question about Hanna magnesium checker instructions

[BilboB]

I emailed Hanna about this but haven't gotten a reply. The instructions say to use the syringe and pipet tip to draw up 4 ml of reagent - but there is no mention of the volume of the pipet tip. So when I draw up the reagent to the syringe's 4-ml mark and transfer the reagent into the glass vial, a lot more than 4 ml is inside. Same thing with measuring 5 ml of aquarium water - how can you know the amount of liquid if you don't know the pipet tip's volume?

 

[Science/G]

The line accounts for the tip

 

[Y0U]

I have the Hanna Magnesium checker. Follow the section in the instructions called “Tips for an accurate Measurement”

 

[rtparty]

Even if you follow it perfectly, the checker will never be accurate or reliable. The Hanna calcium and magnesium are not worth it

 

[Chapstick]

Even if you follow it perfectly, the checker will never be accurate or reliable. The Hanna calcium and magnesium are not worth it

I see the mentioned a lot. I wonder if/how different the marine master is? I ask because I have never had an issue with Ca/Mag results from it with them consistently lining up with ICP results.

 

[Fish Fan]

Many here at Reef2Reef follow Randy Holmes-Farley's advise to not test for mag as most test kits are unreliable at best. There is an easier way to do it; this thread has more details:

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

I hope this helps!

 

[slingfox]

Many here at Reef2Reef follow Randy Holmes-Farley's advise to not test for mag as most test kits are unreliable at best. There is an easier way to do it; this thread has more details:

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

I hope this helps!

When Randy posted that article I stopped testing for mag

 

[dloberry]

I called Hanna regarding my readings. They sent me some new reagents. Since then I tested my magnesium and on the same day ran an ICP test, and tested with salifert. Hanna was showing 1360, salifert was showing 1350, and ICP was showing 1375. I would call this pretty accurate or as accurate as you can get

 

[rtparty]

I see the mentioned a lot. I wonder if/how different the marine master is? I ask because I have never had an issue with Ca/Mag results from it with them consistently lining up with ICP results.

It’s the same thing. The Marine Master is an awful product where they tried to wrap a bunch of checkers up in a pretty bow and have you pay for a ton of unnecessary stuff. It’s slower than individual checkers and way more expensive. You can’t run multiple tests at once like you can with individual checkers.

For every person who says they get accurate results, there are dozens and dozens who get incorrect results. Even if it is user error for all of them, it shows how poorly the product was designed that the average person can’t use it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

On the syringe question in particular, volumes with syringes ALWAYS are measured by travel of the plunger. Tip size or presence at all doesn’t matter.

This explains it more:

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #161 Using a Syringe

Reef Chemistry Question of the Day #160 I have just drawn tank water into a syringe with a tip (shown below, including a blowup of the barrel). The blue coloration shows where the fluid is. When I started to draw fluid in, the tip and syringe were empty and the plunger was all the way in...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Chapstick]

It’s the same thing. The Marine Master is an awful product where they tried to wrap a bunch of checkers up in a pretty bow and have you pay for a ton of unnecessary stuff. It’s slower than individual checkers and way more expensive. You can’t run multiple tests at once like you can with individual checkers.

For every person who says they get accurate results, there are dozens and dozens who get incorrect results. Even if it is user error for all of them, it shows how poorly the product was designed that the average person can’t use it

Guess I'm very lucky then - I have no complains nor issues with the master. Only bottleneck in the testing proces for me is No3 but I test that last and walk away.

 

[BriDroid]

I have the Mg checker, and while it works and is fairly consistent, it’s about 150-200ppm too high according to ICP tests. As far as the calcium checker, it’s dead on and consistent for me.