Using expired reagents

[Roger30]

I'll been using expired reagents for my hanna checkers and Redsea testing kits. My tank is over 8 yr old very stable and I test very little. My reagents appear to be working properly. Should I be worried? Should I get new ones? Any thoughts?

 

[wvned]

Probably, I do it though. Like you I often test once every 3 months or longer.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Frankly, I don't think expired Hanna reagents can be any worse than new ones... For most of the checkers, on a good day the numbers are ballpark at best.

 

[wvned]

After thinking on it I guess if I get a result I expect to see I believe it. If I got one wildly off I would doubt it until I got a new kit.
I like my Hanna checkers.

 

[BeanAnimal]

IMHO URL phosphate checker is ok for ballpark - but over many hundreds of tests and a few dozen batches of reagent, I have seen a lot of variation. The alk tester is similar.

IMHO the rest of them - I think are useless. When you take into consideration the best case accuracy and error rate, couple that with the variables and miniscule sample sizes, etc. I think they are barely ballpark or repeatable.

 

[wvned]

IMHO URL phosphate checker is ok for ballpark - but over many hundreds of tests and a few dozen batches of reagent, I have seen a lot of variation. The alk tester is similar.

IMHO the rest of them - I think are useless. When you take into consideration the best case accuracy and error rate, couple that with the variables and miniscule sample sizes, etc. I think they are barely ballpark or repeatable.

I guess I am special. I can even use API test kits and did for a long time. Then I used Salifert for a while.
I use the phosphate and nitrate tests the most then alk occasionally. They are close enough for me.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I guess I am special. I can even use API test kits and did for a long time. Then I used Salifert for a while.
I use the phosphate and nitrate tests the most then alk occasionally. They are close enough for me.

Yeah I am on an island with my dislike of the checkers...

 

[wvned]

Yeah I am on an island with my dislike of the checkers...

You are allowed to dislike things other people like. I frequently do.