Hanna phosphate checker help

[imustbenuts]

I have the Hanna phosphate checker and have decided to start using it. I have 2 tanks and both are reading 0. The reagents don’t expire until 12/18. I find that hard to believe based on the amount of cleaning I’m doing on the glass. I am wondering if anyone has this checker and would be willing to use my device to check their tank to compare to their units result. I am in the South Bay.

[Livinlocal]

If you are ever in santee, you can come by and compare it to what mine reads.

[imustbenuts]

Thanks for the offer. I’ll try to find someone down in the South Bay first but if no luck I will take you up on your offer.

[Kris]

The LFS might let you borrow a vial of water. If it reads zero, your meter is broken.

[Mps]

My hanna checker gives me a diff reading even with sequential checks. First reading .08 n second .04. I dont get it.


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[Kris]

The Checkers are tricky at best. I was told that the vial must be clean of finger prints, smudges, & salt creep because the meter works by measuring the light deflection as it passes through the vial & sample. ALSO, the vial needs to be carefully aligned and placed back into the meter facing the same direction during the process to account for variability in the vial itself. I use the 10ml paint marking as an orientation point that I use to align the vial each time. The Checkers will give more reliable results if there are no bubbles in the test solution, and I mix the reagent for the full 2 minutes before setting the timer to count another 3 minutes before the meter measures the sample. The process is slow, and makes me hate phosphate even more every time I use the thing.

I also have a set of the Hanna Standard Solution Calibration vials that I can check the meter with. The results I get only confirm that the instrument is best used as an indicator of the ball park condition of the nutrients present in the tank. Combined with tank observations, these meters generally confirm what my eyes will also tell me. If I have been over feeding and nutrients are up, etc. the Checker will detect that and tell me the there really is algae growing on the glass.

I am usually better off spending the time doing water changes than fiddling with the Checker. The last time I used it I sampled twice and got the same number twice. I need to do a water change now.

[imustbenuts]

The Checkers are tricky at best. I was told that the vial must be clean of finger prints, smudges, & salt creep because the meter works by measuring the light deflection as it passes through the vial & sample. ALSO, the vial needs to be carefully aligned and placed back into the meter facing the same direction during the process to account for variability in the vial itself. I use the 10ml paint marking as an orientation point that I use to align the vial each time. The Checkers will give more reliable results if there are no bubbles in the test solution, and I mix the reagent for the full 2 minutes before setting the timer to count another 3 minutes before the meter measures the sample. The process is slow, and makes me hate phosphate even more every time I use the thing.

I also have a set of the Hanna Standard Solution Calibration vials that I can check the meter with. The results I get only confirm that the instrument is best used as an indicator of the ball park condition of the nutrients present in the tank. Combined with tank observations, these meters generally confirm what my eyes will also tell me. If I have been over feeding and nutrients are up, etc. the Checker will detect that and tell me the there really is algae growing on the glass.

I am usually better off spending the time doing water changes than fiddling with the Checker. The last time I used it I sampled twice and got the same number twice. I need to do a water change now.

Lol nice write up. When the glass is covered in a sea of green 2 hours after it was brushed off I guess it’s a good sign I have phosphates in my tank. Just frustrating when the meter says 0. Money well spent.

[imustbenuts]

My hanna checker gives me a diff reading even with sequential checks. First reading .08 n second .04. I dont get it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Our meters must have been made on the same day. Sheesh.

[pellikan]

K, I'm officially NOT gonna buy a Hanna checker. The only reason I would consider something like that is they tout it's convenience and frankly, ya'll's experience doesn't sound convenient. Top that off with inaccuracy and the device's fairly high initial cost... nah-ah, ain't happening!

[imustbenuts]

K, I'm officially NOT gonna buy a Hanna checker. The only reason I would consider something like that is they tout it's convenience and frankly, ya'll's experience doesn't sound convenient. Top that off with inaccuracy and the device's fairly high initial cost... nah-ah, ain't happening!

I really like the alkalinity checker. The phosphate is cumbersome with the reagent packets. They say the phosphorus checker adjusted for phosphate readings is more accurate. IDK. I don’t have the calcium checker yet.

[Kris]

Just for the record, I have used both phosphate & phosphorus checkers and they both have the same precision issues.

[imustbenuts]

Just for the record, I have used both phosphate & phosphorus checkers and they both have the same precision issues.

Thanks for the input.good to know����