Wildly different alkalinity measurements with Hanna Checker (1 Viewer)

[guylaga]

Background info: 120g / 29g sump. Mostly SPS from colonies to 1inch nubs.

So my alkalinity usually is between 8 to 8.5, but started to trend down into the 7s in late October/November so I figured it was due to keeping the windows open and subsequently getting a nice pH boost and increased alkalinity consumption.

Since the beginning of November I have been increasing the amount of BRS soda ash and CaCl dosed daily and now I'm at about 40% more than compared to what I was dosing in October. Despite the dosing my alkalinity has continued to gradually drop and hit 6.8 earlier today.

The hanna reagent bottle was getting low from all of the testing so I opened up a new one and tested again to check for variance between batches. I'm aware that there have been issues with differences between batches but I typically only get a .2-.4 difference.

However today, I was shocked to see 11.6 displayed after testing. I repeated testing with both bottles, using separate syringes and got 7.0 and 11.5 respectively.

I also dose the same amount of Ca as Alk, there was a similar trend at the beginning of the month but stabilized at 430-440 around mid November.

Not sure which result to trust now, I have noticed a few acros have had less PE but others are doing fine. No burnt tips so far, my nutrients are usually around 2-3 No3 and .6-.8 Po4.

Thoughts, and comments appreciated. I ordered a few more reagents just now, but do not have a redsea or salifert to cross reference against. May have to pick one up tomorrow.

 

[Bullitt519]

I would pick up a salifert and cross-check it.

 

[soymilk]

i had the same thing with my hanna. wildly different readings dependent on batch. ending up sticking with the one that matched my trident and red sea test.

 

[guylaga]

Update:

Got a Salifert kit from ADG, did two tests and got alkalinity results in the high 12 / low 13 range compared to the hanna which tested at 11.9 today.

I can only think that the first reagent bottle went bad, or was bad to begin with. I know that I purchased it in September from my BRS order history, but do not recall when I started using it.

Now to gradually get the Alkalinity back down to where it should be over the next month.

Take this as a lesson and always have a back up titration kit when your results start getting wonky.

 

[TX_Punisher]

Dang. I have two Hannah’s, a salifert and the Trident. Hopefully you still hav my number; you can borrow my spare egg if need be.

 

[RobertP]

Had the same thing happen at the end of a bottle last year. It was just slowly getting lower and lower so I raised the amount of dosing. Then it was a shock that my dkh was high on the new bottle. I picked up a salifert test kit as a backup and it matched the new bottle. Weird thing is I have not had that problem in over a year and went through 2 bottles over that time with no problems. I was pretty upset about this because I have real trouble reading the colored test kits. I would recommend you get the calibration kit to confirm it is reading properly. Mine was dead on so I blamed the reagent. I emailed Hanna about this issue and they sent me a new bottle of reagent.

 

[soymilk]

i heard that the hanna alk reagent can go bad if you don't have a good seal when you close it up.

 

[Reefahholic]

Make sure you measure the sample with the bottom of the meniscus on the line. You need to get eye level and do it the same way every time and at the same time of day.



Also, it will likely be different from batch to batch. Yes, that’s annoying, but whatever. I like to gently swirl my reagent to keep it fairly mixed before each test, otherwise the bottom of the barrel will be off.

When it’s different from batch to batch, I don’t get to twisted over it, because I’m more interested in the stability than the number. The 1st test gives me the new stability number so to speak and the subsequent tests give me the stability. For example, if the old number was 8 dKH and the new bottle reads 8.5 dKH on the first test…I know the 2nd test from the new batch should read close to 8.5 dKh.

 

[guylaga]

Make sure you measure the sample with the bottom of the meniscus on the line. You need to get eye level and do it the same way every time and at the same time of day.



Also, it will likely be different from batch to batch. Yes, that’s annoying, but whatever. I like to gently swirl my reagent to keep it fairly mixed before each test, otherwise the bottom of the barrel will be off.

When it’s different from batch to batch, I don’t get to twisted over it, because I’m more interested in the stability than the number. The 1st test gives me the new stability number so to speak and the subsequent tests give me the stability. For example, if the old number was 8 dKH and the new bottle reads 8.5 dKH on the first test…I know the 2nd test from the new batch should read close to 8.5 dKh.

I'm pretty religious when it comes to following the same process of testing alk with a Hanna checker. Always store the vials with RODI, rinse with tank water before testing, vial wiped of all figure prints, face the same way ect...

Also have come to expect the variance when opening a new bottle, and like you just make sure the number is stable regardless of being 8 or 9 or what ever.

The problem is that when one test reads 7 or below and another is 11.5 something is obviously wrong with one of the reagents.

I always store the bottles very tightly closed and sealed in a ziploc so I know if there was some leakage.

 

[Ostentum]

Just buy KHG and call it a day. It’s by far the most consistent piece of gear and I will never go without a multiple per day test with Sps again

 

[Reefahholic]

Just buy KHG and call it a day. It’s by far the most consistent piece of gear and I will never go without a multiple per day test with Sps again

I’m either going Alkatronic or KHG.

 

[soymilk]

What are the pros for khg or alkatronic over a trident

 

[Reefahholic]

What are the pros for khg or alkatronic over a trident

It is my understanding that the Trident is a lot more expensive yearly.

Most stick-heads like me only care about the dKH swings. We know if the Alk is on point that Cal isn’t too far off.

Mag only needs to be checked about 1-2 times a month. So testing all 3 for me isn’t really necessary. It’s nice to know I guess if you have the money to keep up with it.

 

[soymilk]

im trying to do some maff here but..... someone correct me if i'm wrong but....

( pulling data from here Alkatronic 1L Concentrated Reagent , Reagent for Alkatronic 4L (Concentrated) )


Alkatronic is 1300
reagent is $28 for 1L or $110 for 4L
each test is $.044 @ using the cheaper 4L option

Trident is 640
reagent is $45 for 2months or $99 for 6 months
rolling all costs into just the alk test is $.137 per test ( but its really 3 different test, using $99 6month option)




It would be something like 5 years + before you see a return on the alkatronic over the trident. I consider that EOL for either product. I don't know how the alkatronic performs versus the trident. This is just a comparison of cost of unit + reagents. If everything else is equal, I think the trident makes a little bit more sense just from a lower entry point. After 5 years I'm pretty sure im replacing either unit.

Its a little skewed because the 4L reagent alkatronic concentrate makes 2500 tests. You only use up 2190 in a year. So you have roughly 13 months for each 4L bottle.

 

[TX_Punisher]

You CAN switch the Trident to manual test mode by the way. Then just test when you tell it to manually.

it will only test when you hit the test button in this mode. You can test alk, or all three depending on your test selection.

 

[soymilk]

sorry @guylaga for crapping up your thread

You can test manual but I thought it wasn't good to keep all the old tank water in the line like that. Having it cycle thru keeps everything fresh n clean

 

[guylaga]

Just buy KHG and call it a day. It’s by far the most consistent piece of gear and I will never go without a multiple per day test with Sps again

Aren't those sold out and no longer made?\

Really other than a Trident, it seems like Alktronic and KH director are pretty difficult to get nowadays.

 

[Reefahholic]

Trident text tonight:

 

[Cody]

You CAN switch the Trident to manual test mode by the way. Then just test when you tell it to manually.

it will only test when you hit the test button in this mode. You can test alk, or all three depending on your test selection.

I would not recommend this unless you were testing pretty regularly. The longer the Trident sits idle, the more likely it is to have clogged lines. Keep in mind, it's using tank water in those really thin lines, which has nutrients in it. They'll eventually have gunk build ups, but this will be a problem with any automatic tester. The reason they use very thin tubing is to maximize accuracy. A slight over/under turn of a peristaltic pump on a thin line doesn't throw the liquid quantity off as much as a thicker line. Thicker lines move more volume, so I get why they did it with the thin stuff.

 

[Cody]

Trident text tonight:

Minus a mechanical failure, I 100% stand by a Trident. I love the fact that it comes with calibration fluid with each box of reagent, so you know you're keeping it on point. Having said that, I use mine as a monitoring tool, not to control my dosers, because I use a calcium reactor. It's saved my butt a few times, even once in the first month of having one. I glance at my app and notice that the alk is steadily dropping each day over the last three days. I go to check my calcium reactor, and sure enough, there was a clog that I wouldn't have found until too late.