Chemical Testing

twilliard · Jul 13, 2016

d2mini said:
This is kind of a random nitpicky question....
I just received the new dkh alk checker in the new black box.
I'm used to the old white box which is like half the size.
What was the reason for A)making them bigger (i do like that I can store a 10ml syringe in there now)
and B) the checker not fully recessing into it's spot?
As you can see in the pic above, the checker has to sit at a funny angle in order to close the lid.
And it just seems weird/wrong that the checker kinda floats instead of fitting all the way in to it's recess like in the old box.

What? There was an older holing box??

d2mini · Jul 13, 2016

twilliard said:
What? There was an older holing box??

Yes, here's mine.

twilliard · Jul 13, 2016

d2mini said:
Yes, here's mine.

Wow that is a cool box!
Maybe they switched designs to hold the 2 vials they supply

smh254 · Jul 13, 2016

d2mini said:
Yes, here's mine.

I've seen a few complaints about the latch on the white box not staying closed. Maybe they switched to the black box that has the two latches.

d2mini · Jul 13, 2016

smh254 said:
I've seen a few complaints about the latch on the white box not staying closed. Maybe they switched to the black box that has the two latches.

Actually for me it was the opposite... was too hard to get open. lol

I like the new black one. Seems to have a lot of wasted space but like i said it's nice that you can store extra bits in it.
But I think the plastic tray needs some design work. Get that checker recessed all the way in, mainly.
I was thinking of tossing the tray all together if I can get my hands on some of that black foam that you can cut out with an x-acto blade. Make my own compartments.
Like I have nothing better to do with my time.

KKaiser85 · Jul 14, 2016

d2mini said:
This is kind of a random nitpicky question....
I just received the new dkh alk checker in the new black box.
I'm used to the old white box which is like half the size.
What was the reason for A)making them bigger (i do like that I can store a 10ml syringe in there now)
and B) the checker not fully recessing into it's spot?
As you can see in the pic above, the checker has to sit at a funny angle in order to close the lid.
And it just seems weird/wrong that the checker kinda floats instead of fitting all the way in to it's recess like in the old box.

Ok, so, as the video guy at Hanna, I can't give definitive reasons. But I can give you my best guess as to why these changes were made. As far as the old white box goes, a lot of people had a hard time with them because they were smaller and more flimsy. The larger black case is more rugged and provides easier access to the kit.

The Checker sitting at an angle is the same kind of thing. When I grabbed the Checker out of the old packaging, it was not as easily accessible. The angle makes it easier to get out.

I also think there was some thought as to more appealing packaging for retail purposes.
Hopefully, soon, you will be seeing these Checkers in a store.

*As stated above, I could be completely wrong on this* lol

Let me know how the Checker works out for you though! I love the dKH!

d2mini · Jul 14, 2016

KKaiser85 said:
Ok, so, as the video guy at Hanna, I can't give definitive reasons. But I can give you my best guess as to why these changes were made. As far as the old white box goes, a lot of people had a hard time with them because they were smaller and more flimsy. The larger black case is more rugged and provides easier access to the kit.

The Checker sitting at an angle is the same kind of thing. When I grabbed the Checker out of the old packaging, it was not as easily accessible. The angle makes it easier to get out.

I also think there was some thought as to more appealing packaging for retail purposes.
Hopefully, soon, you will be seeing these Checkers in a store.

*As stated above, I could be completely wrong on this* lol

Let me know how the Checker works out for you though! I love the dKH!

Cool, everyone is different so that's my opinion on the new design. Mostly like, but a few niggles. Please pass them on.
One thing I think I forgot to mention is that when I originally placed it in the case as flat as possible and forced the lid closed, the next time I opened it the checker was on, because the lid was pressing the on/off button.
So now I try to ignore my OCD tendencies and let it sit on an angle.

The checker itself is great, just like the PPM version. Having an extra decimal would have been nice though. In other words, being able to read 8.35 instead of just 8.3 or 8.4.

KKaiser85 · Jul 29, 2016

I have made R&D aware of people's concerns. I'm hoping that in the future we perfect EVERYTHING about the Checkers! They are quite stellar, as most of you know. If anyone is looking for cool info, the blog has just gone live

http://blog.hannainst.com/digital-water-quality-testing-in-saltwater-aquariums

KKaiser85 · Oct 13, 2016

Hello folks.
Your friendly, neighborhood Hanna guy here again.

Hoping someone out there in the Reefs would be interested in writing a 1500 word post on Calcium in Reef tanks?

Preferably someone who uses the Hanna Checkers... but not necessary.

More details to those interested.

Thanks friends!

rizorido · Oct 13, 2016

KKaiser85 said:
Hello folks.
Your friendly, neighborhood Hanna guy here again.

Hoping someone out there in the Reefs would be interested in writing a 1500 word post on Calcium in Reef tanks?

Preferably someone who uses the Hanna Checkers... but not necessary.

More details to those interested.

Thanks friends!

Any news on where to find the 0.1ml pipette?

RobBaglieri · Oct 13, 2016

KKaiser85 said:
Total bummer that you're getting varied results. Are you wiping the cuvettes you use? The majority of users I speak with have been using these Checkers for years with consistent results.
Other things to keep in mind,
The lid should be completely closed
The Checker should be on a flat surface

Hanna also offers validation kits for $11. In the event that your Checker is acting whacky, these kits will help you narrow down the problem.
The validation kits are Part# - 11. so HI755-11 or HI736-11

The units dont suck. People need to understand you are bound by chemistry and physics and cost to goods while designing these things. The cuvetts must be spotless and the exact amount of liquid needs to be added. In a volume that small, keeping an eye on the liquid meniscus is critical.

RobBaglieri · Oct 13, 2016

KKaiser85 said:
The HI758 Calcium Checker is a very picky piece of equipment, requiring a small amount of sample, deionized water, and proper amounts of reagent.

The new sample pipette is a game changer for those having a difficult time getting precisely .1mL of sample.

I tested with this Checker every day for a week and had incredibly accurate results... granted I was using instant ocean.. but consistent none the less

You can buy very cheap yet very accurate plastic or glass pippetts on amazon. I use these all the time and they are accurate.

RobBaglieri · Oct 13, 2016

twilliard said:
I use the calcium checker.

I may be more meticulous than others but I get consistant results every time.
No odd ball reading at all.
I stand behind user error for results that are not normal.

I agree. I get consistent results when repeating tests and even side by side with a friend of mine and his checker. With that said, I have 20 years experience working in a lab, most people do not posses those skills. It would be nice to find something easier to use.

Jonnathan · Dec 5, 2016

KKaiser85 said:
*Full disclosure*

I work at Hanna Instruments. I am not a sales guy, but I have been working on the Hanna Instruments Marine Line and have since become very interested in this whole area.

A close friend of mine is hooking me up with some coral and I hope to have awesome pictures to show off in the coming weeks

For anyone wondering what those Checkers are,
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHjMrVxGgcZSOW0H9pLjnXYQo88f0b93a

But man these things are cool.

is there a chart to go by? i dont know whats good or bad as far as the # goes.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 5, 2016

Jonnathan said:
is there a chart to go by? i dont know whats good or bad as far as the # goes.

Chart of desirable parameters?

I'd start here:

Optimal Parameters for a Coral Reef Aquarium: By Randy Holmes-Farley
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/o...-reef-aquarium-by-randy-holmes-farley.173563/

Jonnathan · Dec 7, 2016

but is there a # chart to go by? like other testers that has a color chart? I'm new to this and I dont know when is bad and when is good like the range.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 7, 2016

Jonnathan said:
but is there a # chart to go by? like other testers that has a color chart? I'm new to this and I dont know when is bad and when is good like the range.

I have a chart in my article. ???