Eggs over easy: What Hanna checkers do you use?

[CrunchyBananas]

The phosphorous checker, but they all seems to lose consistency after about a year or so. I have more consistent results with salifert on everything other than phosphorous. Yes, all my testing procedures are consistent.

 

[Rick Mathew]

The phosphorous checker, but they all seems to lose consistency after about a year or so. I have more consistent results with salifert on everything other than phosphorous. Yes, all my testing procedures are consistent.

How are you determining the change in consistency over time, would be interested in your procedure if you would like to share it...

Thanks

Rick

 

[CrunchyBananas]

How are you determining the change in consistency over time, would be interested in your procedure if you would like to share it...

Thanks

Rick

Getting different results with consecutive tests, I believe it is from the diode/sensor reading the wavelength wearing out.

all cuvettes are always rinsed and stored with ro/di

procedure:

1) Fill cuvette so bottom of the meniscus lines up with 10 mL mark when sat on a level surface.

2) close cuvette, dry off, then Wipe any fingerprints off with Kim wipe

3) drop cuvette in tester with “10 mL” mark facing the front (side with screen and button)

4) blank read

5) remove cuvette (not touching the center of it at all) add reagent packet, start timer and shake until powder is dissolved.

6) place cuvette back in tester in the same orientation with 10 mL mark facing the front

7) get result

My degree is in marine biology and I worked at my university’s Finfish research facility after graduation for a few years. Lots of water testing with spectrophotmetry for the grants we were working on, so I’m confident in my testing procedures. I now do aquarium installation and maintenance full time with about 175 customers.

The Hanna testers can be nice, but have their drawbacks. They’re affordable being colorimeters, but hitting high quality hardware at that price point can be hard. It’s very convenient having a digital readout. I think people just want to believe it because it spits out a number on a digital display, which seems more definitive than determining the exact point a color changes on a simple titration test.

edit: I will add, I’ve gone through probably 20 of the salinity pens at this point too, nice when they work, but like to error out, drift, lose calibration, etc.

 

[Rick Mathew]

Getting different results with consecutive tests, I believe it is from the diode/sensor reading the wavelength wearing out.

all cuvettes are always rinsed and stored with ro/di

procedure:

1) Fill cuvette so bottom of the meniscus lines up with 10 mL mark when sat on a level surface.

2) close cuvette, dry off, then Wipe any fingerprints off with Kim wipe

3) drop cuvette in tester with “10 mL” mark facing the front (side with screen and button)

4) blank read

5) remove cuvette (not touching the center of it at all) add reagent packet, start timer and shake until powder is dissolved.

6) place cuvette back in tester in the same orientation with 10 mL mark facing the front

7) get result

My degree is in marine biology and I worked at my university’s Finfish research facility after graduation for a few years. Lots of water testing with spectrophotmetry for the grants we were working on, so I’m confident in my testing procedures. I now do aquarium installation and maintenance full time with about 175 customers.

The Hanna testers can be nice, but have their drawbacks. They’re affordable being colorimeters, but hitting high quality hardware at that price point can be hard. It’s very convenient having a digital readout. I think people just want to believe it because it spits out a number on a digital display, which seems more definitive than determining the exact point a color changes on a simple titration test.

edit: I will add, I’ve gone through probably 20 of the salinity pens at this point too, nice when they work, but like to error out, drift, lose calibration, etc.

Thanks for the reply...much appreciated. Do you compare your results with previous results or run multiple tests of the same sample and compare the variability of the results with previous variability?

 

[fr3n0z]

Would like to get MG and CA, what you guys think about it? Worth them or stick with salifer and wife eyes (i'm color blind).

 

[tonyc247]

I use it for phosphate and high range nitrate. All the people using it for alk are crazy in my opinion. I have done tests back to back and got totally different results from the same reagent. I have also compared different batches of reagent and those results were completely different also.

What do you use for Alk then?

 

[CrunchyBananas]

What do you use for Alk then?

Used to use Hanna checker, now just salifert and kh guardian

 

[CrunchyBananas]

Thanks for the reply...much appreciated. Do you compare your results with previous results or run multiple tests of the same sample and compare the variability of the results with previous variability?

I compare them to results of the same sample using the same cuvette.

 

[LarryNuke]

Eggs over easy: What Hanna checkers do you use?

Water testing is important and many reef keepers use Hanna checkers to monitor their water quality. For many of us, the benefit of seeing a number on a screen instead of trying to judge the shade of pink, green, or some other color is significant. The Hanna checkers include meters for phosphates, nitrate, ammonia, magnesium, calcium, alkalinity, and more. Some reef keepers have even use 3D printed racks to keep their Hanna checkers and the related reagents organized. However, not everyone uses these testers and some have stayed with the color strips related to manual testing while others have moved to automated testing solutions. What is your experience with the Hanna checkers? Which options do you have and which ones do your regularly use? Please share your thoughts in the discussion thread!

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Photo by @RobB’z Reef

I use four of the checkers and promote them. A digital read out takes the guess out of the reading and is repeatable. There is too much variation in determining the result by choosing a color and in many cases only a slight variation in your choice of color can make a big difference in the end reading.

 

[Bruce Burnett]

I use alk dkh, high range nitrate, ulr phosphate. I get consistent readings. Have red sea for everything but colors are hard. Hanna checker are used for the most frequent things.

 

[bud_rick]

What do you use for Alk then?

Salifert

 

[bud_rick]

Would like to get MG and CA, what you guys think about it? Worth them or stick with salifer and wife eyes (i'm color blind)

I'd stick to salifert. Only reason I use hanna for nitrate and phosphate is because I'm just checking to make sure it's not 0 for the most part lol.

 

[cmor1701d]

I'm using the Phosphate ULR, Alkalinity, Calcium, and HR Nitrate.
Still using Salifert for Mg as I've read too many negative reports on this Hanna checker.
I do keep salifert on hand if something comes up weird with the Hanna's and for the occasional spot check.

 

[jman4x]

They sure do make a great product and makes it super easy and convenient!

 

[SpoiledCorndog]

HR Nitrate, LR Phoephate, Alkalinity dKH and the Magnisum (which is always about +100 over Salifert with the new reagent).

 

[hhaase]

I use the Phosphate and high range Nitrate. Also have the ULR Nitrate, but it's torture to use it so it just sits in the drawer.

Probably adding a couple others as existing test kits run out. Next one will probably be Alkalinity or Calcium as my API kits are about to run out and I don't plan on buying any new API stuff.

 

[subodhs]

Would like to get MG and CA, what you guys think about it? Worth them or stick with salifer and wife eyes (i'm color blind).

Calcium is doable if you have well-coordinated hands, have your own pipettes, and don't use the syringes included in the kit. The pipetter is fine, but I prefer a more scientific grade one.

I recently bought the Magnesium checker with the promised new reagents (Mar, 1, 2023), and sadly it's completely useless. Complicated, takes too long and the results are 200-300 ppm higher. I prefer Salifert for both Ca and Mg tests instead of Hanna Checker. Hanna is good for Alk, Phosphate ULR, Nitrate HR, Temp and Salinity for me. Repeatable and quick.

 

[Rick Mathew]

I compare them to results of the same sample using the same cuvette.

I am going to have to give this a try...I have several Checkers that I have had for quite a while and curious if they follow the same pattern that you have observed...Thanks for your reply

Rick

 

[Derrick0580]

Alk dkh, nitrate hr, phosphate ulr, magnesium, and calcium and have no issue with any of the tests if I follow directions exactly.

 

[Vincerama2]

I use the DKH Alkalinity and Phosphate but stick to Salifert for Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium and Nitrate.

Me too, sort of. The dKH Alkalinity tester is my most used test and the most important for me. Calcium ... mine is over the top, and I actually use API tests for that because it's a "count the drops" test with each drop being 20 ppm, and if you have a lot of CA, it can handle it. I used Salifert and the titration fluid would run out before I got a color change.
Magnesium, I have salifert and don't really test much.

Phosphate, I have Salifert and API, but it's a blue-color match test and if Phosphate is a problem I'd switch to a Hanna checker.

Nitrate is similar, but with the API test, if the end color is yellow, it's good. Any other orange or red tint means "not zero". So I'm fine with it (I run a sulphur denitrator so it's usually just zero).


My kits are API because I bought the "master saltwater test kit" and then Salifert because I like them better. But the Alk, I bought the hanna checker for convenience. I do have other Alk testers.

I hate the "compare the end color with this color sheet" ones (API), I prefer the "read how many ml you dropped before a drastic color change" ones (Salifert). (ie; I prefer titration to color matching). The API test tubes are infuriating too, but the CA test really drastically changes when you hit the mark. That's the only API test I'd consider replacing once they run out. I never test Ammonia or Nitrate since my tanks been running for over a decade and the nitrates tell me that Ammonia and Nitrate are PROBABLY zero.