@Literallyhydro I dose 9 ml of NO3PO4X 24/7, protein skimming and the tank is also constantly changing water via a doser that operates 24 hours a day (2.24 gallons a day)
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Thank you for the information. Seems the only thing I'm doing differently is the water change schedule. [emoji1] I hope my tank will someday be as nice, where my fuzzy sticks are slightly larger fuzzy sticks [emoji4]@Literallyhydro I dose 9 ml of NO3PO4X 24/7, protein skimming and the tank is also constantly changing water via a doser that operates 24 hours a day (2.24 gallons a day)
I’m someone who has used a monitor to track the trends in my system pretty closely for about a year. I saw a significant growth increase in my system when I instituted it’s usage for the simple fact that it revealed that the Hanna checker that I had used was reading 1 dKH lower than both the KHG and a salifert titration test. Once my alkalinity was at a 7.5 dKH things took off.
I for the longest time believed the Hanna alkalinity checker was the best choice for testing. Now I'm seeing quite a few people say they are off the mark. Maybe I should consider titration tests instead.Question - how can you be sure its not your monitor thats reading incorrectly - since 2 tests are showing similar values different from your monitor. Im sure the monitor is calibrated somehow - but it seems odd.
I trust my Salifert kit. I typically used each manufacture I could find when I switch manufacture of a test kit due to expiration or something to get my mind around what color change I'm looking for in the kit and how they compare to each other. I have been most comfortable with the salifert line of test kits and now that I use them the most frequently, I recognize the color changes easier on their kits than ones I am not as accustomed to using like red sea for example. I do not run them against a control but it can't be to hard to find or make a ALK reference solution. I think again its about constant more so than the exact number your holding to me. I'm still very curious about the amount of ALK added at once, and how frequent as well as when it is added in the light cycle and thus how it effects PH,coral growth, and stability in my system.I for the longest time believed the Hanna alkalinity checker was the best choice for testing. Now I'm seeing quite a few people say they are off the mark. Maybe I should consider titration tests instead.
Question - how can you be sure its not your monitor thats reading incorrectly - since 2 tests are showing similar values different from your monitor. Im sure the monitor is calibrated somehow - but it seems odd.
I misunderstood. I thought the Hanna and the Salifert agreed and the khg was higherThe KHG actually agreed consistently with the salifert test which is an acid titration that is known to be a reliable methodology for testing alkalinity. The KHG is also an acid based titration and was giving me identical results. Meanwhile my Hanna checker (which I had used reigiously for at least 8 months) read 1 dKH lower consistently. I also had a new in the box hanna checker that I also tested with and received a number .4dKh higher than the titration kits (so 1.4dKH higher than the other Hanna checker). Both hanna checkers were tested against the hanna standard cuvette and passed their margin of error within reason. Multiple samples were taken using different lots of reagents with the same exact results.
At that point I decided to trust the acid titration tests over the checkers.
I still routinely check with a salifert kit, it’s quick easy and gives me consistent accurate results.
Everyone has a different experience. I happened to have a couple wonky checkers. There are plenty of folks that have had no issues.
For full disclosure when I originally posted about my experiences A representative of Hanna contacted me and offered to replace my checker to make it right, which I didn’t solicit in any way, clearly they work hard to stand behind their product and help their customers. That’s a BIG deal these days! Hanna gets big kudos from me for that!
Interesting that in your experiment it generally reads close to the same as salifert.When I was using the hanna checker last yr, I would test 2x in a row Occasionally, and I did see significant differences maybe twice. I am always careful on quantities and to clean the vial very well before each test. I decided it was too inconsistent to serve my needs and why I back shelved it. During my tests I'm doing this time I was not double testing, but I will now because reagent is almost exprired anyway so in the name of my pseudoscience well make use of it best we can. For the below tests I am not doing an other additions at all that would likely effect daily ALK other than KALK ATO. ALK dose is on pause till I reach <8.7 and I am diluting my 100 gallon KALK ATO because it was introducing more ALK than my systems is using and my CA is rather high "470" atm and I want to let the ATO water dilute so I may get those back into line over the next 30 days. This is typical of my system and I would not say I have a huge ALk consumption rate in my system. I do find I over shoot ALk if my KALK is fully saturated due to over 4 gallons a day going into the system for evaporation. To be as fair as possible to HANNA checker I am rinsing both with room temperature RODI prior to test and after the test which is typical for all my test vials and test procedures including salifert. I use the same glass vial each time in the checker as well. I don't use the second vial they provide. lid is on every time and vial is wiped clean every time. All of those things I think can matter and lead to inconsistency in all testing methods.
results to date=
3-2-18 check =
8:30 am =salifert 9.3/ Hanna 9.3
5:30 pm = salifert 9.3/ Hanna 9.3
3-3-18 checks
8:30 am =none
5:30 pm =none
3-4-18 am test
9:30 am =first test salifert =8.9,/Hanna 9.0/ second Hanna =9.1,
Pm test TBD
Dude you need to know the margin of error in each test. And the numbers you have gotten are well within that range.I think my results show again that not every tester is as well calibrated as others. And I'm willing to say you should never make a dose or change to your doser until you verified there is a change with multi tests or test kits. I'm confident enough in salfert test kits that if i see change i adjust for about half what i think i need then retest in 48 hours. and I always write down what it was before and after the test on my doser program. That way I can easily undo what ever I added or subtracted confidently. I keep a large white board on the wall for all that stuff.
3-2-18 check =
8:30 am =salifert 9.3/ Hanna 9.3
5:30 pm = salifert 9.3/ Hanna 9.3
3-3-18 checks
8:30 am =none
5:30 pm =none
3-4-18 am test
9:30 am =first test salifert =8.9,/Hanna 9.0/ second Hanna =9.1,
6:30 pm =first test sailfert 8.9/Hanna 8.7 / second Hanna =8.8
DUDE didn't say there weren't, just posting the data man. No trash talking any type of test or method or margin or error. Just simple data related to the tread. No crazy results as of yet I don't think.. everything is as expected and on track. I don't consider my HANNA to be one thats ""bad"" but i just don't want to use it as my main method of ALK monitoring after what I have read about them. Data so far to me says mine is fine and works as its supposed to.Dude you need to know the margin of error in each test. And the numbers you have gotten are well within that range.
DUDE didn't say there weren't, just posting the data man. No trash talking any type of test or method or margin or error. Just simple data related to the tread. No crazy results as of yet I don't think.. everything is as expected and on track. I don't consider my HANNA to be one thats ""bad"" but i just don't want to use it as my main method of ALK monitoring after what I have read about them. Data so far to me says mine is fine and works as its supposed to.
I think my results show again that not every tester is as well calibrated as others. And I'm willing to say you should never make a dose or change to your doser until you verified there is a change with multi tests or test kits