Testing Nitrate in Salt and fresh water?

[Nikolai_VN]

Hi everyone.
I just bought Hanna Nitrate tester HI96786, and it work great.
However, i just found out it can only read in Fresh Water :'( And the salers were not
told me about it?
So my question is, can it be a huge difference in nitrate between fresh and salt water?
Can i use my Hanna to test nitrate in salt water for a reasonable reading?
Thank alot

 

[Shirak]

Hi everyone.
I just bought Hanna Nitrate tester HI96786, and it work great.
However, i just found out it can only read in Fresh Water :'( And the salers were not
told me about it?
So my question is, can it be a huge difference in nitrate between fresh and salt water?
Can i use my Hanna to test nitrate in salt water for a reasonable reading?
Thank alot

Guess you could try it and see what happens however..

from the Hanna website
NOTE: Chloride above 100 mg/L will cause a negative interference with the nitrate chemistry. We do not recommend the HI96786 for measuring nitrate in saltwater.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Not a good idea.

The chloride in seawater causes a big interference in the nitrate method used by Hanna. That is why they only recently came out with a seawater version, after years of them discussing it.

 

[Dan_P]

Hi everyone.
I just bought Hanna Nitrate tester HI96786, and it work great.
However, i just found out it can only read in Fresh Water :'( And the salers were not
told me about it?
So my question is, can it be a huge difference in nitrate between fresh and salt water?
Can i use my Hanna to test nitrate in salt water for a reasonable reading?
Thank alot

The test might work with saltwater but you will have to recalibrate it. The idea is to test saltwater with a known amount of nitrate and record the number. Do this for at least three concentrations of nitrate. You may find that the freshwater test stops detecting nitrate at a relatively high nitrate concentration. I use their freshwater nitrate test and it quits between 5-10 ppm, but that was OK as I was looking at nitrate levels greater than 20. What a pleasure to get a nitrate concentration using only one reagent! Let me know if you need further details on how to sort this out. I assume sending the tester back is not an option.

 

[Rick Mathew]

The test might work with saltwater but you will have to recalibrate it. The idea is to test saltwater with a known amount of nitrate and record the number. Do this for at least three concentrations of nitrate. You may find that the freshwater test stops detecting nitrate at a relatively high nitrate concentration. I use their freshwater nitrate test and it quits between 5-10 ppm, but that was OK as I was looking at nitrate levels greater than 20. What a pleasure to get a nitrate concentration using only one reagent! Let me know if you need further details on how to sort this out. I assume sending the tester back is not an option.

Actually I had one of these and did exactly as Dan recommended....the difficulty I had with it was the precision was not very good...I think that there might have been something with the chemistry and the interference with other elements in the salt water....never really did a deep dive into the problem...I think if that chemistry would have worked well Hanna would have used it for their new Nitrate Checker because it really was simple...One packet...shake and measure!...Much easier than the new Nitrate Checker

rick

 

[Nikolai_VN]

The test might work with saltwater but you will have to recalibrate it. The idea is to test saltwater with a known amount of nitrate and record the number. Do this for at least three concentrations of nitrate. You may find that the freshwater test stops detecting nitrate at a relatively high nitrate concentration. I use their freshwater nitrate test and it quits between 5-10 ppm, but that was OK as I was looking at nitrate levels greater than 20. What a pleasure to get a nitrate concentration using only one reagent! Let me know if you need further details on how to sort this out. I assume sending the tester back is not an option.

Hi Dan,
Thank you for helping me out, and sorry that im repyling late!
I think you were right!, the Hanna is my saver when i not really know how much the salifer is, but the think is this:
I tried to compare the Hanna with Salifer and API nitrate test for the best results, but Hanna seem to faults when is the high range of nitrate.
For closer look, my tank have a nitrate issues, it come close to 80ppm shown on Salifer and API, however, the Hanna show 0 or just 40ppm for 2 time test. That does concern me. I cound assumed that i did something wrong.
It's so great that knowing some one using this tester on saltwater (knowing that my money wont wasted lol), so if you dont mind, can you guide me to make the tester more accurate?
I am very grateful!
Niko

 

[Nikolai_VN]

Actually I had one of these and did exactly as Dan recommended....the difficulty I had with it was the precision was not very good...I think that there might have been something with the chemistry and the interference with other elements in the salt water....never really did a deep dive into the problem...I think if that chemistry would have worked well Hanna would have used it for their new Nitrate Checker because it really was simple...One packet...shake and measure!...Much easier than the new Nitrate Checker

rick

Yeah, the new nitrate checker is not worth the wait at all, shame.
I made the tester be my base information when the salifer is not clear, it work great with that option.
However, i looking a way that i can use it more affective so my money wont be wasted and my wife doesnt need to kill me :'(

 

[Dan_P]

Hi Dan,
Thank you for helping me out, and sorry that im repyling late!
I think you were right!, the Hanna is my saver when i not really know how much the salifer is, but the think is this:
I tried to compare the Hanna with Salifer and API nitrate test for the best results, but Hanna seem to faults when is the high range of nitrate.
For closer look, my tank have a nitrate issues, it come close to 80ppm shown on Salifer and API, however, the Hanna show 0 or just 40ppm for 2 time test. That does concern me. I cound assumed that i did something wrong.
It's so great that knowing some one using this tester on saltwater (knowing that my money wont wasted lol), so if you dont mind, can you guide me to make the tester more accurate?
I am very grateful!
Niko

What Is the number on the Hanna nitrate test you are using?

 

[Nikolai_VN]

What Is the number on the Hanna nitrate test you are using?

Hi Dan,
Sorry for being late, im have to go on a business.
My tank now go around 80 for API, Super Pink on Salifer, goes 45 for Hanna Test.
I considered that is a huge difference between each one.
Thank for helping me out.

 

[Dan_P]

Hi Dan,
Sorry for being late, im have to go on a business.
My tank now go around 80 for API, Super Pink on Salifer, goes 45 for Hanna Test.
I considered that is a huge difference between each one.
Thank for helping me out.

Glad to help. What Hanna nitrate test are you using?

 

[Nikolai_VN]

Glad to help. What Hanna nitrate test are you using?

I use HI96786, nitrate range from 0 to 100 mg/l