Hanna alk problem

tigre44

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Last week I did my weekly checks and found alk at 5.99 with my Hanna kit. i slug fed sodium bicarb to bring it up and increased my dosing pump quantity a few days later alk barely moved. Slug fed again and checked two days later and alk got worse yet my coral, clams and fish seemed fine. I decided to check with an Aquaforest test kit and got 8.4. So what can be wrong with a Hanna kit. tubes are clean doing the test the same way I have for two years. Should I change the battery even though it seems fine or try another reagent bottle?
 

A_Blind_Reefer

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Last week I did my weekly checks and found alk at 5.99 with my Hanna kit. i slug fed sodium bicarb to bring it up and increased my dosing pump quantity a few days later alk barely moved. Slug fed again and checked two days later and alk got worse yet my coral, clams and fish seemed fine. I decided to check with an Aquaforest test kit and got 8.4. So what can be wrong with a Hanna kit. tubes are clean doing the test the same way I have for two years. Should I change the battery even though it seems fine or try another reagent bottle?
The reagent has a limited shelf life once opened. Try a fresh, unopened bottle that has not expired and try again. If it were truly 5.99 any corals you have would have been dead.
 

Pistondog

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Try a fresh bottle. But, i did have the tester fail. They are cheap electronic devices that use an led and light sensor. If either is dirty ymmv.
 

gbroadbridge

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Last week I did my weekly checks and found alk at 5.99 with my Hanna kit. i slug fed sodium bicarb to bring it up and increased my dosing pump quantity a few days later alk barely moved. Slug fed again and checked two days later and alk got worse yet my coral, clams and fish seemed fine. I decided to check with an Aquaforest test kit and got 8.4. So what can be wrong with a Hanna kit. tubes are clean doing the test the same way I have for two years. Should I change the battery even though it seems fine or try another reagent bottle?
How old is the reagent?
Shelf life once opened is 3 months or so.
As it ages, it reads lower and lower.
 

Coolcasino

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I have used 2 new bottles of reagents. Open, draw the required reagent and into the fridge it goes. Used the bottle up and all test were fine. Did the same with another bottle... and all test were fine. I'm on the 3rd bottle and all test are fine. Before reading the thread about placing the alk test reagent in the fridge the test results would be lower and lower. Haven't had a problem since keeping the reagent refrigerated. IDK if Hanna changed something in the reagent as I can remember when I first got the checker the reagents would be fine and didn't need to be refrigerated. As said above get new reagent when you can and test. See if you can get a fellow reefer or your LFS to test it for you. Then use your checker with new reagent. If it tests normal or like your LFS or reefer friend then plop the reagent in the fridge. If it still reads high then your checker isn't working correctly.
 

eqbal9947

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I have used 2 new bottles of reagents. Open, draw the required reagent and into the fridge it goes. Used the bottle up and all test were fine. Did the same with another bottle... and all test were fine. I'm on the 3rd bottle and all test are fine. Before reading the thread about placing the alk test reagent in the fridge the test results would be lower and lower. Haven't had a problem since keeping the reagent refrigerated. IDK if Hanna changed something in the reagent as I can remember when I first got the checker the reagents would be fine and didn't need to be refrigerated. As said above get new reagent when you can and test. See if you can get a fellow reefer or your LFS to test it for you. Then use your checker with new reagent. If it tests normal or like your LFS or reefer friend then plop the reagent in the fridge. If it still reads high then your checker isn't working correctly.
thats the creepiest profile picture ever lool
 
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