**** Hanna Alk Reagent

[Tonycass12]

Are you asking about the Hanna colored water vials?

Not very useful, IMO, as it only checks the electronics, not all the other possible problems with Hanna alk, from reagents to vials to exact user methodology.

I got ya. I may have been thinking of this backwards.

 

[flyingscampi]

So I got a new bottle of reagent which is Lot 0329, Expires 11/2023.

I tested the aquarium water with the new reagent and it measured a KH of 7.7 which is very close to the consistent Salifert measurement. I measured again with the new reagent and the measurement was 7.6.

I tested using the old reagent bottle (Lot 0135, Expires 08/2023) and it measured 8.8. This bottle has consistently given a result over 1 dKH too high since I opened it so I'm going to contact Hanna.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I got a new bottle of reagent which is Lot 0329, Expires 11/2023.

I tested the aquarium water with the new reagent and it measured a KH of 7.7 which is very close to the consistent Salifert measurement. I measured again with the new reagent and the measurement was 7.6.

I tested using the old reagent bottle (Lot 0135, Expires 08/2023) and it measured 8.8. This bottle has consistently given a result over 1 dKH too high since I opened it so I'm going to contact Hanna.

This sort of issue points out my concern with the fairly widespread belief that the Hanna checkers are more accurate than other kits.

 

[Screwgunner]

I have the Hana checker but I have a bottle I have to put 1 ml of regent in. My problem was the phosphate checker. My tank was reading consistently at .1 phosphates then all of a sudden 0.00 . 3 tests in a row. I had another box of regent so I pulled one out . Yep .1 again. I called hanna and they sent me 3 boxes of regents. That fixed the problem!

 

[LeftyReefer]

My Hanna Alk reagent bottles get some kind of weird growth/bacteria/mold growing in it as the bottle starts getting low.

The last handful of tests I do out of each bottle always gets these gunky "floaters" growing in it. I now just throw the bottle away as soon as I see my first floater.

The hanna alk reagent really grosses me out for some reason once it gets all funky like this.

Is keeping it in the fridge supposed to keep this from happening?

 

[gbru316]

This sort of issue points out my concern with the fairly widespread belief that the Hanna checkers are more accurate than other kits.

the Hanna checkers aren’t even more convenient or quick than Mg, ca, and titration tests. I don’t see any real advantage to them.

The colorimetry tests are good, though, for those of us that struggle with determining which pink or blue most closely matches the reference card.

 

[flyingscampi]

My Hanna Alk reagent bottles get some kind of weird growth/bacteria/mold growing in it as the bottle starts getting low.

The last handful of tests I do out of each bottle always gets these gunky "floaters" growing in it. I now just throw the bottle away as soon as I see my first floater.

The hanna alk reagent really grosses me out for some reason once it gets all funky like this.

Is keeping it in the fridge supposed to keep this from happening?

I keep mine in the fridge. I tried testing at room temp and fridge temp and it made no difference to the measurement.

 

[flyingscampi]

the Hanna checkers aren’t even more convenient or quick than Mg, ca, and titration tests. I don’t see any real advantage to them.

The colorimetry tests are good, though, for those of us that struggle with determining which pink or blue most closely matches the reference card.

I usually test in the evenings so the Hanna avoids some guesswork, especially when your Mk 1 eyeballs are starting to wear out.

 

[gbru316]

I usually test in the evenings so the Hanna avoids some guesswork, especially when your Mk 1 eyeballs are starting to wear out.

My issue with Hanna is partly all the potential sources of error one can induce (that aren’t present in titration tests) and partly the variability of the reagent.

but to be fair, I only use manual testing to supplement automated Trident testing. The trident can lack in accuracy depending on how it’s calibrated, but it’s precise enough to determine if doses need adjusted. When I want an accurate measurement (either because of trident reagent change or questionable measurements), I pull out salifert.