Hanna phosphate checker goes off before I am ready for C2!

Erick Armanii

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 31, 2017
Messages
809
Reaction score
713
Location
Danbury Ct
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
@Erick Armanii yes it's been an interesting week. My first rounds of testing made me believe these tests were completely useless and I remembered all the posts and videos I've seen in my up front research about people doing XYZ to their tank to fix a parameter(s), only to discover the hobby grade testing device was way off.

By now, I'm settling in. I do find having the cycling data on my parameters has helped, and it has a lot more to do with comparing than absolute values. I can even observe that (for example) while I don't know exactly what that ammonia test kit is trying to tell me, it's clearly darker than it was the day before when I tested, and this becomes useful information- better than being "blind" and having no idea- better than having made no attempt to test the water.

(I decided to test phosphorous and other parameters not necessarily important yet, because I thought it might later be useful to have an early reading, and wanted to see if some rumors about what all of this pukani rock might do to the water were true (so far, they aren't).)
giphy.gif
 

I’ma tempermental coral

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 7, 2019
Messages
2,985
Reaction score
3,772
Location
The mountains of Southern California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
So I use the ULR phosphorus, the part per billion checker. While the 3 minute sleep time is annoying I have become rather proficient in getting it all together in time. With some hiccups here and there. That said, a little food for thought. It may not be the 100% correct way to do it, if I feel like I’m about to hit the sleep timer while I’m still cleaning the vile I will just grab the checker, press and hold to start the 3 minute timer, finish my cleaning and get the sample into the checker while it’s counting down. Like I said, food for thought. It’s what I do to save myself from having to spend another reagent.
 
OP
OP
Trever

Trever

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 19, 2020
Messages
671
Reaction score
353
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Went to use today for the second time. I officially hate this thing now.

I think it's a scam to sell razors (testing powder).
 

guysmiley

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 18, 2020
Messages
91
Reaction score
45
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
this happens to me regular with this to the point i want to jump on it and chuck it in the bin absolute piece of crap its ruined testing for it for me :rolleyes:
 

Mr Cypher

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 24, 2021
Messages
514
Reaction score
702
Location
Imperial
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have only done this once now but my Hanna Phosphate LR checker went into power save mode on me after I had calibrated it against the empty tank sample and before I could finish getting the reagent into the vial and stirred. Then when I turned it on, it wanted to calibrate all over again (too late reagent was in the tube). I grabbed another sample since there are two vials that came with the product but that's not strictly legit I assume (they warn about micro bubbles and finger prints, seems like you'd want to read against the same sample you just zero'd, but maybe tank water is tank water and a vial is vial, so what I did is fine, I dunno).

Am I just a huge moron?

In this Hanna demo the person didn't have the same problem. Is there a way to deal with this with button presses or you just gotta be faster on the draw in getting the sample ready to go for C2, like in the video there?
I feel your pain bro went through 4 packets last night haha
 

IKD

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2015
Messages
3,127
Reaction score
4,513
Location
Orlando Area
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Has @Hanna Instruments ever acknowledged the customer need to turn on the checker and have it display the last reading for 5 or 10 seconds before setting back to zero for a new test? It could display that instead of blinking before being ready. Would save me so much reagent!
 

aSaltyKlown

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
421
Reaction score
558
Location
N. VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I use the stopwatch app on my phone for timing the shaking and the countdown. Since I started doing this, I haven't wasted a reagent by forgetting to look at the result...
Do the same thing after I missed a couple of my first readings. Now I set a timer for 2m50sec once I start the 2nd reading.
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I never have that problem.
1. Prepare vial for test one.
2. Open packet and bend into funnel.
3. Run sample 1.
4. Add packet and shake for two minutes.
5. Run test 2.
Plenty of time.
This…


I use the stopwatch app on my phone for timing the shaking and the countdown. Since I started doing this, I haven't wasted a reagent by forgetting to look at the result...

and this!


I don’t waste reagent anymore after I realized to do these two things :) Have to be efficient with your time using the older checker.
 

ReefGeezer

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Messages
1,972
Reaction score
2,849
Location
Wichita, KS
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Step 1: Rinse vial, clean and dry with microfiber towel
Step 2 Fill vial to line with syringe, wipe wipe towel again
Step 3: Cut reagent pack and form a crease to help pour reagent into the vial
Step 4: Turn on Unit
Step 5: @ C1 put filled vial in unit, close cap, and press button
Step 6: @ C2 remove vial and pour in reagent
Step 7: At the same time tell Alexa to start a two minute timer and start gently swirling vial to mix
Step 8 @ 1:30 seconds, put vial into unit, close cap, and shake the unit until Alexa says time is up
Step 9: Press & Hold the button until 3:00 is displayed, release button
Step 10: Don't do anything else until count-down id done and reading is displayed!

That's my process for the ULR Phosphorous Checker. Yep... sucks to have to do it that way. Hanna, you could do better.
 

homer1475

Figuring out the hobby one coral at a time.
View Badges
Joined
Apr 24, 2018
Messages
11,677
Reaction score
18,660
Location
Way upstate NY
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It is the most stressful, well choreographed 10 mins. But if done with perfect timing you can get all 4 to have results at the exact same time.
B0316509-AF69-4C39-9888-726B1009CE80.jpeg
I always start the HR nitrate checker test(7 minute countdown), then perform my phosphorus checker procedure. I always seem to have a little over a minute on the nitrate checker when the phosphorus checker is complete. Calcium is the only one of those 4 I do not use, as I could never get a consistent reading. If they made the Cal checker a one reagent pack(like all the others), I would have to revisit it then.
 

New&no clue

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 11, 2019
Messages
3,541
Reaction score
12,173
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I always start the HR nitrate checker test(7 minute countdown), then perform my phosphorus checker procedure. I always seem to have a little over a minute on the nitrate checker when the phosphorus checker is complete. Calcium is the only one of those 4 I do not use, as I could never get a consistent reading. If they made the Cal checker a one reagent pack(like all the others), I would have to revisit it then.
Same I do Nitrate, phosphate, alk, and then calcium.
 
Back
Top