Anyone disgusted with Hanna instruments?

[slingfox]

My problem with Hanna was the hand held salinity checker. They want you to calibrate it I think once a month. I noticed that it drifted with result after about a week or so. My acro's began to lose color and some even began to have tissue loss. I began using the calibration packets about every week and a half to keep the salinity right on because all other parameter were great. Got sick of buying those calibration packets so I decided to go to a Milwaukee Digital Refractometer, that's when the horror story was revealed. Hanna showed 35ppt, first test on the Milwaukee showed 38ppt! Tested three times and the same result. About dropped my shorts. Adjusted my salinity to 35ppt via the Milwaukee and within week the acro's started coming back. Within a month completely back. Threw the Hanna in the garbage, would never trust their hand held salinity checker again!

I have been through three Hanna Salinity checkers. I have one sitting in a cabinet collecting dust. I use a Vee Gee refractometer which is one of the most expensive on the market. Super reliable and easy to use.

 

[jabberwock]

I use a refractometer for salinity. I started with API 2 years ago when I first got my tank going and I was testing a lot. I bought a new Hannah checker every couple of months until I ran out of API reagents and ended up with Hannah checkers for pH, ULR Phosphorus, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and calcium. I really like them and only really question the Alk kit as it is consistently low. My biggest gripe is not cost. I don't test that often anymore.

I don't understand why they pre-portion the powders in those little foil packs. It is difficult to get it all out (or all in the vial), and it has to drive up cost. They should have a larger container of the powdered reagents, and provide a cheap pre measured scoop.

 

[VintageReefer]

I use a refractometer for salinity. I started with API 2 years ago when I first got my tank going and I was testing a lot. I bought a new Hannah checker every couple of months until I ran out of API reagents and ended up with Hannah checkers for pH, ULR Phosphorus, Nitrate, Alkalinity, and calcium. I really like them and only really question the Alk kit as it is consistently low. My biggest gripe is not cost. I don't test that often anymore.

I don't understand why they pre-portion the powders in those little foil packs. It is difficult to get it all out (or all in the vial), and it has to drive up cost. They should have a larger container of the powdered reagents, and provide a cheap pre measured scoop.

Great idea. I suspect it’s “for freshness”
But I would like the bulk version offered. I’m sure they can figure out a packaging method. Perhaps….a jar!

 

[EricR]

I'll be the minority voice here -- I'm very satisfied with the Hanna checkers that I use.
*note that I'm color blind so pretty much anything else requires a helper which is rarely convenient

I use Hanna Alkalinity (dKH), Phosphate ULR, and Nitrate HR -- and feel the reagent prices are perfectly acceptable for what I get out of them.

I do use Salifert (with helper) for Calcium, Magnesium, and occasional double-check of Alkalinity.

P.S. My opinion of the Hanna Alkalinity checker is that, even if I wasn't color blind, it's still way faster and gives more precision (assuming you trust consistency, which I mostly do) than Salifert (and others I've tried) titration tests.

 

[areefer01]

Reefing is a seasonal hobby of excess. The industry is designed to extract cash from our disposable incomes and hopefully provide a useful product or service. Luckily there are less expensive alternatives too.

Yes, and no. Hobbies, regardless of type, should be from discretionary income. What is left after paying for taxes, personal necessities, and so forth. We are more or less saying the same thing so do not mean to nit pick.

With regards to this particular topic find one can shop around and find them at a reasonable price. No different than buying salt or any other consumable. Some things are obviously capped unless one buys a knockoff / off brand.

Personally speaking I don't understand the post because Hanna isn't doing anything wrong. If the hobbyist doesn't agree or like it then use something different. No need to budget shame those who use it be it tester or light or salt or whatever.

This is such a strange hobby at times. Hope you, and everyone's, day is amazing.

 

[Aquavaj]

Similar to the consumer ink jet printer market. Sell the printers at or below cost and gouge on the ink replacement. But even now the testers are going up too. Good thing I bought all the ones I needed when they were $50. At the $68 that they are now I would not buy any of them and stick to titration kits.

 

[exnisstech]

Their salinity checker is junk. You made the right move going to the Milwaukee

I thought the same thing and never used mine. Yesterday I decided to calibrate it and try it again. I'm not sure what is special about their 35 ppt calibration fluid but it isn't 35 ppt if measured with a calibrated refractometer. I mixed up a batch saltwater at 35 ppt verified with refractometer and hydrometer and used that to calibrate the Hanna and now it's spot on compared the other devices.

 

[morris2015]

I have officially had it with Hanna. I just went to reorder alkalinity reagent and it's 17.99 on Saltwateraquarium.com. this is ridiculous and they will keep raising the prices because they know people need to buy it constantly. I'm done I'm switching to Salifert test kits. Hanna has officially lost my business. I realize it doesn't matter to them but I refuse to go support this disgusting behavior. Shame on places like BRS and Saltwateraquarium.com for not standing up to Hanna. They cave to this MAP crap.

I agree, i decided just to use Phosphate ulr and Nitrate high range…. The rest of them are not reliable. To test the rest of my parameters i use Salifert, cheaper and more accurate…

 

[elysics]

I thought the same thing and never used mine. Yesterday I decided to calibrate it and try it again. I'm not sure what is special about their 35 ppt calibration fluid but it isn't 35 ppt if measured with a calibrated refractometer. I mixed up a batch saltwater at 35 ppt verified with refractometer and hydrometer and used that to calibrate the Hanna and now it's spot on compared the other devices.

Because it's meant for conductivity, not refraction. There are plenty of fluids that have the same conductivity as seawater but a different refraction index, and vice versa.

You need to be careful with what calibration standards are meant for, they might create chaos if you use them for a different purpose

 

[exnisstech]

Because it's meant for conductivity, not refraction. There are plenty of fluids that have the same conductivity as seawater but a different refraction index, and vice versa.

You need to be careful with what calibration standards are meant for

I'll admit I'm not a science guy but do like to learn. If I'm measuring salintiy in saltwater why not use salt water of a known salinity to calibrate? If I use the Hanna 35 ppt calibration fluid the tester is always off by 0.002. Calibrated yesterday using 35 ppt saltwater and the tester now matches my refractometer (calibrated with Randy's fluid recipe) and TM hydrometer. I've had the tester for a couple of years but never used it because it always read low.

 

[elysics]

I'll admit I'm not a science guy but do like to learn. If I'm measuring salintiy in saltwater why not use salt water of a known salinity to calibrate? If I use the Hanna 35 ppt calibration fluid the tester is always off by 0.002. Calibrated yesterday using 35 ppt saltwater and the tester now matches my refractometer (calibrated with Randy's fluid recipe) and TM hydrometer. I've had the tester for a couple of years but never used it because it always read low.

Because salt water (as in table salt) also does not fit both conductivity and refractive index at the same time. Randy's recipe actually includes multiple recipes, depending on what you actually want to calibrate.

General purpose standards that mimic seawater exist, but they have many more ingredients and are more expensive to make and to buy.

 

[exnisstech]

Because salt water (as in table salt) also does not fit both conductivity and refractive index at the same time. Randy's recipe actually includes multiple recipes, depending on what you actually want to calibrate.

General purpose standards that mimic seawater exist, but they have many more ingredients and are more expensive to make and to buy.

Thanks. The calibration fluid for the refracto is table salt. I think I understand what your saying that I can't test the Hanna calibration fluid with a refractometer. My feeble mind can't grasp why I can't use a known 35ppt sample of water to calibrate the Hanna since it is what I'm measuring with it? I used salt water mixed to 35 ppt for water change to calibrate the Hanna. It's the same water tested with hydrometer to verify salinity level. If I use the Hanna 35 ppt fluid it has always been off. I'm confident the hydrometer is accurate.

 

[elysics]

Thanks. The calibration fluid for the refracto is table salt. I think I understand what your saying that I can't test the Hanna calibration fluid with a refractometer. My feeble mind can't grasp why I can't use a known 35ppt sample of water to calibrate the Hanna since it is what I'm measuring with it? I used salt water mixed to 35 ppt for water change to calibrate the Hanna. It's the same water tested with hydrometer to verify salinity level. If I use the Hanna 35 ppt fluid it has always been off. I'm confident the hydrometer is accurate.

Because your table salt solution isn't actually 35ppt, it just behaves like 35ppt seawater would when used for it's particular designated purpose.

If you mix actual artificial seawater up with a bucket of salt and check with another measurement that it's really 35ppt and you trust that other measurement, then you can do that as well. Might be a bit crude but probably good enough.

Not sure where the 0.002 error came from, but if it now reads the same as the hydrometer in warm tankwater then what you did seems to be working.

 

[exnisstech]

If you mix actual artificial seawater up with a bucket of salt and check with another measurement that it's really 35ppt and you trust that other measurement, then you can do that as well. Might be a bit crude but probably good enough.

I don't think I explained what I did correctly but this is exactly what I did. Thanks for your time and patience

 

[shutterspeed1000]

I'll be the minority voice here -- I'm very satisfied with the Hanna checkers that I use.
*note that I'm color blind so pretty much anything else requires a helper which is rarely convenient

I use Hanna Alkalinity (dKH), Phosphate ULR, and Nitrate HR -- and feel the reagent prices are perfectly acceptable for what I get out of them.

I do use Salifert (with helper) for Calcium, Magnesium, and occasional double-check of Alkalinity.

P.S. My opinion of the Hanna Alkalinity checker is that, even if I wasn't color blind, it's still way faster and gives more precision (assuming you trust consistency, which I mostly do) than Salifert (and others I've tried) titration tests.

I went with Hanna for the same reason, I can't see color well. Results are good enough for me, but I have never compared to anything other than API tests, which I still use most of the time. I save the Hanna tests for monthly checks or if I am having issues in the tank. The one thing I wish they offered is for all Hanna dealers to have the calibration vials on site so you can check your meter without buying them.

If you are an iPhone user, there is an app called Carolina RGB Colorimeter. It is free and helps me read tests I normally can't see. You can compare the value on the chart to your test and it works well.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I thought the same thing and never used mine. Yesterday I decided to calibrate it and try it again. I'm not sure what is special about their 35 ppt calibration fluid but it isn't 35 ppt if measured with a calibrated refractometer. I mixed up a batch saltwater at 35 ppt verified with refractometer and hydrometer and used that to calibrate the Hanna and now it's spot on compared the other devices.

You have to use a different calibration solution for refractometers and EC devices like the Hanna.

Randy has recipes using table salt for both but they are not interchangeable.

I use a DIY calibration for my Hanna - when used correctly it is accurate enough - certainly far more accurate than the Milwaukee refrac which has an enormous +/- 2 ppt inaccuracy.

 

[exnisstech]

You have to use a different calibration solution for refractometers and EC devices like the Hanna.

Randy has recipes using table salt for both but they are not interchangeable.

I use a DIY calibration for my Hanna - when used correctly it is accurate enough - certainly far more accurate than the Milwaukee refrac which has an enormous +/- 2 ppt inaccuracy.

Thanks. I'll look up his recipe for calibrating EC devices.

I ended up making a batch of water at 35 ppt measured with a refractometer and verified with a hydrometer and used that to calibrate the Hanna. Every time I calibrate using the Hanna 35 ppt fluid the tester reads 0.002 low.