Hanna Phosphate Testing Surprise

[Idoc]

Whoa, opened a new box of HI736 Hanna ULR reagents and this is what my sample mixed up to, lol. Either my phosphates just went through the roof (too high to get a reading...kept flashing 200) or a bad reagent pack... turned out to be the latter, retest was more in line at my expected 0.07ppm PO4! Hopefully this was only one bad packet!!

HI736 lot # H082 (exp 10/2021)

For reference, the sample vial for my tank is almost clear to a barely noticable tinge of blue, lol

 

[Retro Reefer]

Just a single pack that was bad or was the whole lot of reagent bad?

 

[Idoc]

Just a single pack that was bad or was the whole lot of reagent bad?

So far just a single pouch... I'm doing some other tests now to confirm others are consistent... and so far ok.

 

[Dempsey941]

woof. kinda looks like a hanna calcium vial with the reagents

 

[Idoc]

I've only ever had one other clearly erroneous test with Hanna and that occurred when I moved the tester to another table while it was reading the sample.

 

[KrisReef]

I love that color of blue.
Your algae would tell you if that test was legit.

 

[Waters]

I have that on a few also.......kinda scary if you don't know that it happens from time to time.

 

[Idoc]

I have that on a few also.......kinda scary if you don't know that it happens from time to time.

It was a bit scary at first...I was just doing my regular mixing in my hands while watching my son's video game and then looked down and saw the color and about freaked out... then calm settled in and figured I'd have to confirm it, lol.

 

[Waters]

It was a bit scary at first...I was just doing my regular mixing in my hands while watching my son's video game and then looked down and saw the color and snout freaked out... then calm settled in and figured I'd have to confirm it, lol.

Lol yeah I hear ya.....the first thing I do is run and grab the GFO and a measuring cup.

 

[KrisReef]

It was a bit scary at first...I was just doing my regular mixing in my hands while watching my son's video game and then looked down and saw the color and snout freaked out... then calm settled in and figured I'd have to confirm it, lol.

The first time I saw that color I was testing a used live rock barrel I was curing. I’d already acid dipped the rock and let it cook in a bucket for a few months with frequent water changes. I was thinking about adding some of that rock to my sump but decided to test for phosphate because I the rock was used before. I remember the sample instantly turned blue as I added reagent. The sample pegged the meter.

I diluted a new sample and tested again to get a number but the second test also started turning blue very quickly.

Glad I didn’t add that rock and I do love the color.