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You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Hannah phosphate checker

• Thread starter hoggy1984
• Start date Mar 4, 2020

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hoggy1984

Angelfish

Question for any owners What’s the better one to get the hi-774 ulr or the hi-736 phosphorus ulr?

Vlad

Feature of the Month Contributor It's ULR phosphorus I think. There were a few threads about this, one of them is below https://www.ultimatereef.net/threads/hanna-phosphate-and-ulr-phosphate-checker.870584/ Cheers, V.

disco76

Moray Eel

Vlad said: It's ULR phosphorus I think. There were a few threads about this, one of them is below https://www.ultimatereef.net/threads/hanna-phosphate-and-ulr-phosphate-checker.870584/ Cheers, V. Click to expand...

Agreed

hoggy1984

Angelfish

I purchased the phosphorus one, like it, but it’s a bit of a pain to get going, the dkh checker is a dream literally have a reading in 30 secs, where is this one has a lot more mucking about, but i suppose it’s a lot better than having to try and stare and guess what rings of blue your reading is on a test kit

MikeMcC

Sea Turtle

I have the 736 phosphorus and although cost per test is much dearer than say Salifert. e.g. a box of 25 reagents is about £11. But I prefer seeing a number. I really didn't get how to use it at first but watched a YouTube video by a UR member on using it and it all clicked, wouldn't use anything else now. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk J

Jay Whizzbang

hoggy1984 said: Question for any owners What’s the better one to get the hi-774 ulr or the hi-736 phosphorus ulr? Click to expand...

Depends what you want. Do you want repeatable results you are confident with? Or do you want to get a reading a trust it without any way of checking? I bought the phosphorus ULR and sold it right away. Any result between 0.02 and 0.1 really is what you will get, regardless of repeat testing

hoggy1984

Angelfish

MikeMcC said: I have the 736 phosphorus and although cost per test is much dearer than say Salifert. e.g. a box of 25 reagents is about £11. But I prefer seeing a number. I really didn't get how to use it at first but watched a YouTube video by a UR member on using it and it all clicked, wouldn't use anything else now. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk Click to expand...

Mike, I watched a video on YouTube , did it to the book 5 times each time I still keep getting the reading of zero, which I find hard to believe, I turned off the gfo reactor over a week ago cause I think I was running too much and my colours were drab, things starting to colour back up, I’ve emailed them to ask what the script is?? Doesn’t make sense to me, other thing I don’t like is the fact it turns itself off after 2 mins yet it tells you to mix the powder for 2 mins???

Vlad

Feature of the Month Contributor It turns itself off after 3 minutes, I think. The important thing is to cut open/prepare the sachet in advance and have a timer ready. You don't have to mix for exactly 2 minutes - there won't be any impact if you mix say 1 min 45 seconds instead.

MikeMcC

Sea Turtle

From the manual "Auto Shut-off: After 3 minutes of non-use and 2 minutes after reading." I've just fully read the instructions again while looking that up and realised that I don't shake the tube for two minutes, just until the reagent all looks dissolved. @Jay Whizzbang I do always get a reading outwith what you experienced as my phosphates are silly high, were you getting random numbers between 7 & 70? I get consistently 80-ish for the last few months, yeah I know, that works out to around 0.24-0.25 :shame: @hoggy1984 do you think your phosphates are zero? It does happen in some tanks. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk J

Jay Whizzbang

MikeMcC said: From the manual "Auto Shut-off: After 3 minutes of non-use and 2 minutes after reading." I've just fully read the instructions again while looking that up and realised that I don't shake the tube for two minutes, just until the reagent all looks dissolved. @Jay Whizzbang I do always get a reading outwith what you experienced as my phosphates are silly high, were you getting random numbers between 7 & 70? I get consistently 80-ish for the last few months, yeah I know, that works out to around 0.24-0.25 :shame: @hoggy1984 do you think your phosphates are zero? It does happen in some tanks. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk Click to expand...

I got rid of it right away. I don't think you can get it right with testing procedure anyway. The powder in sachets is a nonsense and then having non repeatable results for me is a joke. Of course the Hanna crew on here will go mad that I have dissed their massive investment, but each to their own, I thought it was garbage.

hoggy1984

Angelfish

MikeMcC said: From the manual "Auto Shut-off: After 3 minutes of non-use and 2 minutes after reading." I've just fully read the instructions again while looking that up and realised that I don't shake the tube for two minutes, just until the reagent all looks dissolved. @Jay Whizzbang I do always get a reading outwith what you experienced as my phosphates are silly high, were you getting random numbers between 7 & 70? I get consistently 80-ish for the last few months, yeah I know, that works out to around 0.24-0.25 :shame: @hoggy1984 do you think your phosphates are zero? It does happen in some tanks. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk Click to expand...

I can’t see the phosphate being zero, I have a slight fuzz of hair algae on the rocks since I turned off the reactor, it’s not green, just fuzzy? But I do believe I was running the gfo too heavy. Tank isn’t very heavily stocked with fish only got 5 and I only feed them once a day so not a massive bio load on a reefer 170? I’ll give it another few days then try it again but if I’m still getting zero then there must be an issue? D

Deleted member 11709

All these kits work on spectrometry, the same as any chemical analysis lab would use for water analysis. The 736 is temperamental on technique, but I get consistent results that are relevant and align well with what I'm getting back from icp tests also, so I'm happy with the 736. As with most things, electronics don't cause errors, humans do.

Vlad

Feature of the Month Contributor

MikeMcC said: From the manual "Auto Shut-off: After 3 minutes of non-use and 2 minutes after reading." I've just fully read the instructions again while looking that up and realised that I don't shake the tube for two minutes, just until the reagent all looks dissolved. @Jay Whizzbang I do always get a reading outwith what you experienced as my phosphates are silly high, were you getting random numbers between 7 & 70? I get consistently 80-ish for the last few months, yeah I know, that works out to around 0.24-0.25 :shame: @hoggy1984 do you think your phosphates are zero? It does happen in some tanks. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5010 using Tapatalk Click to expand...

I think "reading" means you go through 2 min shaking, then 3 min waiting then it will display the result for a further 2 min.

delboy1975

Clownfish

hoggy1984 said: Mike, I watched a video on YouTube , did it to the book 5 times each time I still keep getting the reading of zero, which I find hard to believe, I turned off the gfo reactor over a week ago cause I think I was running too much and my colours were drab, things starting to colour back up, I’ve emailed them to ask what the script is?? Doesn’t make sense to me, other thing I don’t like is the fact it turns itself off after 2 mins yet it tells you to mix the powder for 2 mins??? Click to expand...

Just had a quick read... fyi and only my way that seems to work for last 2 years. I found it was a RPITA it auto shutting off but what i did find and still do to this day is use the calibration check fluid they sell... save so much time... Did several weeks of tests on calc,Alk and phosphate (proper way and using the (dkh ulr) checker fluid as a C1 base). That way just add powder to vile or reagent mix at own leasure, use base checker to get to C2 then bang in already mixed regeant or powder. As said did this for several weeks on the calcium,alk and phosphate checkers and Next to no difference at all in all results. Think checker fluid about £15 but for me much better than doing the "as per instruction" way. Would be interested if someone has a checker and tries it. See if they have similar results

Mark_Elliott

Great White Shark

delboy1975 said: Just had a quick read... fyi and only my way that seems to work for last 2 years. I found it was a RPITA it auto shutting off but what i did find and still do to this day is use the calibration check fluid they sell... save so much time... Did several weeks of tests on calc,Alk and phosphate (proper way and using the (dkh ulr) checker fluid as a C1 base). That way just add powder to vile or reagent mix at own leasure, use base checker to get to C2 then bang in already mixed regeant or powder. As said did this for several weeks on the calcium,alk and phosphate checkers and Next to no difference at all in all results. Think checker fluid about £15 but for me much better than doing the "as per instruction" way. Would be interested if someone has a checker and tries it. See if they have similar results Click to expand...

I don’t think it’s ‘ fit for purpose’ that’s not to say you can’t get good results but the design isn’t really good for ‘home users’ and the instructions are b@ll@cks. So, prepare the test ‘sample 2’ first, I’d add water to the vials using a syringe to prevent salt splash on the outside of the vial, and wipe it with microfibre cloth. Only hold it in a clean cloth, kitchen roll or similar, or by the cap. Good luck getting the bubbles off the glass and opening the sachet too! Once you’ve made up the sample set a 2 minute timer, turn the tester on and then test the ‘sample 1’, there’s no need to rush. By the time you’ve got a result for sample 1 sample 2 will have had a good part, but nowhere near all, of its 2 minutes so there’s no risk of time running out! Oh, and although it says it’s a ‘hand held’ colorimeter- it isn’t. Do Not hold the thing! It needs to be set on a flat level surface. So, apart from the instructions being wrong, the test being fiddly and it being expensive, it’s fine. Except it isn’t. The accuracy is +/- 5ppb or 0.015 ppm phosphate. So that’s just about what you can get visually from Salifert if your eyes are OK.

Vlad

Feature of the Month Contributor It is fiddly when you first use it, but once you understand the drill - it's really not that difficult or fiddly any more. Yes, the instructions are not clear and misleading. Do buy a micro-fibre cloth (homebase/tesco) as suggested - this is quite an important ingredient of the process.

hoggy1984

Angelfish

Just tested the tub that I breed my pods in, so that water is disgusting and the checker reads 200 which is off the scale also water turned blue in the vile, good possibility my water is just possibly still too clean at the moment by the looks of it

GAZ_XB9R

Moray Eel

Dunk and empty a few times in tank. Ensure filled to line. Dry top of vial and fit cap. Dry vial and polish with microfiber. Insert in checker with 10ml writing lined up to front. Tap sachet and cut off two sides as per line on sachet and form a vee shape for pouring. Set aside. Press button When the checker asks for the treated sample C2 you have 3 mins before power off. Remove vial, undo cap and add sachet of reagent. Ensure you get it all out. Start your stopwatch for the 2 minute mixing time. Add cap and shake for 20secs. For the remaining 90seconds of the 2 mins reaction time only invert gently back and forth whilst turning the vial. Just short of two mins check for any bubbles stuck on glass (give it a tap to dislodge if required) clean vial with kitchen roll then polish with microfiber again. Insert in checker with 10mls writing in the same orientation and close lid. Press and hold until the checker indicates the 3:00 minute countdown timer. Leave on flat surface until it displays a reading. Convert the reading to phosphate. Works every time for me and is very consistent. All my testing is done late evening to late at night do lighting is not the best for colour based tests so this is the go to unit. And the accuracy is more than good enough for us. Just saying.

Chris_S

Feature of the Month Contributor

Vlad said: I think "reading" means you go through 2 min shaking, then 3 min waiting then it will display the result for a further 2 min. Click to expand...

yeah, or just do what I do which is add the powder, shake like . set a phone timer for 5 minutes at same time, then perform 4 or 5 "quick" tests once timer is up, to get an average. no issues about shutoff etc etc.

shawzy10

Sea Turtle

There is usually two vials so have the standard in one and the reagent/tank mixed in other. The calibration only takes seconds while that is going mix the other vial and once mixed add the second vial (C2) and press and hold until 3 minute timer starts. This will limit you messing around with one vial and adding the reagent to that vial and worrying about the unit shutting off. I have always found it accurate enough.

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