18+ · Research Use Only · Not for Human Consumption
How much bacteriostatic water per vial: the mixing table.
The most asked question in lab preparation has a short answer: it depends what concentration you want. Here is the table that settles it for every vial in the catalogue.
The principle: volume sets graduation
The powder mass in the vial is fixed. The water volume you add only decides how that mass is spread across the solution. Concentration equals milligrams divided by milliliters: a 10mg vial with 2ml of bacteriostatic water gives 5 mg/ml. Since one unit on a U-100 insulin syringe is 0.01ml, that vial reads 50 micrograms per unit. Halve the water and every unit holds twice as much; double it and every unit holds half. More volume therefore means finer graduation: a small target quantity that would sit at 2 units on a concentrated preparation sits at 8 units on a dilute one, and 8 units is far easier to read accurately on the barrel. The only practical ceiling is vial headspace. Most 3ml vials take up to about 2.5ml comfortably.
The table for every catalogue vial
Concentrations below are in mg/ml. Micrograms per U-100 unit is the mg/ml figure times ten.
| Vial | +1ml | +2ml | +2.5ml |
|---|---|---|---|
| TB-500, 5mg | 5 mg/ml | 2.5 mg/ml | 2 mg/ml |
| Retatrutide / Tirzepatide, 10mg | 10 mg/ml | 5 mg/ml | 4 mg/ml |
| CJC-1295/Ipamorelin, 5mg+5mg | 10 mg/ml | 5 mg/ml | 4 mg/ml |
| BPC-157 / MOTS-c, 20mg | 20 mg/ml | 10 mg/ml | 8 mg/ml |
| GHK-Cu, 50mg | 50 mg/ml | 25 mg/ml | 20 mg/ml |
Special cases and supply
Two catalogue items sit outside the table. The NAD+ 1000mg vial carries fifty times the mass of a 20mg peptide vial, so preparations use much larger volumes, often 5ml or more, and still land at high concentrations: 5ml gives 200 mg/ml. GHK-Cu formulation work for topical bases also runs its own math, since the vial contents are often compounded into a carrier rather than kept in aqueous solution. On supply: the 30ml bacteriostatic water bottle is ₱250 flat, excluded from the first-order discount, and at 2ml per vial one bottle covers 15 reconstitutions. Adding a bottle to any compound order is the simplest way to never run short mid-preparation. Full technique, including why the water goes down the vial wall, is in the reconstitution walkthrough.
Supplied for laboratory research use only. Not for human consumption. Nothing on this page is medical advice.
Mixing volume questions
Is there one correct amount of bacteriostatic water per vial?
No. The volume sets the concentration, nothing more. A 10mg vial with 1ml is 10 mg/ml, with 2ml it is 5 mg/ml. The same material is in the vial either way. Larger volumes spread it across more syringe units, which makes small quantities easier to measure.
What volume do most laboratory preparations use?
For 5mg to 20mg vials, 2ml is the most common choice: the resulting concentrations land in a range where a U-100 insulin syringe reads conveniently. Larger vials like 50mg GHK-Cu often take 5ml for the same reason.
How many vials does one 30ml bottle cover?
At 2ml per vial, a 30ml bottle covers 15 vials. At 3ml per vial it covers 10. One ₱250 bottle typically outlasts several compound orders.
Can I add more water later to dilute a vial?
Yes, as long as everything stays sterile. Adding another measured milliliter of bacteriostatic water lowers the concentration proportionally. Recalculate mg/ml with the new total volume and rewrite it on the label.