Red sea blue bucket copper level?

[Saltyreef]

Hello,

Decided to do a copper test on my salt mix the other day and noticed its at .18ppm on my hanna tester. Tested the tank after and it shows .19ppm.
Tested twice and then tested my DI water. Shows .01(error factor likely)
I know some copper is ok, below .10ppm seems to be normal but dang!

Has anyone else had this issue or heard of this issue with red sea salts?
One last test tonight, im going to buy a new HDPE bucket and test a fresh batch of red sea blue bucket mix. To negate any other variables....

Might be time to switch salt mixes.....

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, the salt mix does not likely have that much (unless it was in your source water). No ICP tests show such levels. That kit appears to give faulty readings near its lower limit of detection, where your readings are.

 

[Saltyreef]

I tested the salt mix twice and the tank twice. All were within .1ppm of eachother at .18 to .19ppm.

Fwiw Ive tested red sea coral pro in the past and it has always been around .07ppm.

My DI tested @ .01 which i do not think is the source. I just replaced all the cartridges. And this falls within the units +/- .05ppm accuracy.

I think the QC from Red sea salts is hit and miss as my parameters change bucket to bucket.

I guess ill have to send out a couple samples to the lab.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Lots of folks have been reporting copper with this kit down near its limit, but ICP does not support it being accurate. I think it just is not accurate in that range.

 

[Saltyreef]

Lots of folks have been reporting copper with this kit down near its limit, but ICP does not support it being accurate. I think it just is not accurate in that range.

Well what i mean is if my checker is not accurate i guess ill either buy the low range ppb checker or simply have ATI test my water for the total copper content. Not to validate the meter. Thanks for the response.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well what i mean is if my checker is not accurate i guess ill either buy the low range ppb checker or simply have ATI test my water for the total copper content. Not to validate the meter. Thanks for the response.

I do not think there is a Hanna checker that is useful for determining copper in reef aquarium water. Looking at tons of ICP tests, the results are rarely above 20 ppb, and the low range Hanna is +/- 10 ppb.

 

[Saltyreef]

I do not think there is a Hanna checker that is useful for determining copper in reef aquarium water. Looking at tons of ICP tests, the results are rarely above 20 ppb, and the low range Hanna is +/- 10 ppb.

Well .01ppm vs .19ppm between two different samples tells me somethings up when mixed salt water should be no more than .08ppm at the extreme high end.

This meters range is from 0.0 to 5.0ppm with a .05ppm accuracy factor and .01ppm resolution, so at very least my .19 reading should be is .14ppm. And thats still high.

The low range checker should be well enough capible to determine the difference on an even more miniature scale.

Or is my meter made out of snake oil too?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well .01ppm vs .19ppm between two different samples tells me somethings up when mixed salt water should be no more than .08ppm at the extreme high end.

This meters range is from 0.0 to 5.0ppm with a .05ppm accuracy factor and .01ppm resolution, so at very least my .19 reading should be is .14ppm. And thats still high.

The low range checker should be well enough capible to determine the difference on an even more miniature scale.

Or is my meter made out of snake oil too?

IMO, the chance that you have levels of copper over 100 ppb is extremely low (assuming you did not use tap water), But I'd be thrilled to be proved wrong. I'd suggest getting an ICP test and determining the copper level accurately before trying to defend a checker close to it claimed limit of accuracy.

I have seen many hundreds of ICP reports, and while there may have been some, I do not recall a single case with values of copper over 100 ppb.

When people claim they have elevated copper, it is more like 5-10 ppb. Those would all be within error of zero with the checker.

The +/- numbers with Hanna are best case, everything working perfectly and done by an expert.

The forums are filled with folks who have much bigger variability from things like scratched or dirty cuvettes, finger prints on them, aged reagents, not putting the cuvette in the same way ever time, etc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Let's look at one:

Copper in display tank

how does copper affect SPS? ICP test of the display tank shows 1.178 ug/l. I am having recession of the bases of several of my corals. this has been going on for several months now. Just ran my Hanna HR copper checker twice which showed 0.06 and then 0.02 ppm in the DT. I tested copper twice...

www.reef2reef.com

He had elevated copper of 1 ppb by ICP. Hanna checker said 60 ppb then repeat got 20 ppb.

 

[Saltyreef]

Im not defending the checker at all. To be honest i hate the ******* thing lol.


Im just trying to understand your reasoning behind why the hanna copper checker wont work for determining copper values in saltwater within its given range.
And if its on the edge of its range....why wouldnt a more sensitive version work?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Im not defending the checker at all. To be honest i hate the ******* thing lol.


Im just trying to understand your reasoning behind why the hanna copper checker wont work for determining copper values in saltwater within its given range.
And if its on the edge of its range....why wouldnt a more sensitive version work?

A more sensitive version will be more sensitive and will detect lower levels.

But I don't think any checker is going to go down into the copper range that most folks detect by ICP, which is sub 10 ppb.

 

[Saltyreef]

10-4 , I understand your remarks now.

That will be my plan of attack first is the ATI test.
Hopefully ill find my issue.

Thank you for the responses

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

10-4 , I understand your remarks now.

That will be my plan of attack first is the ATI test.
Hopefully ill find my issue.

Thank you for the responses

You're welcome

Be sure to pop back with the ICP and hopefully, you won't see any copper.

 

[Saltyreef]

Ok, ICP test is back.

RODI squeaky clean, everything is 0.

Heres my tank analysis,

Shows copper as u. Which i assume is unchanged from their value.

The only thing that shows in need of attention is my iodine and apparently my salinity is @ 1.023 even tho my miluakee shows 1.026 - 1.027.
Ill have to look into how well its calibrating....

Atleast i wont be pulling my hair out about this now.

Thanks Randy!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Shows copper as u. Which i assume is unchanged from their value.

FWIW, that "u" means undetected, not that it matches their value.

 

[Saltyreef]

FWIW, that "u" means undetected, not that it matches their value.

Ok, i originally thought that and wrote undetected in my post but after looking at the icp again i saw the values unchanged i thought it might be that and edited my post lol.

Id like to start supplimenting iodine, any reccomendations?