Hana Alk Test kits

[Redbird5]

I have a salifert Alk test and I'm frustrated with guessing the color and how much alk my aquarium has. The Salifert test show I'm around 5.5, my LFS shows I'm around 8 with an API. When I was at my LFS last week talking to the owner he said that Hana's reagent goes bad quickly. He tested with three Hana tests and he said they were all within expiration dates and they all gave different results. Before I drop a chunk of change for a test I'd like to know if anyone else has had this issue with Hana tests? I've heard go get a Hana test you won't regret, but I've already got tests, before I through more money at another test I want to do my research.

 

[RoanokeReef]

I use Hanna and its within tolerance of my Salifert test each time I've checked. Once you have a baseline of what you know your Alk should be you will know if the test is way off. I wouldn't trust API at all personally.

 

[Redbird5]

I use Hanna and its within tolerance of my Salifert test each time I've checked. Once you have a baseline of what you know your Alk should be you will know if the test is way off. I wouldn't trust API at all personally.

The biggest test is my animals are all healthy. I'm questioning my Salifert and researching the Hana kits because I know they have a good reputation. My question is about the Hana reagent if it's lose accuracy over time or not.

 

[RoanokeReef]

The biggest test is my animals are all healthy. I'm questioning my Salifert and researching the Hana kits because I know they have a good reputation. My question is about the Hana reagent if it's lose accuracy over time or not.

I've had my bottles last a year and be fine, I keep mine in the fridge and "swirl" them before each use and open draw than close lid right away.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Expired Hanna reagents for Alk test to show very low results.

 

[exnisstech]

I've heard refrigerating and gently shaking before use helps. I do both and have been using Hanna alk tester for years. When I'm about out if reagent I run two test one using the old and one the new reagent just to make sure the new one is close to the old which they always have been. I have compared mine to salifert once or twice and they were both close enough for me. I go though a lot so I've never used expired reagent.

 

[ScottJ]

I keep mine in the fridge also. I test 2 tanks at a time, so I keep track of number of tests I've done with that box. After the 25th, toss is and open a new one.

 

[Redbird5]

I keep mine in the fridge also. I test 2 tanks at a time, so I keep track of number of tests I've done with that box. After the 25th, toss is and open a new one.

What do you mean by the 25th? Do you mean test or what?

 

[ScottJ]

What do you mean by the 25th? Do you mean test or what?

Yup, the reagent is good for 25 tests.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I have a salifert Alk test and I'm frustrated with guessing the color and how much alk my aquarium has. The Salifert test show I'm around 5.5, my LFS shows I'm around 8 with an API. When I was at my LFS last week talking to the owner he said that Hana's reagent goes bad quickly. He tested with three Hana tests and he said they were all within expiration dates and they all gave different results. Before I drop a chunk of change for a test I'd like to know if anyone else has had this issue with Hana tests? I've heard go get a Hana test you won't regret, but I've already got tests, before I through more money at another test I want to do my research.

I use Hanna for all my tests, I also check them against Sailfert. I have never had a problem with them

 

[RoanokeReef]

What do you mean by the 25th? Do you mean test or what?

There's only 25 in a bottle with a little bit of overfill, I do the same.

 

[Redbird5]

There's only 25 in a bottle with a little bit of overfill, I do the same.

How many tests are supposedly in the bottle?

 

[Uncle99]

I’ve had no issues with Hanna Alk, HR nitrate and love the phosphorus checkers.

It’s the CA and MG that I can’t get to work, always very high.

The sample size is small which may account for the big variation I get.

Now, when it comes to phosphate, without the Hanna, my eye could determine nothing, the reaction is so so super faint…..
So this checker is a must for me.

 

[ScottJ]

How many tests are supposedly in the bottle?

25

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

A diy alk titration with a pH meter is cheaper and likely more accurate than any hobby kit or checker, and has no color guessing.

A DIY Alkalinity Test: By Randy Holmes-Farley - REEFEDITION

Alkalinity is one of the most important measurements that a reef aquarist can make. It can become rapidly depleted in many aquaria, requiring frequent measurement in order to maintain stable levels.

web.archive.org

 

[miyags]

A diy alk titration with a pH meter is cheaper and likely more accurate than any hobby kit or checker, and has no color guessing.

A DIY Alkalinity Test: By Randy Holmes-Farley - REEFEDITION

Alkalinity is one of the most important measurements that a reef aquarist can make. It can become rapidly depleted in many aquaria, requiring frequent measurement in order to maintain stable levels.

web.archive.org

Just looked at your DIY..What exactly is standard acid..I don't know what to look for

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just looked at your DIY..What exactly is standard acid..I don't know what to look for

On amazon, you can look for acids with a decent concentration given. I use 2.0 N sulfuric acid from Amazon, and dilute it to the concentration used in the article.

Numbers like 2.0 are good. 2.00 would be better, but likely much more expensive. 2 N is not adequately controlled, limiting the accuracy.

For example, 2.0, if appropriately labeled, could be 1.95 to 2.05 N in reality. Using 2 N it would be 1.5 to 2.5 in reality.

That means an alk determined with the 2.0 N could be, say, 7.8 to 8.2 dKH. I think that is plenty close enough for reefing, but if you want higher accuracy, you'd need to buy the more expensive acid types (2.00, 1.00, 0.100, etc).

Note that +/- 0.2 dKH is better than the Hanna claims even with everything perfect (+/- 0.3 dKH).

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I’ve had no issues with Hanna Alk, HR nitrate and love the phosphorus checkers.

It’s the CA and MG that I can’t get to work, always very high.

The sample size is small which may account for the big variation I get.

Now, when it comes to phosphate, without the Hanna, my eye could determine nothing, the reaction is so so super faint…..
So this checker is a must for me.

I agree. For the longest time my CA Hanna checker seemed to work fine, then all of a sudden my numbers were off the charts. So I started checking it against my Salifert tests.

 

[Reeferbadness]

Hana Alk Test is quite accurate - i have a Trident and double check both of my tanks weekly. I don't refrigerate but you should note to minimize the time the top of the reagent is open - as you can get some kind of crystallization in the liquid which throws off the test. I also like the Hana UL Phosphate test. The Hana Calcium test is garbage though. I use the Salifert for that.

 

[Privateye]

I'd question the API test more than the Salifert test, personally. Not because one is more accurate than the other, but because the API kit is more-prone to user error.

I was actually comparing these kits again yesterday. I get very similar values (within 1 dKH) when I test. However, the pitfall with the API kit is the drop size. When you squeeze the drops out faster, they are smaller in size, and you will count more of them. My coworkers were running into this issue and getting wild numbers. Shoot for about a drop per second with API (no faster, but slower is fine) and it should be closer to the Salifert number.

Also watch out for air bubbles while adding drops. They will change the drop volume.