Hanna Meter - Convince Me!

[meschaefer]

OK I am seriously considering a Hanna Meter to test phosphate. As some of you know, I have had some minor problems with my SPS, which seems to be Phosphate related. I am running phosban, but without an accurate way to test it, it sort of like swinging at a pinata in a dark room.

I could contininue on as I have been, assume that Phosphates are high, and that no matter what I am doing, I need to do more. or I can get some real numbers so I can track my progress or lack of progress.

Louismustdie, has graciously offered to test my water for me but it is very hard for me to find time to get to him. (I work very long hours, and when I get home I have more to do. I usually work on my tank after midnight)

For those that have a Hanna or at least have easy acess to one? Is it worth it.

I am beggining to come to the realization that I should just listen to Pierce, who suggested one when I first sought information regarding my problem. What do you need to to do to get me to listen, hit me over the head with a fish. :fishhit:

 

[Pedro]

I am following this as well. Where do you plan on getting it from? Also, are you looking at the high range, or low range, which is best?

 

[meschaefer]

I assume that we need the low range models. I hope that some of the people who have used them, will chime in and let us know.

Drs. Foster & Smith seem to have the best price so far, but I havn't performed an extensive search yet.

 

[tosiek]

i'm in the same boat =0)

 

[Psycho graphic]

Is it going to hurt your wallet to buy it?
Are you happy, and can you live without know what your levels are?
Does in your opinion the cost of the meter, outweigh the health and cost of your corals?
Is that enough questions?

 

[cali_reef]

Matt, just buy one. I'll buy it from you if you don't like it.

 

[meschaefer]

Is it going to hurt your wallet to buy it?
Are you happy, and can you live without know what your levels are?
Does in your opinion the cost of the meter, outweigh the health and cost of your corals?
Is that enough questions?

Granted it's a chunk of change...but then again this hobby is not cheap?

Over the years I have probably spent thousands of dollars on equipment that over the long run I didn't use or that I used but needed to replace as it was undersized, not the best method to use, or overpirced for what it did. Other things I have purchased, I end up thinking that I would never run a reef again without one.

I guess my question is this? Which is it...? Will I use the Hanna meter a year from now, when I have learned to control my phosphates? Do those people that use the Hanna meter, find that they where a worthwhile investment and would never run a reef without one?

 

[meschaefer]

Matt, just buy one. I'll buy it from you if you don't like it.

What you don't have one... stop buying skimmers and branch out a little.


I'll hold you to it, but with a grin that big, you are probably only planning on offering me pennies on the dollar.

Low range or high range?

 

[cali_reef]

Low range. I'll give you 90 cents on the dollar Better than any settlement you have worked.

LMK where is the cheapest place, I stop looking for one with so much projects going on in my garage.

 

[prattreef]

Any real difference between this Milwaukee colorimiter and the Hannah?

http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=690

 

[Tonyscoots84]

u need to be convinced to buy a great piece of equipment :banghead: :lol2:

 

[cali_reef]

Don't know anyone with a Milwaukee meter. Everyone with a Hanna loves it, not many for sale in the second hand market at all.

Dr. F&S is out of stock
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15437&N=2004+113074

 

[meschaefer]

u need to be convinced to buy a great piece of equipment :banghead: :lol2:

No..just need to be convinced that it is a great peice of equipment.

 

[meschaefer]

OK I am convinced.. now it is just a matter of finding the best price.


There is a guy on e-bay that has the Hanna meter with 100 regeants shipped for $199, his has 1587 positive feedbacks.

I was also looking at the Milwaukee, anybody use one. The only reference I could find online was in a zeovit forum where somebody had trouble with the Milwaukee.

 

[alrha]

Dr. F&S is out of stock
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=15437&N=2004+113074

oops, just placed an order for it on sunday (among other things). guess it was their only one in stock (just shipped out today).
I'll let you know how i like it. i dont think i'll be able to tell you how accurate it is as i will just be using it as is (no fancy testing, or standards, just using it as per the instructions) but i will be able to tell you how simple it is to use. i'm just basically looking for an alternative to test kits, if it saves me time and gives me an actual number i can write down (rather than worry about my own 'estimated' accuracy) then it will be worth it for me. yes it costs money, but so does everything else, i'll just sell some other stuff i dont use and that should be able to pay for something new i may use.
dang, now everyone is going to be waiting by my door to try to intercept the FedEx guy, i better make it signature required.

 

[alrha]

OK I am convinced.. now it is just a matter of finding the best price.


There is a guy on e-bay that has the Hanna meter with 100 regeants shipped for $199, his has 1587 positive feedbacks.

I was also looking at the Milwaukee, anybody use one. The only reference I could find online was in a zeovit forum where somebody had trouble with the Milwaukee.

um, correct me if i'm wrong, but isnt that the same price as DrF&S? 180 for the meter and 24 for the reagents?, so actually you may be saving $5. i dont know, for $5 i'd rather buy it from a legit place, i always have trouble trusting people i dont know.

 

[loismustdie]

Matt and all others following along thinking about it:
First, what are you planning to keep? Full blown SPS, you need one. LPS/softies/mixed reef, you don't.
It's one of the best pieces of equipment I own.
I got the meter with 300 tests for just over $200 shipped. This is 300 tests. A Salifert Kit has 60 tests, but if you want more accuracy out of it, it's only 30 tests. They normally sell for around $20. So for 300 tests, it's roughly the same amount of money. Difference is, Salifert sucks.
You need the low range model. Someone on the board mentioned his friend in the EPA testing his water. After speaking to a rep in the EPA, they only test high range, so those tests aren't worth crap to a reefer.
Also, there are many meters, I saw one member purchased the mulit kit. The multi kit is for testing ponds and is fairly useless for salt water. All you need is the low range PO4. They are expensive up front, so no need to go overboard.
Best way to save on these is to have a little group of you who live close by go in on one.
Now that i have one and use it, you will never believe how difficult it is to keep low PO4. You'll also be surprised to see how short of a time phosban really lasts. I love it. Can't live without it.

 

[Henrye]

I have a kind of silly question on this thread. If you know you have a phosphate problem affecting your SPS, why not just hook up 1 or 2 phosban reactors and see what response you get. If you buy the Hanna and find your phosphates are high, you'll need the reactors anyway. If you buy the Hanna, and it tells you your phosphates are extremely low, how confident will you feel about it as even sensitive measurements of phosphates in the water can be misleading due to phosphate metabolism.

I've never used one of these meters, and I may not understand it's advantages at measuring low levels of phosphate, but it seems like endpoint, one way or another, will be a phosphate removal system regardless of your measurements. I'd really like to hear some opinions on this because I've never really read of the advantage of low level detection of phosphates.

 

[meschaefer]

Matt and all others following along thinking about it:
First, what are you planning to keep? Full blown SPS, you need one. ........It's one of the best pieces of equipment I own........ I love it. Can't live without it.

That is the type of endorsement I was looking for.

I will get the color I want out my SPS yet.

Where did you get the meter and test kits for $200?

 

[meschaefer]

um, correct me if i'm wrong, but isnt that the same price as DrF&S? 180 for the meter and 24 for the reagents?, so actually you may be saving $5. i dont know, for $5 i'd rather buy it from a legit place, i always have trouble trusting people i dont know.

I don't care about the $5

I is just that you selfishly bought the last one that DrF&S had, and now I will have to wait if I want to buy it from them.