Floaters in my Hanna Alkalinity Reagent

[lexinverts]

I have been using a Hanna checker for alkalinity for three years or so. I generally find them to be easy to use and quite accurate.

The problem that I have been having is that after my bottle of Alkalinity reagent has been in use for a few weeks, I start to get floating chunks of debris in the reagent. When I add the reagent to the cuvette, I can see floating chunks of debris. These debris lead to the tests reading way too high. Yesterday I had some debris in the vial and my checker read an alk of 13, when alk was actually 7.4.

How do people deal with this issue? I have about half of the reagent left and I hate to throw it out. Do some folks filter the reagent before use to get out the floaters?

Thanks!

 

[C. Eymann]

I have been experiencing this at work, been using Salifert to dismiss results that are not in line with whats expected, also, even without observing "floaters" I have been noticing variation in results between lot #s.

Interested to see others experience, as well as an explanation from hanna.

 

[Pezking182]

Following. I'm experiencing the same issue. I was told to shake it back into solution but it never worked.

 

[lexinverts]

Following. I'm experiencing the same issue. I was told to shake it back into solution but it never worked.

Did Hanna tell you that? Shaking doesn't seem to work for me.

 

[Acid King]

Hanna Alkalinity Reagent

I guess the alkalinity reagent decays once open. I confirmed the report the older the alkalinity reagent the higher the reading. I bought a new reagent and tested it against the older reagent. Older reagent 8.8, New reagent 7.9. This is the second time I notice the discrepancy. Maybe I’ll try...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[C. Eymann]

Hanna Alkalinity Reagent

I guess the alkalinity reagent decays once open. I confirmed the report the older the alkalinity reagent the higher the reading. I bought a new reagent and tested it against the older reagent. Older reagent 8.8, New reagent 7.9. This is the second time I notice the discrepancy. Maybe I’ll try...

www.reef2reef.com

I go through a bottle every 3-4 days, I dont think degrading once opened is the problem. However, interesting to read that refrigeration helps with the "floaters".

 

[ajhudson15]

I have this issue as well but I noticed my readings are lower than a newly opened bottle

 

[lexinverts]

Hanna Alkalinity Reagent

I guess the alkalinity reagent decays once open. I confirmed the report the older the alkalinity reagent the higher the reading. I bought a new reagent and tested it against the older reagent. Older reagent 8.8, New reagent 7.9. This is the second time I notice the discrepancy. Maybe I’ll try...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks.
According to Hanna in that thread, the thing to do is wait for the “floaters” to settle at the bottom of the cuvette.

If they are floating in the middle of the cuvette, they do throw off the reading.

 

[dadnjesse]

I go through a bottle every 3-4 days, I dont think degrading once opened is the problem. However, interesting to read that refrigeration helps with the "floaters".

How many times a day do you test?

 

[Hallowhead]

How many times a day do you test?

I was thinking the same... Jesus !

 

[C. Eymann]

How many times a day do you test?

Just once a day, but usually 8-9 different tanks/systems, some days 14 different systems.

 

[Hallowhead]

Just once a day, but usually 8-9 different tanks/systems, some days 14 different systems.

Clients?

 

[C. Eymann]

Clients?

Sort of?
Im not sure I can really elaborate much more than that.


Back on track-

So the solution from hanna is to wait for the debris in the curvette to settle? I was under the impression that the longer the curvette filled with sample and reagent sat the more possible the results maybe inaccurate.
at least thats what the instructions say.

 

[Terri Caton]

My issue is that if I draw the reagent from the top of the liquid it is clear. If I draw from the bottom it has color. Anyone else ever had that? It definitely affects the results.

 

[Afterburner]

I shake my reagent up and test two tanks every day. I noticed that the floaters appear when you mix the reagent with the water and are bigger than would fit through the syringe hole. I had an issue with my doser and my Alk and Calc went way down, so I bought another doser and there seems to be some leaks in the tube to one of my tanks and it was not dosing Alk, but plenty of Calc. I noticed the past few tests that floaters only show up in that tank's tests while the other tank's tests have no floaters. I will try to find some time later today or tomorrow to check my Calc and Mg to see if it is way out of whack. This may be the issue, which would be nice since I hardly ever check Calc anymore and it would let me know when an issue is there. I use ESV B-ionic 2 part in equal amounts and never had any issues until the doser died and the new one leaked.