abc reagents don't expire?

[areefer01]

Good info here, thanks everyone. Sounds like the takeaway is: ABC doesn't publish an expiration date, but CoralVue lists a 24-month shelf life unopened once opened/capped (not sealed), that clock likely moves faster, especially if exposed to light (mmorrison55's clear glass storage may have sped up the B/C degradation). My high alk reading was probably a mix of aged reagent + needing a recalibration after switching from Neptune's reagents mid-stream. Going forward I'll date my bottles on arrival and buy only what I'll use in ~6 months.

Something to think about but will say up front that this is a personal hobbyist decision. Coralvue is selling ABC reagents. Neptune and CoralVue are competitors. CoralVue is sniping a little bit of revenue from Neptune. CoralVue, if they manage to release the Maven, is reagent based testing. They have said that they are putting barcodes on their reagent bottles to register before use. They also announced the Maven prior to Neptune announcing their Trident NP...

 

[TokenReefer]

I always thought this was the trident origin story

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I always thought this was the trident origin story

Not sure I understand. Did something in this thread suggest it is not?

 

[TokenReefer]

Not sure I understand. Did something in this thread suggest it is not?

Lol no. Sorry. I'm not sure the timeline on the maven announcement stuff. Was sort of just throwing this out there in that context... I also don't really care tbh. I should have just kept quiet :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Not a problem. FWIW, that is not something that I keep track of either. :)

 

[IsraeLins]

On a side note, im seriously considering to selling my trident and picking up an aquawiz or aquarino kh to test alk hourly without reagents, and just forget about testing ca and mg except occasionally with my Hanna.

Honestly, that’s a solid plan. I’ve been using Aquarino KH and I recommend it. Testing alkalinity hourly without reagents is a big deal, because you stop chasing swings and start seeing what your alk actually does over the day.

The best part for me is that it doesn’t need reagents, which lowers the cost of testing a lot. You only pay for the device once.

As for Ca and Mg, I agree with you: once alk is stable and your dosing is consistent, they tend to be much more stable, and an occasional check with a Hanna is enough. Just keep in mind that your Ca/Mg will drift if you’re dosing a lot of alk, so check them every few weeks.

I’d say go for it. Happy to answer questions if you decide to get one!