zygote2k September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I'm deciding if I should buy one of these- as it is now, I spend over $150 year in test kits. Maybe I could offer to test WAMAS members water with this: HI 83200-01 2008 - Laboratory Bench Meter (115V) Listen to this description Built for Labs, Flexible for Field Use - HI 83200 2008 Series is one of the most versatile photometers on the market. Just one meter measures up to 45 of the most important water quality parameters. Application Specific Photometers with More Methods - The 2008 Series of HI 83200 bench top photometers from HANNA offers all the features from our previous popular series plus many upgrades and improvements that make these instruments much more versatile and easy to use. These instruments have been completely redesigned to accommodate more sophisticated optical systems, resulting in greater reproducibility of tests. These new casings feature a cuvette compartment door that eliminate external light disturbances. The 2008 Series also feature a graphic, backlit LCD which greatly enhances user friendliness. The method selection and set up modes are clearly shown on the LCD. Each method Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L8 2 RISE September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I personally don't see the use in testing most, if any parameters, except for those that you dose for (ex: calcium, magnesium, etc). I do, however, think that this would be really cool, and if you are, in fact, a testing kinda guy that spends that much each year, I think it would be awesome. I wonder if this would actually be worth while for some applications though, such as "Hardness (Calcium) 0.00 to 2.70 mg/L " isn't that far less than we typically have in our aquariums? I may be wrong there though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I think if I had money burning holes in my pockets I might want one just for the sake of curiousity, but in reality would probably use it once and never look at it again. On the other hand, Rob manages other people's tanks for them and this thing could probably be considered a business tool, one which having might be a boost in getting people to hire his services, because he can advertize to noobs that he does testing for all of those things with scientific grade testing equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I think if I had money burning holes in my pockets I might want one just for the sake of curiousity, but in reality would probably use it once and never look at it again. On the other hand, Rob manages other people's tanks for them and this thing could probably be considered a business tool, one which having might be a boost in getting people to hire his services, because he can advertize to noobs that he does testing for all of those things with scientific grade testing equipment. I think it goes beyond impressing noobs. It sounds like this device would pay for itself in 5 years, and this is the same sort of long term savings that has encouraged people to shell out the big bucks for solaris or other led lighting systems. My question would be whether the test kit will last the 5 years it would take zygote to reach the break-even point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Lazar September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 Also, it looks like you might have to buy reagents for each parameter you want to test for, which will drive up the operating cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I'm in!! I can't wait to find out what my p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde HI 93704-01 levels are!! And nobody better EVER ask Zygote what his tank parameters are again! I'd be tempted to buy one just for nitrate testing, if it doesn't require me to match colors to a card!! bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 The reagents aren't cheap, probably as much as the meter by the time you buy all the ones that this meter would be useful for. Personally I would be interested to see dissolved oxygen, iron, iodine, aluminum & silica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctenophore September 13, 2009 Share September 13, 2009 I can't wait to find out what my p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde HI 93704-01 levels are!! That's one of the reagents, bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 14, 2009 Author Share September 14, 2009 I'm thinking about a water testing service too. I could charge $15 to test all water parameters accurately. Isn't there some water testing company that charges $20 and you have to send the water to them? This would be right here in NOVA area. I would give a WAMAS discount of course... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman September 14, 2009 Share September 14, 2009 I'm thinking about a water testing service too. I could charge $15 to test all water parameters accurately. Isn't there some water testing company that charges $20 and you have to send the water to them? This would be right here in NOVA area. I would give a WAMAS discount of course... A one-time test is $39.99 and tests: - Ammonia - Nitrite - Nitrate - Phosphate - Silica - Alkalinity - Calcium - Potassium - Magnesium - Strontium - Molybdenum - Iodine - Copper - Boron Hmmm... where's my p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde test?? bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelson_crn September 14, 2009 Share September 14, 2009 A one-time test is $39.99 and tests:- Ammonia - Nitrite - Nitrate - Phosphate - Silica - Alkalinity - Calcium - Potassium - Magnesium - Strontium - Molybdenum - Iodine - Copper - Boron Hmmm... where's my p-Dimethylaminobenzaldehyde test?? bob $40 for the test and $20 S&H. I was thinking about sending out a sample just so I could check their findings against my home test kits...might help me know which kits are more accurate than others. (reference Bob's thread on testing kits) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw September 15, 2009 Share September 15, 2009 Wait, wait, wait, just wait one minute............we're supposed to test our water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wfoxfox September 15, 2009 Share September 15, 2009 I don't :-) tested before fuge and 2 weeks after fuge install......... everything was good. haven't tested once since - just call me a lucky reefer - lol ( and I have a little of everything in the tank) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grav September 15, 2009 Share September 15, 2009 Rob, I can't do a testing supply order without racking up a $400 bill. Prolly spend close to $1000 / year. I'd pay a lot more for a test kit where you just added water and it just spat out readings. However Calcium 0.00 to 2.70 mg/L and Magnesium 0.00 to 2.00 mg/L would leave me a bit wanting. My guess is that this is just a fancy, multi-funtion colorometer like the single use ones for PO4 Copper and others. I would expect that you will still need to do the test, use the packet burn the same amount of time. Just add in a "zero" funtion telling the colorometer what it was reading for and waiting for that 3 min... only the meter will tell you exactly what the reading is as opposed to comparing to a color chart or reading it off a wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dandy7200 September 15, 2009 Share September 15, 2009 If you were trying to use your maintenance tanks as breeding tanks I can imagine this level of accuracy would be handy. When I managed multiple accounts it was my goal to set them up as trouble free as humanly possible. Testing water parameters was done monthly and all that was needed besides salinity checks on every visit. If your looking at tanks all day you can see when somethings out of whack. As I am sure you are keenly aware, when other people are paying you to watch tanks all day you better believe that they are the first ones who notice when "something doesn't look right". Hobby level kits are well within the acceptable range for measurement systems for some of the nicest reefs I have ever seen, I am sure your customers tanks are stunning but don't spend your hard earned cash on something like this unless you are convinced that it will make things faster and easier. You could contact the manufacture and ask for references from other maintenance companies who have bought the units from them and see what real world users have to say. I do use the Hanna photometer for phosphate though as it is the only parameter I don't think there is a suitable hobby level kit for. I can however test alk, calcium, salinity and magnesium while I am waiting for the Hanna to tell me what the Po4 is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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