Hannah Nitrate HR False Low Readings

[Miami Reef]

I’m having an issue with my HR Nitrate checker.

I know my nitrates are around 8ppm because my tester always tests around that, and I’m not using a nitrate reduction method. It also comes close with my ICP readings.

The other day I tested (emptying the whole packet of reagent, as usual) but while shaking, I noticed the color was very light in comparison to how it usually is.

I got a result of under 1ppm. I immediately tested again and the second time came around 8ppm.

I started feeding heavier lately, and yesterday I tested with a similar outcome: unusually light pink with results around 2ppm, I tested again and results came 9.5ppm.

I use my vials for both the nitrate and phosphate ULR test. I rinse thoroughly with RO/DI and then rinse with saltwater prior to testing.

The whole packet of reagent is added. Anyone else have a similar experience?

 

[Miami Reef]

Also, the false low readings is not common. It happened probably 3 times in well over 50 reagents. Maybe my latest pack of reagents are filled less than whats needed?

 

[ssdawood]

Yup
Mine is showing 1.7 on HR.
I am not having luck with Hanna reagents. I bought all new since I just started keeping corals after a hiatus.

None of them work. All off
Phosphorus ulr
Nitrate HR
Nitrate LT
Alkalinity ppm

All reading whacky

To my surprise salifert is going strong and also had exact idip I bought from Ebay

Like everyone I was having trouble getting consistent readings.
Then I read that you have to get exact 4ml in well to test.
Second 2 strokes a second. So 20 second 40 strokes, take it out at 1 sec left immediately.

Since I follow these the idip is working good. Not accurate but consistent.

I am also looking to get spinstream
Heard good things. Parker on YouTube said its OK
Benefit one disk All test are done. I am spending 35 to 40 minutes a day testing due to hanna opening packets etc.
Them getting bad reading and then doing salifert and matching with idip.

 

[taricha]

The other day I tested (emptying the whole packet of reagent, as usual) but while shaking, I noticed the color was very light in comparison to how it usually is.

I got a result of under 1ppm. I immediately tested again and the second time came around 8ppm.

@Dan_P observed this as well, lighter color packets giving too-low values. Seemingly some packets got too little zinc.

 

[homer1475]

Yup, I've that issue a few times myself.

 

[ChaetoFarm_Kai]

+1 i bought my Nitrate HR checker a few months ago and found that the reagents that came with the checker were consistent, however the refill pack of reagents I got seem to be of inconsistent color and also seemdarker, more damp, and “cakey” and also produced some inconsistent results.

 

[homer1475]

+1 i bought my Nitrate HR checker a few months ago and found that the reagents that came with the checker were consistent, however the refill pack of reagents I got seem to be of inconsistent color and also seemdarker, more damp, and “cakey” and also produced some inconsistent results.

The few off readings I had, I noticed the reagent seemed to be clumpy too.

 

[Pntbll687]

I’m having an issue with my HR Nitrate checker.

I know my nitrates are around 8ppm because my tester always tests around that, and I’m not using a nitrate reduction method. It also comes close with my ICP readings.

The other day I tested (emptying the whole packet of reagent, as usual) but while shaking, I noticed the color was very light in comparison to how it usually is.

I got a result of under 1ppm. I immediately tested again and the second time came around 8ppm.

I started feeding heavier lately, and yesterday I tested with a similar outcome: unusually light pink with results around 2ppm, I tested again and results came 9.5ppm.

I use my vials for both the nitrate and phosphate ULR test. I rinse thoroughly with RO/DI and then rinse with saltwater prior to testing.

The whole packet of reagent is added. Anyone else have a similar experience?

If you have any API nitrate tests around, you can use them in the hanna HR as well, if you wanted to compare results.

Reef builders had an article on it, and they found the API solution was accurate in ranges above 5ppm, and varied from hanna when in the lower ranges.

 

[killer2001]

Haven't had any issues with mine, LOT H023 EXP 11/2026

 

[92Miata]

@Dan_P observed this as well, lighter color packets giving too-low values. Seemingly some packets got too little zinc.

By "lighter colored packets" do you just mean the solution ends up lighter (and lower value) - or is there some other visual indicator here?

And what is with hanna and all their reagent issues? The checkers are great, but that doesn't matter if their reagent supply chain is all screwed up.

 

[Miami Reef]

By "lighter colored packets" do you just mean the solution ends up lighter (and lower value)

This is what I meant.

The color of the powder is like a whitish color, not sure if anyone can detect minor differences just by looking at the powder.

@Dan_P

 

[Dan_P]

This is what I meant.

The color of the powder is like a whitish color, not sure if anyone can detect minor differences just by looking at the powder.

@Dan_P

The light color of the reagent powder was not objectively measured, but visually, the powder was whiter then I recalled, consistent with a low zinc powder content and poor performance. Zinc powder is a dark grey.

You are right though in questioning my vision. I would too!

 

[Dan_P]

I’m having an issue with my HR Nitrate checker.

I know my nitrates are around 8ppm because my tester always tests around that, and I’m not using a nitrate reduction method. It also comes close with my ICP readings.

The other day I tested (emptying the whole packet of reagent, as usual) but while shaking, I noticed the color was very light in comparison to how it usually is.

I got a result of under 1ppm. I immediately tested again and the second time came around 8ppm.

I started feeding heavier lately, and yesterday I tested with a similar outcome: unusually light pink with results around 2ppm, I tested again and results came 9.5ppm.

I use my vials for both the nitrate and phosphate ULR test. I rinse thoroughly with RO/DI and then rinse with saltwater prior to testing.

The whole packet of reagent is added. Anyone else have a similar experience?

Not lately, but yes, I have seen this behavior. It coluld be the reagent or a contaminated vial.

Testing the former requires a different test or better a nitrate standard. The dirty vial idea is somewhere between fact and fiction. I stopped having trouble with variable nitrate test results with Hanna and the modified API test when started I using vials only for nitrate tests. The reason for the kit fussiness I think is the low zinc metal content of the high range Hanna nitrate and API test kits. Anything that interferes with the zinc reduction step for these kits with low zinc metal is nearly fatal.

 

[ReeferCPA]

+1 i bought my Nitrate HR checker a few months ago and found that the reagents that came with the checker were consistent, however the refill pack of reagents I got seem to be of inconsistent color and also seemdarker, more damp, and “cakey” and also produced some inconsistent results.

The few off readings I had, I noticed the reagent seemed to be clumpy too

Following.

I got some clumpy reagent included with the checker, My refills are fine. I think.

I have a 150g that sucks up every bit of nitrate that gets put into it or produced. Actually to the point where its a problem for corals. So for the longest I thought the checker itself was goofy but nope. I did question that clumpy reagent and still do.

 

[piranhaman00]

Basically all the Hanna tests I end up confirming with salifert , not sure why I use Hanna

 

[taricha]

By the way, this was mentioned a few times, but I do not think the clumpiness or cakeiness of the packet material necessarily indicates anything about performance. In my current lot I have had some that come out as fine powder and some that come out as clumps or cakes, but all of them have measured nitrate correctly. (Compared to other ways of knowing what NO3 ought to be in that sample.)

 

[EricR]

I haven't had problems (yet) with Hanna Nitrate HR reagent but have with some other Hanna reagents.

Were the wildly different readings from reagents with the same batch# or different batch? (I think Hanna has some way to enter the batch# to lookup and/or report issues with specific batch)

FWIW, my one experience with Hanna Support (started with the contact form on their website) was actually pretty awesome.

 

[homer1475]

On my weird readings, they were the same lot number. I've gone through about 5 boxes of reagents now, only odd results I had came from 1 box that had a couple clumpy packets.

Not sure if the odd reading was because of the clumpy reagent and not getting all of it in the vial, or something else, but it was I experienced with them.

 

[ryshark]

Luckily I haven’t experienced this issue yet. I’ve gone through several re-fills of Hanna reagents, from testing these parameters every other day.

Phosphate ULR
Nitrate HR
Alkalinity

They all seem consistent and accurate. (Aside from the one time I used an old bottle of Alk reagent that had been open for months)

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m considering switching my Hannah nitrate test kit to a different brand.

It’s come to the point where I don’t trust the results because the kit is not precise. I can’t establish a trend.

Annoying, honestly. I do trust the phosphate kit, though.