Calcium test kit advice

[PeterEde]

I'm a big fan of Hanna but NOT their calcium. I believe there are at least two possible causes of discrepancy. First there is a liquid reagent which may not age well after opened. Secondly the sample size is a tiny. I believe the micro pipet may only be 0.1ml. Although I hate tests with color charts the Red Sea uses a titration for it's calcium and magnesium. There is a VERY brief intermediate violet color but otherwise there are clear red to blue color changes.

way to small a sample.
As a technician I have been doing testing for a couple decades. I know how to use test equipment. For the life of me I could not get consecutive test results. Some results were off the scale.
I now stick with my eyes for calc.
ALK, NO3 and PO4 all good for Hanna.
I'll buy a new Calc reagent set this weekend and see how it goes. I wont hold my breath though

 

[Pistondog]

With hanna, too easy to mess up sample size. An extra drop and you are off 50%. Red sea best for this reason, uses 5ml tank water, no rodi dilution.

 

[EricR]

Since some of the concerns about Hanna Calcium Checker have been with sample volumes (in this thread),
I wonder if anyone has tried scaling up everything 2x (or more) and then just filling final vial from larger, already-mixed solution for the checker.

*obviously price/test would scale up as well but wonder how result accuracy would play out

 

[PeterEde]

Just bought new reagent
Used measured 9ml of my rodi water. (Measures 1tds)
Last measured with NYOS yesterday at 425

 

[MnFish1]

I have used API (Yes, that Brand) and it turns from pink to blue (or visa verse!)

If you can detect the shade difference it’s inexpensive and OK for relatively stable conditions, +\- 20ppm if I remember correctly.

If you can’t see the shade change then the Hanna was made for you. I use their meters because my eyes are weak and I hate counting drops.

I vote API

 

[Mikeltee]

I have had the Hanna Calcium checker for 5 years and for me it is spot on compared to ICP every test.

The problem is It requires precision when used and you must use pure RODI or distilled water.
I replaced the supplied pipette with a lab precision device.

I don't understand why some folks have problems with it.

Which pipette did you go with?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Just bought new reagent
Used measured 9ml of my rodi water. (Measures 1tds)
Last measured with NYOS yesterday at 425

Try a bottle of distilled water from Bunnings.

If your Beer weren't bad enough, I've seen the mud you guys call tap water in Adelaide.

 

[Reef Stallion]

I have both Hanna and API. I measure sample size with syringes for accuracy. Both work but API is simple to use.

 

[naterealbig]

I am currently trying the Red Sea calcium test kit. I have difficulty seeing the color changes and can’t accurately tell what my calcium is. Does anyone have a recommendation on a calcium test kit that would work in my color blind situation? I wanted to buy the Hanna calcium tester but I read that it’s terrible.

The Hanna Calcium Checker is an excellent checker, and would have my highest recommendation to users who do and do not struggle with color blindness.

The biggest difference between two back to back readings I have done is 5 ppm. And i use regular RODI water for the "deionized water" portion of the test.

I cycle the mini pipette several times in the sample water,make sure to completely depress the plunger when taking the 0.1 ml sample, and use a syringe to accurately measure the 9 ml deionized water portion of the test. Follow the above steps (you will need to buy a 10 ml syringe) and the Hanna would serve you well.

My results are consistent, and accurate when measured against a known standard.

 

[PeterEde]

Try a bottle of distilled water from Bunnings.

If your Beer weren't bad enough, I've seen the mud you guys call tap water in Adelaide.

I have tried distilled before. I'll get another bottle tomorrow.

I dring great northern
And water?
Adelaide water much depends on suburb. I don't mind it. Unlike Sydney water that tastes like chemicals

 

[PeterEde]

I have both Hanna and API. I measure sample size with syringes for accuracy. Both work but API is simple to use.

Yep I never use the crappy plastic pipette. Have always used syringes.

 

[las]

The Hanna Calcium Checker is an excellent checker, and would have my highest recommendation to users who do and do not struggle with color blindness.

The biggest difference between two back to back readings I have done is 5 ppm. And i use regular RODI water for the "deionized water" portion of the test.

I cycle the mini pipette several times in the sample water,make sure to completely depress the plunger when taking the 0.1 ml sample, and use a syringe to accurately measure the 9 ml deionized water portion of the test. Follow the above steps (you will need to buy a 10 ml syringe) and the Hanna would serve you well.

My results are consistent, and accurate when measured against a known standard.

If this is the case, why wouldn’t Hanna include these things in their test kit? If your test kit is useless without exact measurements/ quality RODI, wouldn’t a good company like Hanna include these in the kit? It makes no sense. I have their Alk, Nitrate, PO4 and salinity checker. I don’t have a single complaint about them. It’s as if they hired another company to make the calcium checker. And, they just sell it. Mind boggling

 

[MrGisonni]

The Hanna Calcium Checker is an excellent checker, and would have my highest recommendation to users who do and do not struggle with color blindness.

The biggest difference between two back to back readings I have done is 5 ppm. And i use regular RODI water for the "deionized water" portion of the test.

I cycle the mini pipette several times in the sample water,make sure to completely depress the plunger when taking the 0.1 ml sample, and use a syringe to accurately measure the 9 ml deionized water portion of the test. Follow the above steps (you will need to buy a 10 ml syringe) and the Hanna would serve you well.

My results are consistent, and accurate when measured against a known standard.

Yes. This is the way!

 

[CasperOe]

I use the Red Sea one. It seems to be the only one that I can get somewhat consistent. If it is the most accurate one, I can not say- but it's the only one that I can get somewhat similar reading with if I do three tests in a row

I do run a Trident but again; is it precise? Maybe yes, maybe no. It is somewhat consistent though and mostly in line with the results I get from the Red Sea one.

 

[cillam]

I am color blind and find it difficult at times to tell the color difference, on some tests. I find the API calcium test kit works best for me. When you add enough of the drops from the second bottle it goes to a dark purple, vs pink when you are adding the drops.

 

[naterealbig]

If this is the case, why wouldn’t Hanna include these things in their test kit? If your test kit is useless without exact measurements/ quality RODI, wouldn’t a good company like Hanna include these in the kit? It makes no sense. I have their Alk, Nitrate, PO4 and salinity checker. I don’t have a single complaint about them. It’s as if they hired another company to make the calcium checker. And, they just sell it. Mind boggling

Honestly, no idea man. Spend the $0.99 on the syringe and have the superior calcium test kit. Use them with all your Hanna test kits, and start getting more accurate, repeatable results immediately.

FWIW I use syringes on all my Hanna kits. I'm going to up my game (and save time) by replacing my syringes with these.



The tiny tank sample can also cause large errors if you're not using the included pipette correctly. Mostly I think the error is the same for all the other test kits due to the cheap pipettes they use. It's just not as apparent because of the relatively high number of the calcium reading in ppm.

33% is the difference between 0.03 ppm and 0.04 ppm on your Hanna LR PO4 checker, but is the difference between 333 ppm and 500 ppm on their calcium checker.

 

[PeterEde]

I bought a bottle of distilled water and tested again. Actually got 451 compared to the 528 I got earlier as per above.
I have bought a number of different bottles of demineralized, distilled and used my own RODI with 1PPM TDS
I'll do another with the distilled and see how that goes.
But 1TDS water should be good over store bought demin/distilled

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

But 1TDS water should be good over store bought demin/distilled

why do you think that? That’s the design flaw I mentioned: freakish sensitivity to calcium in the blank,

 

[PeterEde]

why do you think that? That’s the design flaw I mentioned: freakish sensitivity to calcium in the blank,

Just wondering if it would be better to take a larger sample and give it a good shake before taking the .1ml with the pipette.
Just a thought but if dosing occurs just prior to taking a sample then that sample is going to be tainted with a higher calc?


I have tested my RODI before and get ZERO calc

Realistically prior to testing with Hanna we should test the 9ml sample before hand? We assume that 9ml is Calc free.

 

[PeterEde]

The Hanna Calcium Checker is an excellent checker, and would have my highest recommendation to users who do and do not struggle with color blindness.

The biggest difference between two back to back readings I have done is 5 ppm. And i use regular RODI water for the "deionized water" portion of the test.

I cycle the mini pipette several times in the sample water,make sure to completely depress the plunger when taking the 0.1 ml sample, and use a syringe to accurately measure the 9 ml deionized water portion of the test. Follow the above steps (you will need to buy a 10 ml syringe) and the Hanna would serve you well.

My results are consistent, and accurate when measured against a known standard.

completely depress will take more than .1 ml