Using a pipette for better testing

[West1]

Recently I had issues with my Hanna checker and I played a role with using incorrect reagents on the po4 checker I had… now paying the price with half of my stuff (sps & lps) slowly fading away while others were not fazed.

While going through the woes and trying to solve issues, I purchased 2 new Hanna checkers and received four new vials.
SHOCKED… the new vials 10ml mark do not match and one of them is clearly shorter than the 4+ years old vials I already had.

Luckily, I invested on a digital pipette when I bought my first dkh Hanna checker about 6yrs ago.

This thread is not to bash any company or promote another, just something a noticed and thought I would share with others who are manually filling test vials to “Line” and/or mixing vials which would have you fill the vial differently than the last test.

First pic, I tried to lineup the BRS flier w/the vial line on each end. You can see the other vials are off and don’t lineup.
2nd pic shows the variance in height. The No3 vial (pink) is the tallest and yet has the lowest 10ml mark, crazy right?



Here is a link to the Four E’s Pipette I’ve been using for 6yrs and it’s been super great!

FOUR E'S SCIENTIFIC 1-10ML Single-Channel Pipettor Adjustable Variable Volume Micropipette High Accurate Pipettor for Laboratory
https://a.co/d/815mG6y

Happy Reefing or should I say Happy Testing!

 

[Coolcasino]

Thats what I use. I even have the 1-5 for my salifert tests.

 

[taricha]

I like the 4E's adjustable pipettes, the 1-10mL and the 100-1000uL pipettes get lots of use for me.

 

[mike550]

I just use a 10ml syringe. Way better than the vial markings, and easier to use. In this hobby I value consistency over absolute accuracy.

 

[Reef.]

I used the 4Es one, stopped using it, more hassle than they are worth, as long as you use the same syringe to fill the vials you will get consistent results…if you really want to go the extra mile, buy a 0.01g scale and weight the salt water (remember 1ml of salt water is heavier than plain water) will be cheaper and more useful for other tasks.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I’ve been using them for about a year now as well. They are a life saver when you start losing your vision. I have two, one set for 10ml for samples and one set for 1ml for alk reagent. I put different colors on them so I can tell which is which. Worth the fifty bucks or whatever they were for me without a doubt!

 

[Jmp998]

It’s not a titration test. If it is 9 ml or 11 ml instead of 10, it will make only a minimal difference. You are measuring concentration not total amount like with a titration.

 

[jonbear]

Recently I had issues with my Hanna checker and I played a role with using incorrect reagents on the po4 checker I had… now paying the price with half of my stuff (sps & lps) slowly fading away while others were not fazed.

While going through the woes and trying to solve issues, I purchased 2 new Hanna checkers and received four new vials.
SHOCKED… the new vials 10ml mark do not match and one of them is clearly shorter than the 4+ years old vials I already had.

Luckily, I invested on a digital pipette when I bought my first dkh Hanna checker about 6yrs ago.

This thread is not to bash any company or promote another, just something a noticed and thought I would share with others who are manually filling test vials to “Line” and/or mixing vials which would have you fill the vial differently than the last test.

First pic, I tried to lineup the BRS flier w/the vial line on each end. You can see the other vials are off and don’t lineup.
2nd pic shows the variance in height. The No3 vial (pink) is the tallest and yet has the lowest 10ml mark, crazy right?



Here is a link to the Four E’s Pipette I’ve been using for 6yrs and it’s been super great!

FOUR E'S SCIENTIFIC 1-10ML Single-Channel Pipettor Adjustable Variable Volume Micropipette High Accurate Pipettor for Laboratory
https://a.co/d/815mG6y

Happy Reefing or should I say Happy Testing!

I have struggled with one vial with line for 10ml then pipette says 10 but much more water. Red Sea stuff different than Hanna. seems like 10ml should match across tools?

 

[CasperOe]

Those adjustable pipettes are just great, ensures consistency and continuity! Considering the money we spend in this hobby, it's money well spend for getting our test results right.

 

[VintageReefer]

I’ve looked for something like this and couldn’t find anything. I guess I didn’t know the correct search terms. Thank you for sharing this link

 

[KStatefan]

I use the ONiLAB one from Amazon.

​

 

[Malcontent]

Remember that larger adjustable pipettes (>1 mL) aren't linear if your elevation is significantly greater than sea level. You can recalibrate them at one volume but it'll be off at others.

This problem can be solved by using a positive displacement pipette.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Remember that larger adjustable pipettes (>1 mL) aren't linear if your elevation is significantly greater than sea level. You can recalibrate them at one volume but it'll be off at others.

This problem can be solved by using a positive displacement pipette.

What sort of pipette is impacted by altitude?

 

[Malcontent]

What sort of pipette is impacted by altitude?

Conventional air-displacement pipettes:

https://www.spaelti-ts.ch/pdf/Influence%20of%20altitude%20on%20the%20dispensed%20volume%20of%20a%20piston%20pipette%20with%20air%20cushion.pdf

ARTEL’s Extreme Pipetting Expedition Highlights Environmental Conditions as Sources of Laboratory Error | SelectScience

To demonstrate the impact of environmental conditions on pipetted volumes, ARTEL launches the Extreme Pipetting Expedition.

www.selectscience.net

 

[West1]

Remember that larger adjustable pipettes (>1 mL) aren't linear if your elevation is significantly greater than sea level. You can recalibrate them at one volume but it'll be off at others.

This problem can be solved by using a positive displacement pipette.

Personally I’m after consistency rather than chasing exact sea levels

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Conventional air-displacement pipettes:

https://www.spaelti-ts.ch/pdf/Influence%20of%20altitude%20on%20the%20dispensed%20volume%20of%20a%20piston%20pipette%20with%20air%20cushion.pdf

ARTEL’s Extreme Pipetting Expedition Highlights Environmental Conditions as Sources of Laboratory Error | SelectScience

To demonstrate the impact of environmental conditions on pipetted volumes, ARTEL launches the Extreme Pipetting Expedition.

www.selectscience.net

Even looking at it, i don't understand the reason that they believe there is an effect, but I accept that they measured a small effect.

 

[Malcontent]

Personally I’m after consistency rather than chasing exact sea levels

It'll be consistent as long as you use a variable volume pipette as a fixed volume pipette.

Check out my pipette graveyard:

 

[Malcontent]

Even looking at it, i don't understand the reason that they believe there is an effect, but I accept that they measured a small effect.

I went scrounging around for old calibration spreadsheets but didn't find much. Most of the files might be on my old laptop or maybe I just don't have as much data as I remembered. This appears to data from calibrating a 1-10 mL pipette:

Not great.