Randy Holmes-Farley
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My Tank Thread
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Ok - totally agree. But - thinking about it, if the reagents are bad, your cuvettes are scratched or timing is off - the 8 DKH standard will have the same problems? I'm not arguing just trying to understand why not to use the test the manufacturer recommends?
A real 8 dKH standard in seawater that gives a result of 8 dKH is a very good indication that if you test your tank water under the same conditions and get 9 dKh, it is likely (not guaranteed) to be accurate. A couple of standards spanning your tank walk would be even better.
But just testing the machine electronics and photonics leaves out the most common sources of error with these tests: bad reagents, scratched cuvettes, and bad human actions (timing, etc.).
To be honest, I've never heard anyone report their Hanna filed a colored water check.