Best calcium test kits for colorblind individuals

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Being colorblind, my experience with most tests kits could be considered not so great. I really struggle to see the color changes in many test kits. However, I have found some decent tests. The red sea alk pro is easy to read, the hanna phosphate ulr is great, and I can sorta see the red sea magnesium test. Many calcium tests seem to ask you to go from pink to purple to blue. Purple and blue and practically the same color to me to tests like the red sea or API are utterly useless to me unless I can get someone to read the test with me.


Does anyone know of a calcium test that is easy for colorblind individuals? I need something where the color change is from one color to another that is distinct and not similar on the color spectrum (such as purple to dark blue). I have no clue if this even exists since I figure most of these calcium tests are the same thing.


ps I don't want the hanna test
 
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I was about to say Hanna until I got to the end. The price is a turn off for me. I also have issues reading the API test kits and I'm not even colorblind. I also imagine the type of colorblindness you have plays a large role in what works best for you. Hopefully someone else here has more experience with that.
 

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I was going to say hanna.. but you don't want it.
It's unfortunate but all the other test kit depends on the slight color change.

 

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Yeah, most calcium test kits are all using indicator dyes that either the exact same chemical, or are from a family of very closely related chemicals, and they all will have a very similar color change.
 

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Bulk Reef Supply did a video on calcium tests. They rate them. I don’t recall if they showed the color changes. But I would suggest looking at you tube videos of popular calcium tests. The color changes will be shown and you can see if they can work for you or at least get an idea. The Red Sea PRO Calcium test is the one I use. But the end point is where it goes from blue/purple to completely blue, so that sounds like a non starter. Salifert has good tests and some of the color transitions are pretty abrupt and might work for you. Also, calcium is not something you need to be really accurate with. So sorta close should be good enough.
 
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My concern with the hanna test is the inconsistency shown in the brs video.


I just wish there was one calcium test that wasn't a pink to purple-ish to blue.
 
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I'm in the same boat. If you have meticulous methods for doing the Hanna test you should get consistent results. Beyond that nothing work for me.


When you say meticulous methods, what steps do you take?
 

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I use the Hanna tester. It is far more accurate and consistent if you use purified water instead of RO/DI. I was about to stop using it when I stumbled upon a post about using purified water. Makes a world of difference.
 
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I use the Hanna tester. It is far more accurate and consistent if you use purified water instead of RO/DI. I was about to stop using it when I stumbled upon a post about using purified water. Makes a world of difference.


What are you using for the purified water? I would imagine RODI is about as pure as you could get.
 

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What are you using for the purified water? I would imagine RODI is about as pure as you could get.
I buy a jug of purified water from Target. RO/DI can contain calcium which throws off the test results. Using RO/DI (which I buy pretty cheap from LFS), I was getting readings around 509-510. Using purified water, the readings were around 410. The 410 matches very close with my RedSea titration test kit.
 
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I buy a jug of purified water from Target. RO/DI can contain calcium which throws off the test results. Using RO/DI (which I buy pretty cheap from LFS), I was getting readings around 509-510. Using purified water, the readings were around 410. The 410 matches very close with my RedSea titration test kit.

Purified as in distilled?
 

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The Hanna test is great! Distilled water (not rodi) is a must for the test and for cleaning the equiptment (most people clean with tap water which throws off results). Also make sure there are no finger prints or scratches on the vials.
 

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Yes, distilled

20200811_205333.jpg
 

melanotaenia

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I am colorblind

I can only use the RedSea Calcium test kit as the color changes from pink to a very blue color.
The color change during the titration is very noticeable.
 

melanotaenia

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The only problem is the Hanna Calcium checker sucks and is incredibly inconsistent. In fact, all Hanna checkers generally suck because of their reagent inconsistencies, but that is just my experience.

Salifert is probably the best Calcium test kit, but hard to tell color change, so I have settled for the RedSea instead.
 

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The other problem is the terrible design (IMO) of the Hanna calcium checker that makes it extraordinarily sensitive to tiny traces of calcium in the fresh water used in the test. Presumably they had reasons to have such a big multiplying effect, but the skeptic in me worries that the designers just assumed folks would always use water with very low calcium to run the test.
 

schuby

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IME, the Hanna calcium checker was erratic and unreliable until I started using distilled water instead of RO/DI. I expect my jug of distilled water to last me a year or more.
 

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