lfs with hanna checkers?

[russ-iv]

anyone know of a lfs in metro atlanta area with hanna checkers?

specifically im looking for the alkalinity and the ultra low phosphorus kit.

 

[skriz]

Skip the checkers, they're not accurate. Hannah doesn't actually have saltwater reagents, so the checkers are using fw reagents and trying to make an educated guesstimate as to what the sw conversion might be.

Standard test kits are better. Or, get a Hach unit.

 

[russ-iv]

Skriz;1040883 wrote: Skip the checkers, they're not accurate. Hannah doesn't actually have saltwater reagents, so the checkers are using fw reagents and trying to make an educated guesstimate as to what the sw conversion might be.

Standard test kits are better. Or, get a Hach unit.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131451194349">Hanna Checker</a>

looks marine to me

I am having issues with test kits and their accuracy. Mainly alk and phosphate.

Salifert is junk for phosphates. I trust my api kit more than it. Infact, i saw on amazon 2 people having the same issue as me always reporting 0 phosphate.

API phosphate always shows .25 ppm with ro/di water but my salt water it shows 0 (weird)

Red Sea Alk Kit (regular) is also junk.

I had my wife bring back some NSW from the coast the past weekend and as an excercise, used some kits on them.

After 6 hours from filling the jugs and me testing them, it stated the alk was 9. I tested several times.

API was 7.5
Red Sea 9 (not pro)

0 phosphate salifert
.25 phosphate api

my other tests ran as expected with NSW... even if it was on the coast. I understand there may be human error, and these are just chemical tests. However something doesnt add up to the sniffer. API seems to be more accurate than either of those 2 with the tests... and im not really an API fan.

 

[bcavalli]

Skriz;1040883 wrote: Skip the checkers, they're not accurate. Hannah doesn't actually have saltwater reagents, so the checkers are using fw reagents and trying to make an educated guesstimate as to what the sw conversion might be.

Standard test kits are better. Or, get a Hach unit.

I wouldnt agree with that. I have found my Hanna Calcium and Alkalinity checkers very accurate. I use standards to verify the accuracy and have taken samples into several LFS and the results were nearly identical. All three checkers are for marine use. I can't speak about the low phosphate checker since I don't use it.

Hanna Calcium checker details
http://shop.hannainst.com/hi758-calcium.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi758-calcium.html</a>

Hanna Alkalinity Checker details
[IMG]http://shop.hannainst.com/hi755-alkalinity-saltwater.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi755-alkalinity-saltwater.html</a>

Hanna ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker details
[IMG]http://shop.hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html</a>

 

[russ-iv]

i did my research.

only checker i saw that was inconsistent was calcium. seems the others have better reviews.

im going to a lfs and ill purchase the red sea PRO versions of these kits. but if red sea states panama beach's water has 9 dkh im gonna chuck it in the trash.

dont get me wrong i love red sea kits. and salifert has some good ones as well, but a 2 degree difference is a ton for me considering i need to be at least within 1 degree of 8 and i want to be at .005-.01 po4

 

[skriz]

Russ-IV;1040887 wrote: http://www.ebay.com/itm/131451194349">Hanna Checker</a>

looks marine to me

I am having issues with test kits and their accuracy. Mainly alk and phosphate.

Salifert is junk for phosphates. I trust my api kit more than it. Infact, i saw on amazon 2 people having the same issue as me always reporting 0 phosphate.

API phosphate always shows .25 ppm with ro/di water but my salt water it shows 0 (weird)

Red Sea Alk Kit (regular) is also junk.

I had my wife bring back some NSW from the coast the past weekend and as an excercise, used some kits on them.

After 6 hours from filling the jugs and me testing them, it stated the alk was 9. I tested several times.

API was 7.5
Red Sea 9 (not pro)

0 phosphate salifert
.25 phosphate api

my other tests ran as expected with NSW... even if it was on the coast. I understand there may be human error, and these are just chemical tests. However something doesnt add up to the sniffer. API seems to be more accurate than either of those 2 with the tests... and im not really an API fan.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=][B]Bcavalli;1040901 wrote:[/B] I wouldnt agree with that. I have found my Hanna Calcium and Alkalinity checkers very accurate. I use standards to verify the accuracy and have taken samples into several LFS and the results were nearly identical. All three checkers are for marine use. I can't speak about the low phosphate checker since I don't use it.

Hanna Calcium checker details
[IMG]http://shop.hannainst.com/hi758-calcium.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi758-calcium.html</a>

Hanna Alkalinity Checker details
[IMG]http://shop.hannainst.com/hi755-alkalinity-saltwater.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi755-alkalinity-saltwater.html</a>

Hanna ultra Low Range Phosphate Checker details
[IMG]http://shop.hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html">http://shop.hannainst.com/hi736-phosphorus-ulr.html</a>[/QUOTE]

Research: I've spoken to Hanna's chemist in length and they do not have saltwater reagents. They sell them as sw reagents, but they're just repackaged fw stuff. According to him, they can't accurately test many sw parameters. Testing against other equipment (lab and Hach), this has been confirmed. Even their bench units (it was a couple of grand) can't do it, again, due to the reagents. I know, I had one and when the numbers didn't jive, I dug deeper. The sales people have no clue, so I had to go up the ladder and get to the people in R&D. Their main chemist had no hesitation to call it out..almost acted as though I should've known!

Anyhoo, their phosphate cholorimeter is great. Never used the checker version of that, though. I don't recall most of the other parameters, but Alk was way off. I'd be curious to see how your results are.

Ultimately, if you're finding them to be close to test kits, then keep on keeping on!

 

[stickman]

To answer your question is no most of the atl fish stores do not check with that type of test kit! If you want to borrow mine you can they are great stuff I have all of them just let me know

 

[russ-iv]

Skriz;1040945 wrote: Research: I've spoken to Hanna's chemist in length and they do not have saltwater reagents. They sell them as sw reagents, but they're just repackaged fw stuff. According to him, they can't accurately test many sw parameters. Testing against other equipment (lab and Hach), this has been confirmed. Even their bench units (it was a couple of grand) can't do it, again, due to the reagents. I know, I had one and when the numbers didn't jive, I dug deeper. The sales people have no clue, so I had to go up the ladder and get to the people in R&D. Their main chemist had no hesitation to call it out..almost acted as though I should've known!

Anyhoo, their phosphate cholorimeter is great. Never used the checker version of that, though. I don't recall most of the other parameters, but Alk was way off. I'd be curious to see how your results are.

Ultimately, if you're finding them to be close to test kits, then keep on keeping on!

ok this adds quite a bit of weight. I believe ill end up getting the checkers in the end anyway, as i am not confident with my current tests via alk or phosphate. same odd feeling i guess you got with the alk hanna checker.

Stickman;1040960 wrote: To answer your question is no most of the atl fish stores do not check with that type of test kit! If you want to borrow mine you can they are great stuff I have all of them just let me know

yeah that would be fine. i can bring my alk and phosphate kits and test your water. see if they measure up with hanna. im mainly interested with alk and phosphate though.

mag, trates, calcium, sg, ive got on lock and very confident
alk im going to run on api and just use it as a guestimate
po4 i believe im flying blind. api is just too unpredictable from 0-.25. for now i just turn my gfo on every night before bed and turn it off before work in the am.

seems my po4 is low since coralline is growing on my sand now.

 

[axio]

I don't carry them because it's very hard to find a distributor for them and be competitive price wise. I would guess you should be able to easily find them at poo/spa supply stores. I think the biggest thing with them is too remember to calibrate them on a regular basis. And it definitely is a good idea to check them up against a LFS's kits or your own regular test kits.

Jakub

 

[bcavalli]

Skriz;1040883 wrote: Skip the checkers, they're not accurate. Hannah doesn't actually have saltwater reagents, so the checkers are using fw reagents and trying to make an educated guesstimate as to what the sw conversion might be.

Standard test kits are better. Or, get a Hach unit.

Like any test kits in our price range, they could never be as accurate as laboratory equipment. I did run across a comparison of the Hanna checkers and a Hach Analyzer on Advanced Aquarist. The Alkalinity tester consistently resulted in slightly higher alkalinity readings than the Hach analysis. That could be problematic if a person was to run alkalinity at or near natural seawater. Your comments got me thinking that I may want to slightly raise my alkalinity level accordingly. I thought it was a great read.

 

[russ-iv]

Bcavalli;1041019 wrote: Like any test kits in our price range, they could never be as accurate as laboratory equipment. I did run across a comparison of the Hanna checkers and a Hach Analyzer on Advanced Aquarist. The Alkalinity tester consistently resulted in slightly higher alkalinity readings than the Hach analysis. That could be problematic if a person was to run alkalinity at or near natural seawater. Your comments got me thinking that I may want to slightly raise my alkalinity level accordingly. I thought it was a great read.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/8/review">http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2011/8/review</a>[/QUOTE]

interesting read. and even more interesting that they are using the same 2 tests that i am interested in. (except im looking at ultra low phosphorous test).

So as long as you added +1 dkh to the alk test kit, you would have the actual value compared to a hach.

The phosphate test is incredibly impressive. i wonder how the ultra low one performs. Either way, they are pretty good for hobbyists.

Thanks for the find Brett

 

[bcavalli]

Russ-IV;1041021 wrote: interesting read. and even more interesting that they are using the same 2 tests that i am interested in. (except im looking at ultra low phosphorous test).

So as long as you added +1 dkh to the alk test kit, you would have the actual value compared to a hach.

The phosphate test is incredibly impressive. i wonder how the ultra low one performs. Either way, they are pretty good for hobbyists.

Thanks for the find Brett

Your welcome. It is good to note the higher level and adjust accordingly.

 

[russ-iv]

sorry. meant -1. but adjust up 1

bah

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Russ-IV;1040983 wrote: ok this adds quite a bit of weight. I believe ill end up getting the checkers in the end anyway, as i am not confident with my current tests via alk or phosphate. same odd feeling i guess you got with the alk hanna checker.



yeah that would be fine. i can bring my alk and phosphate kits and test your water. see if they measure up with hanna. im mainly interested with alk and phosphate though.

mag, trates, calcium, sg, ive got on lock and very confident
alk im going to run on api and just use it as a guestimate
po4 i believe im flying blind. api is just too unpredictable from 0-.25. for now i just turn my gfo on every night before bed and turn it off before work in the am.

seems my po4 is low since coralline is growing on my sand now.

Not sure it you where aware of this verification technique that is available. It's cost is $50 for one extensive look at your current water parameters. The upfront cost will verify your testing techniques and clarifying whether your current water testing process is within reasonable values or values to be concerned with. It will also verify how accurate your brand of testing kits falls. I've never used this method, just thought I would make you aware of this lab verification method.

Wannabee

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;1041058 wrote: Not sure it you where aware of this verification technique that is available. It's cost is $50 for one extensive look at your current water parameters. The upfront cost will verify your testing techniques and clarifying whether your current water testing process is within reasonable values or values to be concerned with. It will also verify how accurate your brand of testing kits falls. I've never used this method, just thought I would make you aware of this lab verification method.

Wannabee

Forgot to post the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86rJBsr7vH8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86rJBsr7vH8</a> .

Wannabee

 

[russ-iv]

WannabeeaReefKeeper;1041059 wrote: Forgot to post the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86rJBsr7vH8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86rJBsr7vH8</a> .

Wannabee[/QUOTE]

yeah im aware of it.
im not quite ready for triton yet. i have a very bouncy tank atm due to it being so young.

not the typical nitrate, po4, calcium, and other test kit "bounces" but because of the special fairy dust that makes a mature tank. when i have a solid grasp of this tank's personality so to speak, ill start deep diving in to triton or just get a hach.