New Photometer on the Market

[KarlBob]

Does anyone have any experience with the eXact Micro 7+ photometer? It appears to test most of the parameters a reefer would care about, and I'd love to switch from titrations and color charts to photometric testing, but I haven't found any reviews online. It's much cheaper than a Hach colorimeter, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Any opinions?

 

[Steven Pro]

I am pretty certain it is only for freshwater.

 

[KarlBob]

So far, you're right. Here's the reply I received when I emailed ITS to ask about saltwater applications:

Thank you for your inquiry on our photometer. At this time the unit nor reagents will work for Salt Water purposes. I am having a good volume of requests for the reagents suitable for the salt water aquariums and have brought this to the attention of developers her at the lab. I will contact you at a future time when the unit is available for the applications you need.
Robin Locklair
Account Manager
Industrial Test Systems, Inc.
Innovators of Water Quality Testing

 

[GreshamH]

Reef Builders posted on it a month or so ago and the fact it can not work in SW

www.ReefBuilders.com

 

[KarlBob]

Thanks for the info, GreshamH.

 

[Oscar Spain]

hello, How much is it for a Hach colorimeter and its reagents?. I had never heard of this way of testing. Thank you.

 

[KarlBob]

Here's a link to the Hach site.

The DR820 colorimeter is a pretty basic model that tests nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, and phosphorous. It's listed on the US version of the site at $706.00. Hach is a German company, so the price might be different in Spain.

Reagents for 100 Ca/Mg Hardness tests are listed at $53. Reagents for 100 Nitrate tests list for $32. Reagents for 100 Nitrite tests list for $28. Most of their reagents come packaged in single-test units, either powder pillows or ampules.

 

[liver]

will those tests work with seawater? It is hard to tell especially for hardness and mag if those are freshwater only tests.

 

[KarlBob]

I couldn't tell from the Hach site whether their tests will work with saltwater or not. Presumably, saltwater hatchery lab techs would be good people to ask about saltwater photometric test methods. The techs at someplace like Drs. Foster and Smith's Wisconsin facility would be good people to ask, too.

 

[Oscar Spain]

Thank you for your help. I didnt know it was german. I assumed from the way you made the question that this device would work with salt water but it seems you are not so sure. am I right?.

 

[liver]

I asked a labtech from Lamotte here is their answer (the I-Lab is a colorimeter )

we would recommend the i-LAB for its capability of plotting curves for colorimetric tests like pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and iodine. It is difficult to test Calcium, Magnesium and Alkalinity via colorimetric determination. We typically recommend titrations for those three parameters but do recommend a spectrometer for the colorimetric tests.

Hach said pretty much the same thing

 

[KarlBob]

Thanks for bringing us the word from the horses' mouths, liver.

 

[Reefer Brian]

Go with a Hanna, they are great and only $200.

 

[liver]

so in light of Hanna's new photometer for Alk, it begs the question are they doing something new that other companies haven't been able to figure out?

it seems strange to me that Hach, Lamotte etc. wouldn't add these tests to their photometers if they really were accurate.