Best Calcium Test Kits of 2019: We picked TWO winners!

[randyBRS]

HellOOO Reefers!

This week's Best of 2019 has us looking at Calcium Test Kits. If you liked last week's review of Alkalinity kits, today you'll get our THUMBS UP or NO THUMBS on the top Calcium Test kits out there for 2019!

 

[JLUR_]

I agree with the red sea syringe assessment. Reverse the graduations so that we don't have to do the math each time. Sure, it's a fairly simple calc but it's an opportunity to make an easy mistake.

 

[W1ngz]

I LOVE these tesk kit showdowns.
When it comes to phosphate, will you be doing all three Hannas? The 713, 736 and the 774?

 

[JVU]

I’m glad you guys called out Salifert for the poor dropper bottle, as people have been doing for a long time on forums. I don’t think it’s a calculated choice to save money with a cheap plastic dropper to keep the test economical like you guys are suggesting. There is no way a bottle with a proper dropper tip is more than a penny more expensive than the one they supply. I think it’s about a bad design choice many years ago, whose time has come to be fixed.

By the way, for titration tests like Ca and Mg, I use a small magnetic stirrer and would recommend it, makes the tests more accurate and easier when you don’t have to bother with shaking/mixing after adding reagents and between titration drops. I use the SR Aquaristik Speed Test for my reef tank testing. I use the Taylor Speed Stir for my pool testing, also would probably work well for this. Maybe you guys should test them and consider carrying.

 

[smartwater101]

@Bulk Reef Supply @randyBRS

One thing that should be touched on, is pulling the plunger to the appropriate line rather than pulling the liquid to the line.

The correct method was lost on me for years, and it still confuses a lot of people. Honestly, its asked about so much that an individual video on just this topic would help a lot of people.

Here is a post on this topic from @Randy Holmes-Farley :

 

[vangvace]

I like the change from accuracy to consistency along with dropping the random Trident advertisement.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Great video as usual guys, but I don’t understand the Hanna checker hate. My Hanna checker is within 5-10 ppm of my Icp test results. My Red Sea, Salifert, and nyos were always 40-50 ppm lower than my Icp results. Shouldn’t these be graded by how accurate the results are compared to an icp or true lab grade test result?

 

[smartwater101]

Great video as usual guys, but I don’t understand the Hanna checker hate. My Hanna checker is within 5-10 ppm of my Icp test results. My Red Sea, Salifert, and nyos were always 40-50 ppm lower than my Icp results. Shouldn’t these be graded by how accurate the results are compared to an icp or true lab grade test result?

The Hanna checker is notorious for being awful. I think the reasons they listed are pretty sound. There are too many variables that make hobby-grade test kits a bit finicky to begin with. And the Hanna Cal checker just makes the possibility of user error even more prominent

 

[randyBRS]

I’m glad you guys called out Salifert for the poor dropper bottle, as people have been doing for a long time on forums. I don’t think it’s a calculated choice to save money with a cheap plastic dropper to keep the test economical like you guys are suggesting. There is no way a bottle with a proper dropper tip is more than a penny more expensive than the one they supply. I think it’s about a bad design choice many years ago, whose time has come to be fixed.

By the way, for titration tests like Ca and Mg, I use a small magnetic stirrer and would recommend it, makes the tests more accurate and easier when you don’t have to bother with shaking/mixing after adding reagents and between titration drops. I use the SR Aquaristik Speed Test for my reef tank testing. I use the Taylor Speed Stir for my pool testing, also would probably work well for this. Maybe you guys should test them and consider carrying.

Aaron and Josh both use those same magnetic stirrers for their testing! I'm a big fan of them, just not sure our team has given them a solid once-over yet to see if they meet our criteria for bringing them in. I'll give them a nudge as best as I can.

 

[randyBRS]

Great video as usual guys, but I don’t understand the Hanna checker hate. My Hanna checker is within 5-10 ppm of my Icp test results. My Red Sea, Salifert, and nyos were always 40-50 ppm lower than my Icp results. Shouldn’t these be graded by how accurate the results are compared to an icp or true lab grade test result?

In the grand scheme of things, for me personally, I value consistency over accuracy for the sole purpose of maintaining stability in the tank. For example, it is possible that my test kit might be (+/-) 20ppm or so from what the tank might actually be, but for the purposes of making fine adjustments to my calcium levels as long as my test kit is consistently the same test after test, I'm really not concerned with whether the tank is actually 430ppm or 450ppm or 410ppm. My main concern would be that I am able to keep it pegged at the same level.

That's not to say that the Hanna Calcium Checker doesn't have a place in the hobby and many reefers aren't alone in loving their Hanna Calcium Checker. Some reefers can easily perform the testing steps of the checker to achieve a pretty consistent result and if that works for them, I would definitely champion using it (specifically for those who have difficulty seeing certain colors!)

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

In the grand scheme of things, for me personally, I value consistency over accuracy for the sole purpose of maintaining stability in the tank. For example, it is possible that my test kit might be (+/-) 20ppm or so from what the tank might actually be, but for the purposes of making fine adjustments to my calcium levels as long as my test kit is consistently the same test after test, I'm really not concerned with whether the tank is actually 430ppm or 450ppm or 410ppm. My main concern would be that I am able to keep it pegged at the same level.

That's not to say that the Hanna Calcium Checker doesn't have a place in the hobby and many reefers aren't alone in loving their Hanna Calcium Checker. Some reefers can easily perform the testing steps of the checker to achieve a pretty consistent result and if that works for them, I would definitely champion using it (specifically for those who have difficulty seeing certain colors!)

Okie dokie. Accuracy matters more to me and the Hanna has been basically spot on when compared to all my Icp test and I find it way easier to use than all the titration products. Thanks again for all the work y’all do and I’m looking forward to the future testing videos.