Nitrate Hanna checker, always 0.00

[toxai]

What was the nitrate level after you cycled the tank?

The same one. It has never been different from 0.00

 

[toxai]

Hi you all. I'm very grateful for all the answers. I'll go to my local store to check if I can change the reagents because, in fact, it sounds like something weird is going on with them. Also thinking about getting an auto doser, as this is taking around 2 - 3 hours of my time almost daily to check all the parameters. And in 120L the change very drastically.

 

[Dan_P]

The same one. It has never been different from 0.00

Just wondering. How did you cycle the tank and end up with 0 nitrate

 

[toxai]

Just wondering. How did you cycle the tank and end up with 0 nitrate

It's just that the number always had been wrong. It never was actually 0. So the tank always had some nitrate even if it was in low presence.

 

[gbroadbridge]

It's just that the number always had been wrong. It never was actually 0. So the tank always had some nitrate even if it was in low presence.

It's a good idea to keep a salifert kit around as a sanity checker.

They don't really expire, and are as accurate as the Hanna in every test I've run.

 

[toxai]

It's a good idea to keep a salifert kit around as a sanity checker.

They don't really expire, and are as accurate as the Hanna in every test I've run.

Those are not electronic right ? It sounds like i'll probably need the nitrates one, at least till I solve the problem with hanna's.
Just wondering, does it exist any automatic/selfworking thing that measures the parameters and add the amount of product required to keep stable all of them ? I've heard that this kind of computer-like things exist but I'm still not sure of that and In case it's true, how are them called.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Those are not electronic right ? It sounds like i'll probably need the nitrates one, at least till I solve the problem with hanna's.
Just wondering, does it exist any automatic/selfworking thing that measures the parameters and add the amount of product required to keep stable all of them ? I've heard that this kind of computer-like things exist but I'm still not sure of that and In case it's true, how are them called.

No, the Salifert tests are not electronic.

The Nitrate is colorimetric where you compare the color of the solution against a test chart.
Having said that, for the Nitrate test the color is quite easy to read.
The phosphate test is very difficult to read so avoid that one

The salifert Alkalinity is also a great sanity checker, it does not really expire either and again is as accurate as the Hanna, just not as convenient.

In terms of auto correcting, that is easy to do with Alk, I use the Reef Factory kh keeper and associated doser which keeps Alk, Ca and Mg close to whaere I want them. Generally within +/- 0.2 dkh for months at a time.

You can't really auto test and manage Nitrate and Phosphate as changes/corrections normally happen slowly - and you don't want them to change fast.

 

[toxai]

No, the Salifert tests are not electronic.

The Nitrate is colorimetric where you compare the color of the solution against a test chart.
Having said that, for the Nitrate test the color is quite easy to read.
The phosphate test is very difficult to read so avoid that one

The salifert Alkalinity is also a great sanity checker, it does not really expire either and again is as accurate as the Hanna, just not as convenient.

In terms of auto correcting, that is easy to do with Alk, I use the Reef Factory kh keeper and associated doser which keeps Alk, Ca and Mg close to whaere I want them. Generally within +/- 0.2 dkh for months at a time.

You can't really auto test and manage Nitrate and Phosphate as changes/corrections normally happen slowly - and you don't want them to change fast.

I understand.
I'll take a look at the reef factory kh keeper. Sounds better than using kh blend 2 times a week.
As for the nitrate, I will report back when I check if the problem is in the reagents and what the actual true nitrate level is.
Thanks