8 Checker Best Practices

[Hanna Instruments]

8 Best Practices for Using Your Hanna Marine Checker

Testing the levels with your Checker – like alkalinity, calcium, nitrite and more – may seem to be a cut-and-dry process, but there are a lot of small things that can happen during testing which negatively impact your results.

Follow these best practices when using a Checker to ensure your get the most accurate results while saving yourself time and frustration. Learn More About Hanna Marine Checkers

1. Use a Clean Cuvette with Checkers

Why: Products in the Hanna Checker line are colorimeters, which means they use a light source – such as an LED or tungsten lamp – with a filter and a light sensing detector to determine absorbance and ion concentration. Since the Checkers are an optical-based measurement it's important that the light is not impeded by fingerprints, scratches, dirt, or air bubbles on your cuvettes.

Fix: Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the outside of the cuvette. To remove air bubbles, gently tap the cuvette before placing it inside the Checker.

2. Use Separate Pipettes

Why: Using the same syringe or pipette tip for both salt and freshwater can contaminate your freshwater sample, which leads to inaccuracies since some salt may be left inside the pipette.

Fix: Label each syringe and pipette tip as either freshwater or saltwater so they don't get mixed up.

3. Place Cuvettes in the Same Position Every Time

Why: When using a Checker, it's important that the length of the optical path is always the same to ensure consistent and accurate readings every time.

Fix: Place a small mark on the cap or top of the glass to help index the position of the cuvette in the device.

Hanna Tip: Check out the video below by Bulk Reef Supply comparing our phospahte and phosphorus Checkers with a more expensive professional meter. At the nine minute mark he gives great advice on how make sure your cuvette is always in the same spot, and other handy cuvette tips.

4. Don't Let Reagents Sit in the Cuvette

Why: Letting a sample mixed with reagents sit in the cuvette for too long can stain the glass. This will affect the absorbance as the light passes through the glass, resulting in a bad reading.

Fix: Always empty and rinse cuvettes after testing. Which brings us to our next point...

5. Clean Cuvettes in Distilled or DI Water

Why: Cuvettes need to be free of possible contaminants before a new test is performed. Rinsing them with aquarium water can leave behind residual material after testing. The cuvettes should also be completely air-dried after rinsing to prevent any unwanted dilution of the sample when performing your next test.

Fix: Always empty and rinse cuvettes with distilled or DI (deionized) water after testing. When placing the cuvettes back in the case, leave the caps off.

6. Check Reagent Expiration Dates

Why: Using an expired reagent can give inaccurate or false readings.

Fix: Make a habit to examine reagent bottles or sachets before use. For best results, make sure you’re storing reagents in a cool, dry place and avoid dramatic temperature changes. Dramatic temperatures and humidity can damage the reagents.

7. Completely Close the Checker Hood

Why: Any alternative light source entering the checker can cause inaccurate or false readings. The checker is designed to use a fixed light source – such as an LED or tungsten lamp – with a filter and a light sensing detector to determine absorbance and ion concentration.

Fix: Make sure the checker is hood pushed down completely so that additional outside light cannot penetrate the cuvette.

8. Cut Reagent Packets Along the Dotted Line

Why: Cutting the packet along the bottom right corner towards to the top left will create a funnel to allow easier pouring of the reagent into the cuvette. No reagent spilling means better testing results!

Fix: Before cutting the packet, gently tap it to make sure the reagent is not stuck in the corner you are cutting. Then use scissors to cut along the dotted line.

Hanna's Marine Checkers
Marine Alkalinity Checker (ppm) HC - HI755

Marine Alkalinity (dKH) Checker® HC - HI772

Marine Calcium Checker HC - HI758

Marine Nitrite Ultra Low Range Checker HC - HI764

Marine Phosphorus Ultra Low Range Checker HC - HI736

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Questions?
If you have any questions about testing in aquariums you can leave a comment below, or contact us by phone at 800-426-6287 or email at [email protected].

You can also get in touch with us through social media!
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

 

[reefwiser]

Thanks for the tip's see you at MACNA .

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Thanks for the tip's see you at MACNA .

Thanks we cant wait! See you there!

 

[burtbollinger]

i dont understand the plastic tip on the syringe for the Alk checker...do I have to use this thing or can I just fill it up to the 1ML line.

 

[Hanna Instruments]

i dont understand the plastic tip on the syringe for the Alk checker...do I have to use this thing or can I just fill it up to the 1ML line.

No you do not need to use the tip. The tip is 1ml and all the reagent will remain inside it when properly filled with the syringe. This is to make the hash marks on the syringe easier to read as the reagent is a darker color against the black lines.

This post on our instagram might help clear things up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVkVvt3haQN/

Just make sure if you are not using the tip that you are matching the rubber stopper to the last hash mark on the syringe and not the liquid. Matching the liquid to the end of the syringe will result in too much reagent.

Thanks for using Hanna!

 

[David Cher]

Leave the caps off from the curvette when place in the case ???

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Leave the caps off from the curvette when place in the case ???

Yes the idea behind that trick is to make sure the cuvettes are dry before preforming another test. You want to prevent unintended dilution of sample by not having excess rinse water sitting in the cuvette before a new test is preformed. You can also leave your cuvettes out to air dry, its just best practice to make sure they are cleaned, rinsed and dried before more tests are preformed.

Always good to have extra cuvettes on hand!
http://hannainst.com/hi731315-glass-cuvettes-and-caps-for-checker-hc-colorimeters.html

 

[chefjpaul]

Just got the "new" calcium checker this week, after I sold it years ago due to our human trials , tribulations & errors.

Very nice work on the pipette and precision.

 

[Hanna Instruments]

Just got the "new" calcium checker this week, after I sold it years ago due to our human trials , tribulations & errors.

Very nice work on the pipette and precision.

Thanks for your support! We value our customers and strive to provide the best testing experience.

 

[hart24601]

If the cuvettes are rinsed with water after the test and capped why can't you just fill them with tank water, dump, fill again and test rather than air dry? It would seem to me that air drying would potentially leave more residue in the vial if contaminates were present in the air and made their way into the vial.

 

[Hanna Instruments]

If the cuvettes are rinsed with water after the test and capped why can't you just fill them with tank water, dump, fill again and test rather than air dry? It would seem to me that air drying would potentially leave more residue in the vial if contaminates were present in the air and made their way into the vial.

You could do that, the idea with air drying is you do not want to have excess rinse water left inside the cuvette which could dilute the sample causing inaccurate results. You could use tank water right before another test to prevent unintended dilution, so long as the test you are doing requires 10ml of saltwater sample (like Alkalinity but not Calcium). Using de- ionized water will not have any residue left after air drying because there are no dissolved particles in the rinse water. If you are concerned with particles enter the cuvette then before you run a new test, rinse your cuvette with the water you are going to use to run that test. So if you are going to run an alkalinity test, use tank water to rinse the cuvette to prevent dilution. For Calcium you would need to use de-ionized water. You can also leave the cuvettes inverted over a clean drying cloth to prevent particles in the air from entering the cuvette.

 

[hart24601]

Thanks!!

 

[Gogo007]

8 Best Practices for Using Your Hanna Marine Checker

Testing the levels with your Checker – like alkalinity, calcium, nitrite and more – may seem to be a cut-and-dry process, but there are a lot of small things that can happen during testing which negatively impact your results.

Follow these best practices when using a Checker to ensure your get the most accurate results while saving yourself time and frustration. Learn More About Hanna Marine Checkers

1. Use a Clean Cuvette with Checkers

Why: Products in the Hanna Checker line are colorimeters, which means they use a light source – such as an LED or tungsten lamp – with a filter and a light sensing detector to determine absorbance and ion concentration. Since the Checkers are an optical-based measurement it's important that the light is not impeded by fingerprints, scratches, dirt, or air bubbles on your cuvettes.

Fix: Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the outside of the cuvette. To remove air bubbles, gently tap the cuvette before placing it inside the Checker.

2. Use Separate Pipettes

Why: Using the same syringe or pipette tip for both salt and freshwater can contaminate your freshwater sample, which leads to inaccuracies since some salt may be left inside the pipette.

Fix: Label each syringe and pipette tip as either freshwater or saltwater so they don't get mixed up.

3. Place Cuvettes in the Same Position Every Time

Why: When using a Checker, it's important that the length of the optical path is always the same to ensure consistent and accurate readings every time.

Fix: Place a small mark on the cap or top of the glass to help index the position of the cuvette in the device.

Hanna Tip: Check out the video below by Bulk Reef Supply comparing our phospahte and phosphorus Checkers with a more expensive professional meter. At the nine minute mark he gives great advice on how make sure your cuvette is always in the same spot, and other handy cuvette tips.

4. Don't Let Reagents Sit in the Cuvette

Why: Letting a sample mixed with reagents sit in the cuvette for too long can stain the glass. This will affect the absorbance as the light passes through the glass, resulting in a bad reading.

Fix: Always empty and rinse cuvettes after testing. Which brings us to our next point...

5. Clean Cuvettes in Distilled or DI Water

Why: Cuvettes need to be free of possible contaminants before a new test is performed. Rinsing them with aquarium water can leave behind residual material after testing. The cuvettes should also be completely air-dried after rinsing to prevent any unwanted dilution of the sample when performing your next test.

Fix: Always empty and rinse cuvettes with distilled or DI (deionized) water after testing. When placing the cuvettes back in the case, leave the caps off.

6. Check Reagent Expiration Dates

Why: Using an expired reagent can give inaccurate or false readings.

Fix: Make a habit to examine reagent bottles or sachets before use. For best results, make sure you’re storing reagents in a cool, dry place and avoid dramatic temperature changes. Dramatic temperatures and humidity can damage the reagents.

7. Completely Close the Checker Hood

Why: Any alternative light source entering the checker can cause inaccurate or false readings. The checker is designed to use a fixed light source – such as an LED or tungsten lamp – with a filter and a light sensing detector to determine absorbance and ion concentration.

Fix: Make sure the checker is hood pushed down completely so that additional outside light cannot penetrate the cuvette.

8. Cut Reagent Packets Along the Dotted Line

Why: Cutting the packet along the bottom right corner towards to the top left will create a funnel to allow easier pouring of the reagent into the cuvette. No reagent spilling means better testing results!

Fix: Before cutting the packet, gently tap it to make sure the reagent is not stuck in the corner you are cutting. Then use scissors to cut along the dotted line.

Hanna's Marine Checkers
Marine Alkalinity Checker (ppm) HC - HI755

Marine Alkalinity (dKH) Checker® HC - HI772

Marine Calcium Checker HC - HI758

Marine Nitrite Ultra Low Range Checker HC - HI764

Marine Phosphorus Ultra Low Range Checker HC - HI736

Want more content like this delivered right to your inbox? Subscribe to our blog!
Questions?
If you have any questions about testing in aquariums you can leave a comment below, or contact us by phone at 800-426-6287 or email at [email protected].

You can also get in touch with us through social media!
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn

Thank you for that infirmation .. i have question why you put two cuvettes in ulr po4 checker and why one of them always has big diameter . My experience of use there is one cuvette that is hard to insert inside the checker and one is easy to go inside