Birthing twins through my eyeball would be easier than using a nitrate hanna tester

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mistergray

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I actually quite like it, but it’s not for everyone. I picked one up when starting to dose nitrate/ammonium, because my nitrate was bottoming out

I want to maintain 2-3ppm, but don’t want to dose something if I can’t measure it and dial in the dose. I wanted to be able to estimate daily consumption and match it with a dose. I think that’s a pretty specific use case, and I’m still figuring out if that even makes sense to do, but I wouldn’t be able to attempt it without this
I understand. I think I hated it more because (1) the instructions weren't clear on how to use the hanna. My hanna never had a countdown and never displayed C2, I had to force it to display C2 and (2) I never received a result after doing all that. Doing it again is pointless if I can't get the tester to display what they're listing out in the instructions. I want to love it, I really do, but maybe they need to have someone redo the instructions.

Did you get a countdown timer as the instructions mentioned?
 
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NYOS will never go near my reef again, and I will never suggest anyone buy their kit! I bought the NYOS kit as everyone suggested, I was dosing to get my nitrates up while fighting dinos early on in this tank.

NYOS did great up to about 3ppm. Kept adding neo nitro and the nyos kit kept saying 3ppm, never anymore. Got suspicious of the reading, as I was adding more and more nitrate solution, but the numbers never moved over 3ppm. So I went and bought another NYOS to confirm the reading(you know since everyone says NYOS is second to none....BS). Both tests tell me 3ppm. so I just go with it.

Fast forward a few months of dosing and reading 3ppm. I thought "great I got a handle on this!". Then things started to look off, no other way to explain it, other then things looked off....

Was doing some reading ion these forums along with a few others, and most of the SPS guru's I know, and were reading about were using the Red Sea Pro kit, so I went and bought one. Low and behold I was 20ppm according to the red sea kit. Got my nitrates down to around 5, and everything perked back up.

NYOS never again for me.

My secret santa this year got me the Hanna Nitrate test. Great kit up to 4ppm, it's the dilution step(you need nitrate free salt water, good luck trying to find one. Every salt mix has some nitrate in it) that screws with the meter. I wouldn't mind the time it takes to do the test(red sea pro takes about 12 minutes start to finish), it's just the dilution step that messes it all up.

Of course if you keep your nitrate level under 4ppm(yes the meter says 5, but over 4 it throws the over error), I suppose other then the time it takes to run the test, and the cost of replacement reagent(and don't forget the little paper filters), it is super accurate when compared to other test kits.
Wow, all good info to know! Glad you were able to finally get things in control. Have you stopped using your hanna tester altogether?
 

homer1475

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Nitrate, yes.

I still use and recommend the ALK kit(keep a second test kit on hand to verify weird reading sometimes/known issues with reagents), and the ULR phosphorus kits. Only ones that have repeatability, and reliability IMO.

But like other things in reefing, we all have our ways, and products we like.
 
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Once you get the steps down, it’s not that bad, IMO. Personally, I cannot stand trying to determine what shade of pink or yellow something is. I would still prefer the Hanna even if it just gave a range or was less exact. I think if you were testing multiple tanks, the time it takes to test would be prohibitive, but if you have just one or two tanks it’s doesn’t really take that much more time than any of the other tests. I have my girlfriend help me test each week and together we cen test everything in under a half hour (I don’t know how I lucked out getting a GF that nerds out about reef tanks and video games as much as I do).
Wow, you did luck out! My wife has no interest AT ALL!!!

Any who, I truly want to love it, but.....either their instructions are wrong or the hanna tester is wrong. I can get over the steps if the instructions were correct. I could never get C2 to display as they instructed. After messing around w/ it, it eventually displayed. I could never get the countdown timer they mentioned in the instructions. AND most importantly, I never got a reading at all. I really didn't see the point of doing the test over if the tester doesn't even display what they're asking for in the instructions. I really had high hopes too... :(
 
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The Hanna Marine Nitrate rest is not for everyone. The test itself might be the best on the market for accuracy and precision. Maybe I should start offering to buy these testers from unsatisfied reefers.
Lol!!!! You'd have so many hanna testers, you'd corner the market if you did that. LOL!!!! See my last response on the tester and why I specifically hate it, but I truly want to love it.
 

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I think the hanna is incredibly easy once you do it a couple times. I don't even use the directions anymore. And it gives me a number I can read
 
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Nitrate, yes.

I still use and recommend the ALK kit(keep a second test kit on hand to verify weird reading sometimes/known issues with reagents), and the ULR phosphorus kits. Only ones that have repeatability, and reliability IMO.

But like other things in reefing, we all have our ways, and products we like.
Does the ALK hanna tester require you to take the BAR exam, SAT and run the Spartan Race backwards while blindfolded? LOL!!!! OR is it a walk in the park?

On another note, I've been having the hardest time deciding what to test. As you stated at the end "we all have our ways" and since I'm new to the hobby, I don't really have a way. I research to see what everyone else's way is. Some test only salinity and say throw all the tests away and others test everything or half of everything daily. I do not have coral yet and it will be a while before I can. It's sooooo confusing.... o_O
 
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The included instructions just plain suck!

This video demonstrates it much better:


I'll check it out! When you're done testing, what is your process for cleaning all the items in the kit?
 

homer1475

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With all my hanna stuff, I rinse in tap water, and fill the cuvettes with RO/DI, cap and store. Leaving them empty tends to leave spots and residue behind. Someone suggested a long time ago to keep the cuvettes filled, and have been doing it ever since. Anecdotally, it seems to keep the cuvettes in better shape over time.
 

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I don't mind the Hanna, but my question is regarding the zeroing method. I used to use a lab grade Hach digital spec., you just zeroed the sample, and read after adding reagents. I don't understand why you can't just zero the sample here like any other checker, or why Hanna doesn't just use the same reagent method Hach does.
 

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I'll check it out! When you're done testing, what is your process for cleaning all the items in the kit?
I rinse everything thoroughly with RO/DI water and then lay them on a paper towel to dry, and store the little vials full of RO/DI water. That last tip (storing them full of RO/DI water was recommended by BRS, they said over time you’ll start to get water stains from dried water (even if rinsing with RO/DI) on the inside of the vials making it difficult for the checker to read the vial, but if you store them full of water that won’t happen.

Also, to get to C2 and the 8 minute timer: after doing reagent A and B and filtering the solution, you press the button to turn on the checker, put the vial in the checker and then press the button again, it’ll take a second and then it should say C2. Then you take out the vial add reagent C, shake for 2 minutes, and then put back in the checker and hold the button down until the 8 minute timer starts. Then after the 8 minutes and you get the reading, hold the button down again to turn it off. Basically, its checking the solution for the difference between before and after adding the coloring agent.

Also, you need to make sure that you thoroughly clean the outside of the vial with a microfiber cloth before putting it in the checker to get rid of any finger prints or dust/debris, and then when you put it in the checker make sure the little ‘10 mil’ marking is facing forward (or towards you if you’re looking at the front of the checker).

Its really not that difficult or confusing once you get it down (took me doing it 2-3 times to get it down, but still keep the instructions handy in case I forget or am unsure of what I’m doing).
 

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My levels are low enough I don’t have to do the dilution, which takes out a lot of the complexity. So for now it really doesn’t bother me, it’s easier than my Red Sea magnesium test. But I also have only one tank. I can see it being a huge time sink with multiple tanks.
 
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I rinse everything thoroughly with RO/DI water and then lay them on a paper towel to dry, and store the little vials full of RO/DI water. That last tip (storing them full of RO/DI water was recommended by BRS, they said over time you’ll start to get water stains from dried water (even if rinsing with RO/DI) on the inside of the vials making it difficult for the checker to read the vial, but if you store them full of water that won’t happen.

Also, to get to C2 and the 8 minute timer: after doing reagent A and B and filtering the solution, you press the button to turn on the checker, put the vial in the checker and then press the button again, it’ll take a second and then it should say C2. Then you take out the vial add reagent C, shake for 2 minutes, and then put back in the checker and hold the button down until the 8 minute timer starts. Then after the 8 minutes and you get the reading, hold the button down again to turn it off. Basically, its checking the solution for the difference between before and after adding the coloring agent.

Also, you need to make sure that you thoroughly clean the outside of the vial with a microfiber cloth before putting it in the checker to get rid of any finger prints or dust/debris, and then when you put it in the checker make sure the little ‘10 mil’ marking is facing forward (or towards you if you’re looking at the front of the checker).

Its really not that difficult or confusing once you get it down (took me doing it 2-3 times to get it down, but still keep the instructions handy in case I forget or am unsure of what I’m doing).
Those little packets with the powder have some really intimidating warning photos on the side. It appears to display that the stuff inside is corrosive to your hands. How in the world did you open that packet and pour it into the vial without spilling it? They should have provided a packet that was thinner than the vial.
 

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Those little packets with the powder have some really intimidating warning photos on the side. It appears to display that the stuff inside is corrosive to your hands. How in the world did you open that packet and pour it into the vial without spilling it? They should have provided a packet that was thinner than the vial.
It’s kind of hard to describe, but you cut along the little dotted line and holding it with the corner you cut around facing up (so it’s a diamond shape and not a square), using both hands holding it on the left and right corners, you sort open it up just a little bit and then push the two sides together to make a sort of funnel. You then hold the vial with one hand and the packet between your thumb and forefinger in the other and stick the little funnel you created into the vial and then use your ringer finger to tap or flick the packet to get it to all go into the vial. If you watch basically any video about how to use the kit, it should show how to do it.
 

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