Hanna vs Salifert

[CLYRIC]

I'm cycling a QT tank right now and I dose my tank with ammonia and fritz turbostart 900. I tested with salifert and my ammonia levels are 1.5, nitrite 0, and nitrate 0. I have a nitrate HR tester and I tested the QT tank and it came out to 19.4 nitrates. Which one do I trust? (I tested using salifer/hanna a day after dosing with turbostart).

 

[Dave1993]

i would trust hanna they are better than a £10 colour chart

 

[Dan_P]

I'm cycling a QT tank right now and I dose my tank with ammonia and fritz turbostart 900. I tested with salifert and my ammonia levels are 1.5, nitrite 0, and nitrate 0. I have a nitrate HR tester and I tested the QT tank and it came out to 19.4 nitrates. Which one do I trust? (I tested using salifer/hanna a day after dosing with turbostart).

How much ammonia did you measure just after you added it?

 

[John1966]

Generally, I trust Hannah more, but with that sort of difference it is not a reading error/color error unless you are colorblind, you did one of the tests wrong or your reagents have gone bad.

 

[mike550]

I vaguely recall that if your system contains ammonia that it will throw off your nitrate readings.

 

[Fishman718]

Did you observing the little bottle at the right angle by salifert? Observation from above and side is different

 

[Aluco]

Ime both are reliable. Stuff happens tho and usually when there's a big difference in results it's good to retest. Read directions again if you need a refresher and worth checking the exp dates on the reagents. Any reason the cycling tank would have elevated nitrates?

 

[Harold999]

Salifert over Hanna any day of the week. I have seen way too many problems with "bad badge" Hanna reagents.

 

[CLYRIC]

How much ammonia did you measure just after you added it?

After I added it, salifert only read 1.5

 

[CLYRIC]

Generally, I trust Hannah more, but with that sort of difference it is not a reading error/color error unless you are colorblind, you did one of the tests wrong or your reagents have gone bad.

I ended up getting a hanna ammonia test kit and it read 0.03 ppm and I tested with salifert and at the time came up with 0.25. I dosed it again with ammonia and my salifert test kit read it as 1.5 again while my hanna test came up to 0.05. Any ideas on which one I should trust?

 

[CLYRIC]

Ime both are reliable. Stuff happens tho and usually when there's a big difference in results it's good to retest. Read directions again if you need a refresher and worth checking the exp dates on the reagents. Any reason the cycling tank would have elevated nitrates?

Yea, I did read over the directions again and results are the same. The only reason why I think the cycling tank has a high nitrate is because I dosed it with turbostart 900 and I dosed what was recommended for 25 gallons while the tank is only 10 gallons.

 

[CLYRIC]

Salifert over Hanna any day of the week. I have seen way too many problems with "bad badge" Hanna reagents.

What's a "bad badge"?

 

[CLYRIC]

Did you observing the little bottle at the right angle by salifert? Observation from above and side is different

for ammonia I observed from the side, but nitrate/nitrite I observed from the top

 

[gbroadbridge]

I ended up getting a hanna ammonia test kit and it read 0.03 ppm and I tested with salifert and at the time came up with 0.25. I dosed it again with ammonia and my salifert test kit read it as 1.5 again while my hanna test came up to 0.05. Any ideas on which one I should trust?

Did you press and hold the button on the hanna to start the 15 minute timer?

 

[Harold999]

What's a "bad badge"?

Reagents that shouldn't have reached the store because of problems during manufacturing.

 

[CLYRIC]

Did you press and hold the button on the hanna to start the 15 minute timer?

Yea, I did. I followed all instructions

 

[Midrats]

Salifert over Hanna any day of the week. I have seen way too many problems with "bad badge" Hanna reagents.

And not just because you're Dutch!

 

[Midrats]

I have both and prefer Salifert. I miss RHF and Habib's debates on RC back in the day.