What is the proper way to use hanna checkers?

[Sisterlimonpot]

I use both bottles. Rinse then in tank water and then fill them both with 10ml of water.

Using both introduces inaccuracies that can easily be avoided by using 1 and orienting the same way between C1 and C2.

It's best to allow the colorometer to view the color change while wearing the same set of glasses.

 

[Reefer Matt]

Here's how I use it.

 

[Murphs_reef]

Using both introduces inaccuracies that can easily be avoided by using 1 and orienting the same way between C1 and C2.

It's best to allow the colorometer to view the color change while wearing the same set of glasses.

I've never had an issue with the method. The accuracy comes from using a dosing syringe to measure 10ml. As long as you have exactly 10ml in each bottle and the orientation of is the same then this is fine for what we need. Further I like to run the test 3 times and record to average result.

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m so ocd when it comes to this test, I love and hate this checker.

-I have a small irrigation bottle always filled with ro/di water. I first empty the bottle (I store the bottle with ro/di water) and rinse it out with tank water a couple times.

- I use a 10ml strange, fill and squirt it out a couple times before filling with 10ml.

- I fill and cap the bottle then squirt the bottle with ro/di and wipe down with a microfiber cloth until dry.

-I then take an eye glass lint free cloth and wipe the cuvette. I check for bubbles and then place the cuvette in the tester with the 10ml facing front.

-I then grab a packet and tap the edges a few times to force the reagent to the farthest corner from where I cut.

- I open the cuvette and pour it in(I form a spout with the package to make sure it all goes in). I cap it and set a 90 second timer and start shaking it.

-Timer goes off and I wipe the cuvette down once again with the eye glass cleaning cloth and make sure there are no bubbles. I place the cuvette in and hold the button down until the timer starts.

-I then empty the bottle and rinse with tap a few times, then squirt ro/di and swish a few more. Last step is filling the cuvette with ro, cap and put it away.

Oof. My method is very similar to this! Don’t call out my ocd lol.

I use a 20mL syringe. I fill it all the way with tank water.

I use rinse vials 3 times by inserting 5mL, capping the vial, shaking the water, and then removing the water.

Then I fill the syringe with the remaining 10mL.

I will wipe the vial down with my shirt.

Insert vial C1 with vial logo facing toward me.

Twist, shake, pinch the packet to get as much reagent on the bottom. cut.

Insert by making a funnel. Insert. Time for 2 min and gently invert until timer runs out.

wipe down with shirt and reinsert vial with logo facing forward. Press and hold.


To store, I will rinse the vial and cap separately with my RO/DI squirt bottle (3 times). I store uncapped and let it dry.


I only use 1 vial per test. Using 2 introduces uncertainties.

 

[PeterEde]

Here, this is the way I do it. Takes all the guesswork out of everything. This video is how to use the calcium checker but everything else explained is what you're looking for.

That calcium checker is ****e.
Never gave me the same reading twice. I watched all teh videos I could. I asked Hanna for help. I was doing nothing wrong.
I went back to NYOS for calcium

 

[Salty_Northerner]

That calcium checker is ****e.
Never gave me the same reading twice. I watched all teh videos I could. I asked Hanna for help. I was doing nothing wrong.
I went back to NYOS for calcium

How about we agree on user error! Stick to what you know best

 

[DHill6]

I only use 1 bottle.

I’ve never used both vials, using one gives the correct result. It matched really close with ICP test. Good enough.

 

[Rubymoon286]

I only use one vial unless I mess up the test and I use the second to redo it. I do five tests twice a week - Alk, Cal, HR Nitrate, LR Phosphate, and Magnesium. I measure out 10 ml of rodi, 50ml of tank water into small beakers, and set up my magnetic stirrer. I also prep a waste container and a container of rodi for cleaning.

I have a 3d printed organizer which makes it easy to just go down the line and do each test, and I use a really high quality lint free microfiber diamond weave cloth to dry each curvette. I make sure they're all facing with the measurement marker forward when I zero it and when I run the test. For the powders, I cut along the dotted line to make a funnel with the packets, set a timer for the appropriate time they're ment to be mixed. I turn on the magnetic mixer (I bought extra seeds so I didn't have to fish one out each test) add the powder and start the timer once the powder is in. Cap it and let it mix for the 2 minutes or 30 seconds depending on the test then it comes off the mixer and into the egg and either click it for an instant read or long press to get the timer.

Most importantly once everything is tested and recorded, I clean the curvettes immediately with RODI and dry the outside with the microfiber cloth, and the organizer has drying racks for the vials as well as cap storage, so they go upsidedown onto the racks to dry, the magnetic seeds go into the beaker of remaining RODI from the calcium test since it's a tiny beaker and add enough rodi to cover the seeds, run them on the mag stirrer to clean the seeds and put them on an old bottle cap with a paper towel bit to dry (it was convenient when I first got the extra seeds in the mail, and I never changed it out for a magnet)

Overall takes me maybe twenty minutes from the time I go to get the sample water and supplies to when I put them back on the storage shelf

I have the pink cleaning liquid, but I've found that it's too much trouble to use between tests, I do use it if a curvette ends up a bit foggy, and I do rotate out the curvettes for the spares every now and again.

 

[UltraKelius]

I follow same procedure as most on here, I always handle the vial between C1 and C2 readings using the glasses cloth so I don’t physically touch the glass vial.

One thing I do differently unless people have not mentioned, I’m not sure if it is the correct thing to do or not, but I store my vials with RO water in when not in use. Then before I do a test I will empty the RO and rinse with tank water.

 

[TWYOUNG]

I’m so ocd when it comes to this test, I love and hate this checker.

-I have a small irrigation bottle always filled with ro/di water. I first empty the bottle (I store the bottle with ro/di water) and rinse it out with tank water a couple times.

- I use a 10ml strange, fill and squirt it out a couple times before filling with 10ml.

- I fill and cap the bottle then squirt the bottle with ro/di and wipe down with a microfiber cloth until dry.

-I then take an eye glass lint free cloth and wipe the cuvette. I check for bubbles and then place the cuvette in the tester with the 10ml facing front.

-I then grab a packet and tap the edges a few times to force the reagent to the farthest corner from where I cut.

- I open the cuvette and pour it in(I form a spout with the package to make sure it all goes in). I cap it and set a 90 second timer and start shaking it.

-Timer goes off and I wipe the cuvette down once again with the eye glass cleaning cloth and make sure there are no bubbles. I place the cuvette in and hold the button down until the timer starts.

-I then empty the bottle and rinse with tap a few times, then squirt ro/di and swish a few more. Last step is filling the cuvette with ro, cap and put it away.

I wouldn't mention this insignificant variance but since you said you're so OCD don't the instructions say to shake the vials for two minutes not 90 seconds, more vigorously for the nitrate than the phosphate? My OCD beats yours lol!

 

[PeterEde]

How about we agree on user error! Stick to what you know best

User error after 2 packs of reagent and never getting the sa.e result. That's not user error. That's a crap product.

 

[Syntax1235]

I wouldn't mention this insignificant variance but since you said you're so OCD don't the instructions say to shake the vials for two minutes not 90 seconds, more vigorously for the nitrate than the phosphate? My OCD beats yours lol!

Agreed… however…. I shake for 90 second so I have 30 seconds to clean the cuvette and get it in the reader at 2 minutes.

 

[vahegan]

I test for PO4 ULR, NO3 High Range, and Magnesium every weekend (I used to do Alkalinity too in the past, but I am glad that now KH Director does that for me, 6 times per day), so I have developed a procedure which helps to minimize the time I spend on testing.
I store all the tests (Hanna checkers plus the manual titration calcium test - I don't like Hanna's calcium checker) in a small travel case with customizable foam inserts, I made holes for each checker and for the reagents; I store the vials each in its own checker, filled with RO water to avoid forming of residue on the walls (which is otherwise very hard to clean, once it forms). I also use three plastic marked containers (each is used for the same purpose every time to avoid cross contamination): one I fill with tank water, one with RO water, and one is empty - for waste water. I use a 10ml pipettor, as it saves me time - before I used a 10ml. syringe, just took me a little more effort with each test. I still use the syringes on the Magnesium and calcium tests as they require 5ml samples and I don't want to keep another pipettor just for that, nor to readjust it for a different volume every time. If I could find affordable fixed pipettors for 5ml and 10ml, I might have invested in that, though. I also keep a lint-free cloth and Hanna salinity checker in the same case. I find it very convenient to keep all the tests together, and being able to store them out of sight when not in use, or to carry with me in case a friend asks to help test his water.

1. Preparations. Shake, then cut the corners of all reagent sachets, arranging them on the table. Put all the checkers on the table, arraning them in one line. Open them one by one, empty the RO water from each vial into the waste water container, shake (holding by the bottom, try to never touch the middle part) to get rid of any drops, then fill with 10ml of tank water using the pipettor, screw the lid, wipe with lint free cloth, put back in the checkers, arranging so that markings are in the front, close the lids.
2. Measurements. I start with the test that takes longest - in my case it is Nitrate High Range, which takes 7 minutes. Press the button, wait for C1, press again, wait for C2, open the lid, put the reagent in the vial, shake while mentally counting slowly until 30, visually inspect for particles of undissolved reagent, if present, shake some more, place back into the checker aligning with markings in the front, close the lid, long press, put on the table. Proceed with next longest test - in my case, Phosphate ULR, which takes 3 min.
3. Clean up and storage. When each test is complete, I record the readings, then empty the vial into waste water container, fill with 10ml of RO water using the pipettor, shake, empty into waste water container, fill again with RO water, wipe with the lint-free cloth, put into the checker, put the checker back into the foam case.

It takes me much more time to describe this in words, than to actually follow the procedure. I usually complete all the tests with Hanna checkers in about 15 minutes after starting. I also test salinity and manualy test for calcium when I am finished with the checkers. Then I wash the containers with tap water and store them separately.

PS. The results are very accurate, with little variance week over week (if nothing happened in the tank). I had tried repeating the tests several times to improve the accuracy, as some people suggested in this thread, but found little benefit in that as the differences are negligibly small in my opinion.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I only have the Copper Test. I put the test tube in the Magnetic Stirrer. Add the Reagent to the Dry Test Tube, via a small Glass Funnel. Add 10 ml of Tank water, via a Syringe. I push water in and out of the Syringe, to make sure, I’m only reading tank water. Run the Magnetic Stirrer, wipe the vial off and place it in the egg.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

User error after 2 packs of reagent and never getting the sa.e result. That's not user error. That's a crap product.

Hey bud, why do you feel like giving me the ****s over a post RELATED to what the OP was asking?
It was an example of how to properly use (A) checker not the calcium checker. Are you able to now figure it out?

Obviously, this thread for you was TL; and R and immediately pounced on me over the Calcium checker and then bombing me about it? This is a thread to help the ppl understand the proper way of using the checker, and that's it!

Comprende?

 

[Salty_Northerner]

I follow same procedure as most on here, I always handle the vial between C1 and C2 readings using the glasses cloth so I don’t physically touch the glass vial.

One thing I do differently unless people have not mentioned, I’m not sure if it is the correct thing to do or not, but I store my vials with RO water in when not in use. Then before I do a test I will empty the RO and rinse with tank water.

The wisest comment here when storing the glass vials! I do the same thing, it keeps any deposits from drying inside the vial that may skew the results.

 

[PeterEde]

Hey bud, why do you feel like giving me the ****s over a post RELATED to what the OP was asking?
It was an example of how to properly use (A) checker not the calcium checker. Are you able to now figure it out?

Obviously, this thread for you was TL; and R and immediately pounced on me over the Calcium checker and then bombing me about it? This is a thread to help the ppl understand the proper way of using the checker, and that's it!

Comprende? What ever Brandon. If you think I was attacking you specifically you have a problem

 

[Murphs_reef]

You really don't need OCD they can handle some rough . As said 2 bottles and a quick rinse is the simplest and safest method.

What's more you can repeat the test to check the result. If however the result is off 1ppm in your one bottle (one chance) test you might make a decision to reduce or increase nitrate unnecessarily..

Against kH keeper after a calibration

 

[PeterEde]

I tried the retest for avg today. Seems to work?

 

[UltraKelius]

The wisest comment here when storing the glass vials! I do the same thing, it keeps any deposits from drying inside the vial that may skew the results.

My thought process exactly. RO water should suck up anything that might render a test inaccurate.