Looking for a automated stirrer for 10 ml vials

[Peter Brom]

HI,

Does anyone know if there is an automated stirrer for 10 ml vials ? need one due to an injury.

Currently, I'm using the Hanna Checkers but I can't find a stirrer on their site, only for large vials with magnets.

Thanks for responding.

Gr Peter

 

[Reef.]

Yes there are, there is one called the Autoaqua Smart Stir, I personally would not bother with a stirrer if you really don’t need one.

You don’t need to shake the Hanna vials hard, inverting them constantly until you see the powder is mixed is good, the phosphate checker needs to be mixed well, if inverting doesn’t mix the powder fully within the 2 min time, then just add an extra 1 min mixing and then just reduce the 3min timer by 1 min, so after mixing time, after you replace the vial back in the checker, don’t start the 3 min timer with a long press, just wait 2 mins then short press the timer to activate the checker straight away.

​

 

[jrill]

I use the Autoaqua for the Hanna checker vials. So much easier than shaking for two minutes. Also great for titration test.

 

[jrill]

Another thing you can do is buy any small stirrer on Amazon and buy the extra tiny pills for the autoaqua at the Coralvue website.
Once you start using a stirrer you'd be surprised how many things you use it for that need mixing.

 

[Reef.]

Another thing you can do is buy any small stirrer on Amazon and buy the extra tiny pills for the autoaqua at the Coralvue website.

Don’t t think that would work, unless the stirrer is designed to mix 10ml vials, then the magnet inside the stirrer is unlikely to line up with the size of the vial.

 

[jrill]

Don’t t think that would work, unless the stirrer is designed to mix 10ml vials, then the magnet inside the stirrer is unlikely to line up with the size of the vial.

It works just fine. You just center the vial on the stirrer. The magnet will show you when it's centered. But I do like the autoaqua best for testing because it's battery powered. I also have two larger stirrers so I've done it both ways.

 

[Reef.]

It works just fine. You just center the vial on the stirrer. The magnet will show you when it's centered. But I do like the autoaqua best for testing because it's battery powered. I also have two larger stirrers so I've done it both ways.

How do you remove the bean, or do you test with the bean still in the vial, then just remove after you remove the vial from the checker?

 

[elysics]

Don’t t think that would work, unless the stirrer is designed to mix 10ml vials, then the magnet inside the stirrer is unlikely to line up with the size of the vial.

It doesn't need to. A massive stirrer plate will still spin a tiny magnet pill.

Any cheap Chinese magnetic stirplate will do, the hobby specific ones just sometimes will hold particular vials in place

 

[jrill]

How do you remove the bean, or do you test with the bean still in the vial, then just remove after you remove the vial from the checker?

I put the bean in right after the water to be tested and leave it in until the test is complete. It won't effect the test results.

 

[Reef.]

It doesn't need to. A massive stirrer plate will still spin a tiny magnet pill.

Any cheap Chinese magnetic stirplate will do, the hobby specific ones just sometimes will hold particular vials in place

Good to know, I had a bigger one to mix my AFR, it would keep turning off after 20mins so I returned it, now I just shake and shake and shake and….

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Wouldnt a $10 milk frother from Walmart accomplish the same task? It doesn't need to be lab equipment or anything specialized...

 

[Reef.]

Wouldnt a $10 milk frother from Walmart accomplish the same task? It doesn't need to be lab equipment or anything specialized...

For 10ml of liquid? Or do you mean for my AFR?

 

[elysics]

How do you remove the bean, or do you test with the bean still in the vial, then just remove after you remove the vial from the checker?

Hanna checker should still work fine with a small enough pill inside. Then at the and you can just hold a magnet to the vial and dump it out, the pill will stay in.

You can also guide the pill up the wall and out the vial with a magnet or another pill on the outside, but that's a bit fiddly getting it through the neck.

The proper Tool is basically another pill at the end of a plastic stick that you can just stick in and pull out

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

For 10ml of liquid? Or do you mean for my AFR?

The AFR...but honestly it would probably work for 10ml of liquid if you just pressed the button a couple times

 

[Reef.]

The AFR...but honestly it would probably work for 10ml of liquid if you just pressed the button a couple times

Thanks, never thought of that, AFR takes ages to mix so will give that a go, my experience with stirrers has put me off them, loud, slow, and unreliable.

 

[jrill]

Hanna checker should still work fine with a small enough pill inside. Then at the and you can just hold a magnet to the vial and dump it out, the pill will stay in.

You can also guide the pill up the wall and out the vial with a magnet or another pill on the outside, but that's a bit fiddly getting it through the neck.

The proper Tool is basically another pill at the end of a plastic stick that you can just stick in and pull out

The pill is magnetic so a paper clip should work

 

[PapaFishRocks]

How do you remove the bean, or do you test with the bean still in the vial, then just remove after you remove the vial from the checker?

I have a little stainless steel mesh strainer (Walmart kitchen section) that I pour the vial into it to catch the stirrer. No more stirrers down the drain.

 

[Peter Brom]

Bought the AutoAqua Smart Stir (euro 29,99) and received it today, Used it and it works perfectly, even with the 10ml vials. You just place the vial against the side and let the magnet spin. Much better than doing it by hand and more accurate too.

 

[Reef.]

Bought the AutoAqua Smart Stir (euro 29,99) and received it today, Used it and it works perfectly, even with the 10ml vials. You just place the vial against the side and let the magnet spin. Much better than doing it by hand and more accurate too.

Do you get a bean to put inside the vial?

 

[Peter Brom]

Yes, it's a small bean that fits in the 10ml vial. You also get a small magnetic stick to pull the bean out. Very easy. I tested the Nitrate, Nitrite, and Ammonia levels 2 times. 1 time without the bean (manual shaking) and 1 time with the bean (stir). De measurement for Nitrate went from 5.1 to 4.8 ppm, Nitrite from 0.034 to 0.021, and Ammonia from 0.04 to 0.02.