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Hanna Phosphate Checker

Alexx

Alexx

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I have a question I wanna get a Hanna Phosphate and I see that some they have listed:
Phosphate ULR and some they have listed only Phosphate. I think I found one to buy for like $35.
What do I need to buy if I need to test Phosphate lower range?
Did you guys find a better test kit than Hanna for Phosphate?
Screenshot 2021-06-27 at 2.19.37 AM.png

I am also curious about Nitrate what do you guys use? I heard Read Sea, Hanna, Nio, and Slifer are the best. I use Salifer but kinda curious about your input.
I was thinking to buy Hanna, kinda wanted a bit of feedback.
 
I have opinions and have watched the BRS video on these. I have and like the Hanna phosphate checker. Mine range from 0 - .4 so that is the one for me (and I think all of use). All that is needed is the checker and the reagent packets. It is pretty easy, and if I test that one before I test the others, I don't mind the 3 minute countdown at all that the test requires. I also use Hanna Alk and CA.

For nitrate, I have only personally used the red sea one. Nitrate checkers seem to be a longer test (for the user) so the Hanna one I have not tried myself, but read it takes a long time and I have not read the best reviews. BRS recommended the Nyos one for ease of testing and readability, so I got it, but haven't tried it yet. Salifert is a staple in the industry for testers and you can't go wrong there. I use their mag one and it works well enough for me.

Edit: I just checked and I have the regular phosphate checker, not the ULR one. I would still get the one I have unless you are running (ultra low nutrients) which grows coral slowly, so that's no fun :)
 
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If you get the hanna phosphate tester get the ULR phosphorus tester. You'll have to convert ppb to ppm but hanna has a nifty quick chart to do that for you.
 
Cool, so then I would say get the one for the range of phosphate you want to run your tank at. The .03 level is maybe not falling out of style, but is up for debate as nutrient export methods are getting better. Rich on reef beef specifically keeps his between .2 and .4, although he is trying to lower them some by doing a continuous dose of lanthanum chloride into his skimmer. I have been learning more about phosphate in the tank and while it is detrimental to the skeleton building of sps, it is healthier for the zooxanthellae in the coral. And carbon dosing can help bacterial uptake the phosphate which is now in a more radially available form for the coral to eat. Long winded rant about how maybe a "dirtier" tank isn't a bad direction to go. I would love to hear your thoughts as I seem to be in a reef information binging phase :)
 
I also prefer the ULR version of the Hanna Checker. For me there is an actionable difference between 0.00, 0.05, and 0.10 ppm.

As far as the conversion, if you log your results in Apex, then it does the conversion for you (as well as graphing over time, etc).

Even easier, Hanna more recently came out with an ULR Phosphate ppm (as opposed to Phosphorus ppb) checker, so you can use the results off the screen.
 
Hanna regular phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 2.50 ppm
Precision: ±0.04 ppm

Hanna ultra low phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 0.90 ppm
Accuracy: ±.02 ppm

I have both and I think in most case ultra low is enough and more accurate assuming your phosphate don't go pass .90

I use Nyos for nitrate test, Fast and easy.
 
PeetaJai said:
Hanna regular phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 2.50 ppm (mg/L)
Precision: ±0.04 ppm (mg/L)

Hanna ultra low phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 0.90 ppm
Resolution: 0.01 ppm
Accuracy: ±.02 ppm

I have both and I think most in case ultra low is enough and more accurate assuming your phosphate don't go pass .90

I use Nyos for nitrate test, Fast and easy.
Click to expand...
Thank you for getting the actual data. No, I never want my phosphate above .40, so ULR looks like the better choice. I was sold the regular one early, and now will consider flipping it for the ULR one.
 
PeetaJai said:
Hanna regular phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 2.50 ppm
Precision: ±0.04 ppm

Hanna ultra low phosphate
Range: 0.00 to 0.90 ppm
Accuracy: ±.02 ppm

I have both and I think in most case ultra low is enough and more accurate assuming your phosphate don't go pass .90

I use Nyos for nitrate test, Fast and easy.
Click to expand...
Precision and accuracy are different, I’m curious if those are the terms actually used by Hanna. Companies in scientific instrumentation usually list accuracy if their product is accurate, and precision if it isn’t (but is reproducible). It would suggest the regular unit is even less accurate than that, like maybe it isn’t very useful in the 0.0-0.1 range.
 
JVU said:
Precision and accuracy are different, I’m curious if those are the terms actually used by Hanna. Companies in scientific instrumentation usually list accuracy if their product is accurate, and precision if it isn’t (but is reproducible). It would suggest the regular unit is even less accurate than that, like maybe it isn’t very useful in the 0.0-0.1 range.
Click to expand...
Great catch, I didn't even notice that. Haha
 
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