia badge in QT shows yellow in the middle but I just did some testing and my ammonia shows approx .2-.3 with Red Sea test kit. Did 2nd Praiz treatment on 2/15 and followed with 25% water change on 2/22 and added carbon pad to HOB filter.
Other parameters are: pH 8.2; SG - 1.026; NO3 - 20ppm, NO2 - .3-.4; PO4 - approx .3-.5; dKH - 10.9 (using RS CP)

Could the medications still be affecting the test kit reading? Gonna do another 25% WC today. Anything else I need to do?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

If I remember correctly the meds that’s in the tank will give you wrong readings with test kits that’s why the badge is recommended.

 

[PeterG]

If I remember correctly the meds that’s in the tank will give you wrong readings with test kits that’s why the badge is recommended.

That's the way I remember it as well, but I'm questioning whether the meds should have filtered out by now.

 

[Brew12]

That's the way I remember it as well, but I'm questioning whether the meds should have filtered out by now.

Carbon isn't very effective at pulling out large amounts of copper. Odds are you still have plenty in your system causing the high ammonia reading.

Polyfilters are my preferred method for removing copper.
https://www.marinedepot.com/Poly_Fi...Media-Poly_Bio_Marine-PB1111-FIFMMEPM-vi.html

 

[PeterG]

Carbon isn't very effective at pulling out large amounts of copper. Odds are you still have plenty in your system causing the high ammonia reading.

Polyfilters are my preferred method for removing copper.
https://www.marinedepot.com/Poly_Fi...Media-Poly_Bio_Marine-PB1111-FIFMMEPM-vi.html

Did quite a number of Copper tests with Seachem kit over a period of a week to 10 days and waited til I got no color at all on the scale before adding Prazi. If there was still copper in the water, would it have affected the Prazi?
Will order Polyfilters today.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Brew12 beat me to it just about to say polyfilter I run them after a few days of running carbon the color change let’s you know that it’s working.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

No cause they say you can dose copper with prazi but I have never done it.

 

[Brew12]

Did quite a number of Copper tests with Seachem kit over a period of a week to 10 days and waited til I got no color at all on the scale before adding Prazi. If there was still copper in the water, would it have affected the Prazi?
Will order Polyfilters today.

I would have thought that would be fine, but copper test kits are something I have no faith in. I'm not sure if levels too low to read on a kit would impact ammonia readings but I feel it is possible. The fact your ammonia readings are only a little high makes this more likely imo.

Fortunately, it won't have any negative impact on your Prazi usage.

 

[Big G]

Cuprisorb media pads are another option for removal of copper. You place them in your HOB filer and watch then change to the color blue. And you can "reuse" them over and over again. All you need is some muriatic acid to "recharge" the media. Very easy to do. Highly recommend. Hope this helps

 

[PeterG]

Cuprisorb media pads are another option for removal of copper. You place them in your HOB filer and watch then change to the color blue. And you can "reuse" them over and over again. All you need is some muriatic acid to "recharge" the media. Very easy to do. Highly recommend. Hope this helps

Does Cuprisorb need to be placed in a bag? I saw Seachem sells something called "The Bag" but it gets mixed reviews. Will any type of mesh bag work?

 

[Big G]

Does Cuprisorb need to be placed in a bag? I saw Seachem sells something called "The Bag" but it gets mixed reviews. Will any type of mesh bag work?

Mine came in a bag. Fit perfect in my Aquaclear HOB 50

 

[PeterG]

I would have thought that would be fine, but copper test kits are something I have no faith in.

Kind of scary when you think that we rely on the copper test kit to ascertain that we have a therapeutic level of copper in the QT

Mine came in a bag. Fit perfect in my Aquaclear HOB 50

Good to know that it is already in a bag. For some reason I went with the Seachem Tidal Filter HOB over the Aquaclear. Shouldn't be an issue (I hope)

 

[Big G]

Kind of scary when you think that we rely on the copper test kit to ascertain that we have a therapeutic level of copper in the QT



Good to know that it is already in a bag. For some reason I went with the Seachem Tidal Filter HOB over the Aquaclear. Shouldn't be an issue (I hope)

They do sell it in bulk containers. I suppose you could use one of those media bags. I'd get bags that are fine mesh if you are going the bulk route.

 

[PeterG]

They do sell it in bulk containers. I suppose you could use one of those media bags. I'd get bags that are fine mesh if you are going the bulk route.

Yeah, I saw it on Amazon in a 500ml jar: https://www.amazon.com/Seachem-1160...UTF8&qid=1520087977&sr=8-2&keywords=cuprisorb
Would bags like this work: https://www.amazon.com/CNZ-Universa...064&sr=1-6&keywords=aquarium+filter+bags&th=1

 

[Big G]

The mesh on the Seachem brand Cuprisorb is very fine. So, yes, I'm pretty sure the "Extra fine" bag is the one you want. You don't want the black color. You need the white to easily see the Cuprisorb changing color to blue.

 

[PeterG]

The mesh on the Seachem brand Cuprisorb is very fine. So, yes, I'm pretty sure the "Extra fine" bag is the one you want. You don't want the black color. You need the white to easily see the Cuprisorb changing color to blue.

Prefer white but so far no luck finding any marked Extra Fine. "Fine" mesh ones state NOT for Purigen or Cuprasorb. Might just with the 100ml size already in a bag.
Thanks for your help Big G

 

[cmcoker]

The mesh on the Seachem brand Cuprisorb is very fine. So, yes, I'm pretty sure the "Extra fine" bag is the one you want. You don't want the black color. You need the white to easily see the Cuprisorb changing color to blue.

Mine didn't change to blue, didn't realize it would...But pulled out the copper safe, according to testing.

 

[DeniseAndy]

My fish have been in a 20 gal QT for a couple of months while my DT lies fallow. Did Cupramine and then Prazipro. Waiting til 3/10 to repopulate DT.
My Seachem ammonia badge in QT shows yellow in the middle but I just did some testing and my ammonia shows approx .2-.3 with Red Sea test kit. Did 2nd Praiz treatment on 2/15 and followed with 25% water change on 2/22 and added carbon pad to HOB filter.
Other parameters are: pH 8.2; SG - 1.026; NO3 - 20ppm, NO2 - .3-.4; PO4 - approx .3-.5; dKH - 10.9 (using RS CP)

Could the medications still be affecting the test kit reading? Gonna do another 25% WC today. Anything else I need to do?

My understanding of the ammonia badge as it reads the toxic form of ammonia, the test kits read the total. Just a different number and the concern is the badge. I am not sure about the medication effecting it as I do not use med too often in qt unless needed and never a copper or coppersafe.

http://www.seachem.com/ammonia-alert.php

 

[Big G]

Mine didn't change to blue, didn't realize it would...But pulled out the copper safe, according to testing.

It just turned blue around the edges of the pad. Took a few days, but it pulled out the copper.

 

[Brew12]

My understanding of the ammonia badge as it reads the toxic form of ammonia, the test kits read the total. Just a different number and the concern is the badge. I am not sure about the medication effecting it as I do not use med too often in qt unless needed and never a copper or coppersafe.

http://www.seachem.com/ammonia-alert.php

As long as your pH is over 7.5 almost all of the ammonia is the toxic variety so we shouldn't see a difference between the two readings.

Most meds won't impact ammonia tests, but copper will. I won't claim to know the science behind why it interferes.