Hanna phosphate checkers worth it or not?

[Devaji108]

would like ppl reviews on the Hanna po4 checkers.
I am setting up gorgonians sponge macro softie, LPS reef with a focus on the gorgonians. not looking to get extra extra clean water as this is NOT an SPS system. but thought it would be nice to know my po4 levels a bit more accurate then the other kits.

do you guys think it over kill and a wast of $$ and stick with the color test kits or spend the $$ and get one.

is there any think to know about these...
cheers

[outssider]

they are worth it.....
if you plan to keep the water dirtier than .61 ppm go with the phosphate meter, otherwise go with the phosphorus meter.

phosphorus meter is more precise but maxes out at 200 ppb phosphorus= .61 phosphate

[timmydatoolman]

Only had mine for a month, but I love it, no more guessing at colors !

[Coelli]

I really like mine but have a beef with it - you basically turn it on, press the button, add the vial with the sample water, press the button again, then when prompted remove the vial amd add powder from a little packet, close it and shake it til it dissolves, then put it back in and press and hold the button until a 3 minute timer starts. I've screwed it up a few times by:
- taking too long to get the powder in and dissolved. It will time out if you take too long and you have to start over
- forgetting to press and hold the button, just pressing it instead (like you do with the alkalinity checker)

Other than these occasional user error issues, I like it much better than other test kits :)

[Icefire]

Coelli that's why there is 2 vial, fille both put the powder in one, after 3 minutes start the process with the 1st vial than switch

[Coelli]

Coelli that's why there is 2 vial, fille both put the powder in one, after 3 minutes start the process with the 1st vial than switch

I've tried that and got inconsistent results - not sure if it's variations in the glass or what, but I have been sticking with one vial. The instructions say to add it to the same vial (same with alkalinity).

[Bpb]

They're worth it if you're needing to constantly manually elevate phosphate or if you have way too much and run a lot of gfo that way you can replace when it's exhausted, not just on a schedule.

[Devaji108]

prob. not gonna run gfo...thinking of ATS

[Bpb]

I'd honestly save the money then. Once your ats gets loaded your phosphates will always read zero no matter what.

[Hitch08]

I really like mine but have a beef with it - you basically turn it on, press the button, add the vial with the sample water, press the button again, then when prompted remove the vial amd add powder from a little packet, close it and shake it til it dissolves, then put it back in and press and hold the button until a 3 minute timer starts. I've screwed it up a few times by:
- taking too long to get the powder in and dissolved. It will time out if you take too long and you have to start over
- forgetting to press and hold the button, just pressing it instead (like you do with the alkalinity checker)

Other than these occasional user error issues, I like it much better than other test kits :)

Same issue here with the 3 minute timer. I now set my cell phone to count down from 3 minutes. Seems overly complicated, but it works for me.

[terry4505]

I use two vials, not problems.

I always run the test twice with the same two vials as well, and compare the results.

[Bill Nye]

I have the Hanna phosphorus meter and find it very reliable and consistent. I would go for that one over the regular phosphate one.

I use one vial just for consistency since one of them could have scratches or cloudiness that could affect the results. I cut the pouch and get it ready prior to starting the test. It takes me ~25 seconds to take the vial out, dump the powder in and begin shaking. I use a cell phone timer to make sure I am on time.

[SaltwaterAq]

They are worth it.

[Bpb]

I use the Hanna phosphorus meter and the one vial method.

Love it. Very consistent.

For those who are concerned about the amount of time it takes to dissolve the reagent and the machine timing out...

Cut the pouch, open it carefully, and perform the c1 calibration.
Once prompted for C2, remove the vial and add the reagent and begin mixing. I'll mix for about a minute. Then...this is important to note

Close the lid on the meter and hold the button to start the 3 minute timer, WITHOUT the vial in the meter. Continue mixing the vial.

The meter does NOT take a 3 minute long reading. All it's doing is waiting. You can test this by running a dry test. If you leave the lid open, you see the green diode only flashes for a second at the very end of the 3 minutes.

This means you can continue mixing for an extra couple minutes to ensure all air bubbles are out and the reagent has fully dissolved. I've never been able to get it to dissolve in under the 2 minute frame without creating a foam of micro bubbles.

If you just gently keep mixing it into the 3 minute meter timer you can get it all dissolved and have an accurate and consistent reading. I also like to keep a lint free soft towel to make sure the vial is free of smudges, I wear gloves as well, and make sure the 10ml stamp is always facing forward.

[Tweaked]

Yes the two vial method is key. Also ensure they are rinsed thoroughly after each use and dried.

[Coelli]

The meter does NOT take a 3 minute long reading. All it's doing is waiting. You can test this by running a dry test. If you leave the lid open, you see the green diode only flashes for a second at the very end of the 3 minutes.

That is REALLY useful info! Thanks! I also wipe down the vials and I'm careful not to get fingerprints on them. I also wet store all of the vials for all of my test kits.

[xmas_one]

I got a trick for the phosphorus test. Usually after shaking the heck out of the vial there's a bunch of bubbles in it. I've found if you slowly roll the vial on a table the bubbles will go away.

[slief]

+ 1 for the Hanna ULR phosphorus checker. I use it and it's very reliable and very consistent. If you are going to buy a Hanna checker, the ULR phosphorus checker is the best and most accurate one for our use. Especially for numbers below .10.

[Bpb]

+1 wet storing vials. I do that as well. Rodi water is super reactive so why not. Keeps anything from staining the glass over time

[kevin_e]

Coelli that's why there is 2 vial, fille both put the powder in one, after 3 minutes start the process with the 1st vial than switch

I'm not sure that's the reason. One vial should be used for both steps. Step 1 is "zeroing" out the meter. Using a different vial with different scratches and imperfections will result in a different refraction, thus result in a different result. In the hobby side of things, I typically wouldn't be concerned with that, but since we're measuring on the order of Parts Per Billion, I think it is worth noting.

Hanna makes a silicon gel to apply to the vials to fill in these scratches and imperfections as it has the same refractive index as the glass itself.