is hanna salinity tester accuate?

[92Miata]

this has been stated previously, @Randy Holmes-Farley posted this...

Hanna Salinity Tester - first impressions

Then 1 ( or both) of Your calibration fluids is not good. Just decide Yourself which one You are going to use as a reference. Or get a chep scale for 1/100 gram and make Your own fluid.

www.reef2reef.com

I don't know what you're talking about - nothing in that thread contradicts what I'm saying.


The primary reason people have issues with the Hanna salinity checker is the same reason people get weird readings out of the Apex salinity probes - its because they measure conductivity - and use it as a proxy for salinity - but there are things in a reef tank that can affect salinity.

I'm not talking about contaminants (like Randy is refuting) - I'm talking about pumps and heaters and uv sterilizers and all sorts of other things that induce transient current in salt water.

Some tanks you can stick a conductivity probe in the tank and get one reading, transfer some water to a cup - and get a very different reading.

 

[K7BMG]

I think that is being a little too generous, they were both calibrated, surely you can expect them to read very similar results.

There seems to a few people claiming getting used readers, and some may very well have done, but I know Hanna has addressed a likely reason why some think theirs is used, as some come with black carbon marks on the device, they say this is caused by a cleaning process they use in manufacturing and can be simply wiped away, not sure why Hanna doesn’t do this before shipping then. Not saying this is the issue with @joshwaggs device.

I am not disagreeing with you on expected results.

But I have personally witnessed machines and electronic devices that have gone through the most stringent criteria and cost millions of dollars to be as accurate and consistent as humanly possible that will not get repeated or matching results.
But the key word in all of that statement is Humanly.

Just an FYI my Hanna sits in the drawer unused and collects dust.

 

[joshwaggs]

I do not think that any manufacturers equipment will ever match exactly.
The margin of error on even the most precision high end lab equipment will not be the same.
I have had two Hanna's and the both read .002 low.
I did not have them at the same time to compare to each other like you did though.
I would be more upset that I recieved a used unit over the variances.

I was definitely annoyed, but marinedepot fixed quick.

 

[joshwaggs]

I think that is being a little too generous, they were both calibrated, surely you can expect them to read very similar results.

There seems to a few people claiming getting used readers, and some may very well have done, but I know Hanna has addressed a likely reason why some think theirs is used, as some come with black carbon marks on the device, they say this is caused by a cleaning process they use in manufacturing and can be simply wiped away, not sure why Hanna doesn’t do this before shipping then. Not saying this is the issue with @joshwaggs device.

Yeah, I saw the black junk, but knew they already explained that. Mine came with a barcode sticker on the case, two chunks of plastic missing from the battery cover where the last person opened it with a screw driver, and a fresh finger print on the battery.
The one they sent to replace didn’t have the barcode sticker on the front of the case, or chunks of plastic from a screw driver, and the battery was clean. It was definitely used. Maybe refurbished?

 

[joshwaggs]

 

[Reef.]

I don't know what you're talking about - nothing in that thread contradicts what I'm saying.

I’ll help you out then..

Assuming folks are talking about the HI 98319, it is certainly appropriate for reef tank water.

your claim that.Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity.


I was simply pointing out that Randy thinks it’s a suitable tool to test salinity in a reef tank.

 

[92Miata]

I’ll help you out then..

Assuming folks are talking about the HI 98319, it is certainly appropriate for reef tank water.

your claim that.Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity.


I was simply pointing out that Randy thinks it’s a suitable tool to test salinity in a reef tank.

I have at no point stated that conductivity meters aren't useful for reef tanks. The idea that I did is a fantasy that exists only in your imagination.

Are you interested in an intellectually honest discussion, or are you going to continue to stand up an army of strawmen to tilt at?

 

[Oscar Rivera]

Mine is inaccurately accurate!! Always .002 points off but very accurate .002 lol

 

[Reef.]

I have at no point stated that conductivity meters aren't useful for reef tanks. The idea that I did is a fantasy that exists only in your imagination.

Are you interested in an intellectually honest discussion, or are you going to continue to stand up an army of strawmen to tilt at?

You replied to the below posts Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity

I did read somewhere I think from BRS that Hanna is to be used to determine the salinity of new salt water not tank water and that it can give a false reading when using it to test your display water. Which makes no sense I would prefer a product that will tell me the salinity of my new salt water and my display water

Thats odd. I wonder why that is.....

I then posted a link to a thread where Randy aaddressed this point and claimed he believed the checker was suitable for reef tank salinity checks, you then posted that you didn’t know what I was going on about as that the link didn’t contradict anything you said.

anyone as you say that is being intellectually honest will deduce from that exchange you don’t believe it’s suitable for reading reef tank salinity but I have a feeling you are not going to agree...

 

[92Miata]

You replied to the below posts Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity

I did read somewhere I think from BRS that Hanna is to be used to determine the salinity of new salt water not tank water and that it can give a false reading when using it to test your display water. Which makes no sense I would prefer a product that will tell me the salinity of my new salt water and my display water

Thats odd. I wonder why that is.....

anyone as you say that is being intellectually honest will deduce from that exchange you don’t believe it’s suitable for reading reef tank salinity but I have a feeling you are not going to agree...

I directly answered a question:

Question: Which makes no sense I would prefer a product that will tell me the salinity of my new salt water and my display water. Thats odd. I wonder why that is.....

Answer: Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity.

I explained why (the Hanna, and conductivity meters in general) can sometimes read differently in an aquarium than a bucket. Conductivity meters are affected by anything that causes transient currents.

Stop injecting your own narrative. Stop putting words in people's mouth. Read what people ACTUALLY WROTE. At no point did I state anything even approaching that its not "suitable" for a reef aquarium.

I think I have made myself perfectly clear at this point. Please be an adult and stop misrepresenting me.

 

[Reef.]

I have at no point stated that conductivity meters aren't useful for reef tanks. The idea that I did is a fantasy that exists only in your imagination.

Are you interested in an intellectually honest discussion, or are you going to continue to stand up an army of strawmen to tilt at?

I directly answered a question:

Question: Which makes no sense I would prefer a product that will tell me the salinity of my new salt water and my display water. Thats odd. I wonder why that is.....

Answer: Because it measures conductivity - not salinity - and an awful lot of things in a running fishtank can alter conductivity.

I explained why (the Hanna, and conductivity meters in general) can sometimes read differently in an aquarium than a bucket. Conductivity meters are affected by anything that causes transient currents.

Stop injecting your own narrative. Stop putting words in people's mouth. Read what people ACTUALLY WROTE. At no point did I state anything even approaching that its not "suitable" for a reef aquarium.

I think I have made myself perfectly clear at this point. Please be an adult and stop misrepresenting me.

The posts are there for all to decide who is misrepresenting what has been said. Name calling and deflection is not having an intellectual honest discussion as you claim you wished to have.

I’ve made my point here, I will not reply to you in this thread again.

 

[92Miata]

The posts are there for all to decide who is misrepresenting what has been said. Name calling and deflection is not having an intellectual honest discussion as you claim you wished to have.

I’ve made my point here, I will not reply to you in this thread again.

I give up.

20 years of reefing and Ive never put anyone on a block list, but you refuse to conduct yourself decently. Good bye.


For the people who are actually interested in learning something : Conductivity meters are generally fine for measuring salinity in reef tanks - there are just some caveats - like there are with any proxy measurement. These caveats often lead to people having issues with inconsistency.

 

[swiss1939]

I don't know what you're talking about - nothing in that thread contradicts what I'm saying.


The primary reason people have issues with the Hanna salinity checker is the same reason people get weird readings out of the Apex salinity probes - its because they measure conductivity - and use it as a proxy for salinity - but there are things in a reef tank that can affect salinity.

I'm not talking about contaminants (like Randy is refuting) - I'm talking about pumps and heaters and uv sterilizers and all sorts of other things that induce transient current in salt water.

Some tanks you can stick a conductivity probe in the tank and get one reading, transfer some water to a cup - and get a very different reading.

Anecdotally.. I hadn't thought of this last night when I checked my salinity using the hanna tester. I decided to test it in my sump where most of the electronic equipment is in the water. It gave me a reading of something crazy like 30ppt. So then I tested it in the DT and it was initially low again, but after moving it around I got a more accurate reading of 33.3ppt. I assumed it was probably air bubbles on the probes or something. Now that you mention this.. I believe the sump was way low because of all the electronic equipment in the sump. The DT discrepancy I can assume was because the initial low reading I had the tester too close to a power head, and it was most accurate furthest away from all the electrical equipment in the tank. Good to know I need to be cognisant about that!

 

[GK3]

Hiya! I recently purchased a Hanna tester at my LPS upon their recommendation. I did not think anything of it but after reading a few articles about people stating that its often inaccurate, it makes me a little nervous. I mixed my salt water to 1.0025 SG based my the hanna's readings. Should I be worried? I mixed my salt in batches of 5 gal.

I really like mine and find it spot on with my refractometer. Just make sure to calibrate regularly because it will drift out.

 

[K7BMG]

Mine is inaccurately accurate!! Always .002 points off but very accurate .002 lol

I have the same issue with both the units. The one that quit on me and its replacement, that now is residing in my drawer.
Exactly .002 low from my other three salinity testers.

 

[DeputyDog95]

Anecdotally.. I hadn't thought of this last night when I checked my salinity using the hanna tester. I decided to test it in my sump where most of the electronic equipment is in the water. It gave me a reading of something crazy like 30ppt. So then I tested it in the DT and it was initially low again, but after moving it around I got a more accurate reading of 33.3ppt. I assumed it was probably air bubbles on the probes or something. Now that you mention this.. I believe the sump was way low because of all the electronic equipment in the sump. The DT discrepancy I can assume was because the initial low reading I had the tester too close to a power head, and it was most accurate furthest away from all the electrical equipment in the tank. Good to know I need to be cognisant about that!

Couldn't we simply take some tank water out with a cup and measure the tank water that way to see if the electronics are really affecting the reading?