Cupramine and a Red Sea Ammonia test?

[Falconer298]

I’ve been searching for a definitive answer as to if the Red Sea Ammonia test will still work properly with cupramine in the water? It seems to still be reading 0 at the therapeutic dose in my QT. Just used the same test to watch my display cycle.

I’m up to the 0.5 cupramine dose, got there with careful measurement of the internal vol of my 40 gallon breeder to it’s maintained level, it’s almost right at 38 gallons and dosed the cupramine accurately with a 3cc syringe at 3.62ml a dose then tested with Salifert that clearly showed 0.25 on the first dose and 0.5 on the second dose 48 hrs later. I have a new seachem ammonia alert badge in the QT as well but no idea if it works, never used one.

I know in the next weeks as I do water changes that I will need to keep the cupramine in the therapeutic range and would like to know if I can trust my Red Sea ammonia test during the process .

 

[Jay Hemdal]

I use the Hach salicylate test myself, and that reads around 0.50 mg/l ammonia after dosing with Cupramine. Does the Red Sea kit happen to say what reagents it uses? The Seachem badge is supposed to work with Cupramine, but I've had difficulty getting good readings with those.

Jay

 

[Falconer298]

I use the Hach salicylate test myself, and that reads around 0.50 mg/l ammonia after dosing with Cupramine. Does the Red Sea kit happen to say what reagents it uses? The Seachem badge is supposed to work with Cupramine, but I've had difficulty getting good readings with those.

Jay

It’s a three part deal into 5 ml of water. Starts with a 0.15cc scoop of Sodium Salicylate, then 5 drops of Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hydroxide, then 5 drops of Sodium Nitroprusside. Wait 15 min and match the colors

 

[Jay Hemdal]

It’s a three part deal into 5 ml of water. Starts with a 0.15cc scoop of Sodium Salicylate, then 5 drops of Sodium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hydroxide, then 5 drops of Sodium Nitroprusside. Wait 15 min and match the colors

That is a different reagent set to my Hach kit, mine uses lithium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide, and it is just two dry reagents. So - I don’t know what to tell you.
Jay

 

[Falconer298]

That is a different reagent set to my Hach kit, mine uses lithium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide, and it is just two dry reagents. So - I don’t know what to tell you.
Jay

Thanks, my Red Sea kit seemed to show almost 0 ammonia as I would expect with pretty fresh water and matrix media that was in a cycled tank. It’s a 40g breeder with two small clowns in it. I’m probably just going to error on the side of making more water changes in my QT.