Hanna vs Salifert

CLYRIC · Feb 15, 2023

I'm cycling a QT tank right now and I dose my tank with ammonia and fritz turbostart 900. I tested with salifert and my ammonia levels are 1.5, nitrite 0, and nitrate 0. I have a nitrate HR tester and I tested the QT tank and it came out to 19.4 nitrates. Which one do I trust? (I tested using salifer/hanna a day after dosing with turbostart).

Dave1993 · Feb 15, 2023

i would trust hanna they are better than a £10 colour chart

Dan_P · Feb 15, 2023

CLYRIC said:
I'm cycling a QT tank right now and I dose my tank with ammonia and fritz turbostart 900. I tested with salifert and my ammonia levels are 1.5, nitrite 0, and nitrate 0. I have a nitrate HR tester and I tested the QT tank and it came out to 19.4 nitrates. Which one do I trust? (I tested using salifer/hanna a day after dosing with turbostart).

How much ammonia did you measure just after you added it?

John1966 · Feb 15, 2023

Generally, I trust Hannah more, but with that sort of difference it is not a reading error/color error unless you are colorblind, you did one of the tests wrong or your reagents have gone bad.

mike550 · Feb 15, 2023

I vaguely recall that if your system contains ammonia that it will throw off your nitrate readings.

Fishman718 · Feb 15, 2023

Did you observing the little bottle at the right angle by salifert? Observation from above and side is different

52728299 · Feb 16, 2023

Ime both are reliable. Stuff happens tho and usually when there's a big difference in results it's good to retest. Read directions again if you need a refresher and worth checking the exp dates on the reagents. Any reason the cycling tank would have elevated nitrates?

Harold999 · Feb 16, 2023

Salifert over Hanna any day of the week. I have seen way too many problems with "bad badge" Hanna reagents.

CLYRIC · Feb 16, 2023

Dan_P said:
How much ammonia did you measure just after you added it?

After I added it, salifert only read 1.5

CLYRIC · Feb 16, 2023

John1966 said:
Generally, I trust Hannah more, but with that sort of difference it is not a reading error/color error unless you are colorblind, you did one of the tests wrong or your reagents have gone bad.

I ended up getting a hanna ammonia test kit and it read 0.03 ppm and I tested with salifert and at the time came up with 0.25. I dosed it again with ammonia and my salifert test kit read it as 1.5 again while my hanna test came up to 0.05. Any ideas on which one I should trust?

CLYRIC · Feb 16, 2023

Aluco said:
Ime both are reliable. Stuff happens tho and usually when there's a big difference in results it's good to retest. Read directions again if you need a refresher and worth checking the exp dates on the reagents. Any reason the cycling tank would have elevated nitrates?

Yea, I did read over the directions again and results are the same. The only reason why I think the cycling tank has a high nitrate is because I dosed it with turbostart 900 and I dosed what was recommended for 25 gallons while the tank is only 10 gallons.

CLYRIC · Feb 16, 2023

Harold999 said:
Salifert over Hanna any day of the week. I have seen way too many problems with "bad badge" Hanna reagents.

What's a "bad badge"?

CLYRIC · Feb 16, 2023

Fishman718 said:
Did you observing the little bottle at the right angle by salifert? Observation from above and side is different

for ammonia I observed from the side, but nitrate/nitrite I observed from the top

gbroadbridge · Feb 16, 2023

CLYRIC said:
I ended up getting a hanna ammonia test kit and it read 0.03 ppm and I tested with salifert and at the time came up with 0.25. I dosed it again with ammonia and my salifert test kit read it as 1.5 again while my hanna test came up to 0.05. Any ideas on which one I should trust?

Did you press and hold the button on the hanna to start the 15 minute timer?