Do Hanna Checkers include everything you need to test?

[Troylee]

The calcium is a pain and I hear the ph one isn’t that good but I haven’t tried it.. I use the high range nitrate, ppb p04 and alk.. I like Salifert for mag, calcium and don’t test anything else.

 

[Science/G]

I agree with the above comments. Alkalinity Tester, Nitrate, Ultra Low Phosphate Checker. The Calcium checker is good, but I don't test often. I use All for Reef, so if my alk is in line my calcium is always maintained. Invest in an accurate dispenser.

 

[KrisReef]

Hanna meters come with 6 reagent pouches. I have always wondered why they provide 1/2 dozen of these powders?

I have never enquired

 

[208reef]

Now is the time to buy extra test patches while they are on sale!

 

[Dom]

Now is the time to buy extra test patches while they are on sale!

All the Hanna checkers are on sale too.

 

[Troylee]

All the Hanna checkers are on sale too.

If you buy the calcium you’ll find you never use it and all 16 different reagents that come with it haha! It’s a pain! Get salifert for that.

 

[Doctorgori]

Can you expand on the "keep vials filled with ro" bit? I clean mine with tap water, then dip them in RO before they air dry... Am I potentially augmenting my test results?

I got that suggestion here on R2R, it pains me I can't give due credit to whomever told me this
BUT,
The idea is your curvet will stay free of that cloudy residue if stored filled to the brim in RO. The water prevents the “chemical” from bonding to the glass

Whereas even if you clean them as described very often they eventually get cloudy somehow anyway

The calcium test is a universally agreed dud

 

[mjszos]

I got that suggestion here on R2R, it pains me I can't give due credit to whomever told me this
BUT,
The idea is your curvet will stay free of that cloudy residue if stored filled to the brim in RO. The water prevents the “chemical” from bonding to the glass

Whereas even if you clean them as described very often they eventually get cloudy somehow anyway

That's interesting. I'm really fortunate in that the water from my tap reads at 1 TDS, so that may be why I have never encountered this in years of testing vials.

 

[play310]

Yes I recommend the Brs recommendation. I use Hanna checkers in Nitrate HR , Phosphate ULR , alkalinity , and their salinity tester as well

 

[FernBluffReef]

Hanna Calcium works fine, should one use the proper ingredients persay. Biggest thing that messes the CA test up is the introduction of contaminants by using a) RO/DI as the sample blank (CA readily passes our consumer filters), b) using ‘some’ off the shelf distilled water that has CA and MG added back in (often done for drinking purposes or oddly for water marked for intended use in appliances and batteries) or c) using RO/DI water or worse tap water to rinse vials.

So as some have said, the sample size is small hence it’s easy to contaminate. Use PURE vapor distilled water or even better lab / titration grade distilled water and the results are generally very consistent.

MG agree, Hanna is at best a directional indicator as it’s accuracy is +/-5% so it your reading is 1,400 then your actual could be anywhere in the range of 1,330 and 1,470. But as many have said, it doesn’t seem like any of the Mg tests out there are all that great

 

[Miami Reef]

Please don’t get the Hanna pH. It’s inaccurate and a complete waste of money. It does not work.

Get the phosphate ULR (HI774). It is twice as accurate and can detect levels from 0.00 to 0.90ppm. That’s all you need to know. There’s no need to know PO4 higher than that.

The salifert calcium is accurate, easy to use, and inexpensive. The Hanna Calcium isn’t that good.

The Hanna alk is good.

 

[Dom]

Please don’t get the Hanna pH. It’s inaccurate and a complete waste of money. It does not work.

Get the phosphate ULR (HI774). It is twice as accurate and can detect levels from 0.00 to 0.90ppm. That’s all you need to know. There’s no need to know PO4 higher than that.

The salifert calcium is accurate, easy to use, and inexpensive. The Hanna Calcium isn’t that good.

The Hanna alk is good.

I recently realized that Red Sea test kits aren't very popular. Hanna and Salifert seem to be the most popular. So as regent gets used up, I decided to transition over to Hanna.

Yes, many people have shared that opinion about the Hanna pH test. I like to pH tests to check the results against my pH probe to see if calibration is needed. I'll probably stay with the Red Sea test for this.

Based on the feedback I've received here, I'll probably go Hanna for Nitrate, Phosphate and Alkalinity testing, and Salifert for calcium.

 

[Miami Reef]

I like to pH tests to check the results against my pH probe to see if calibration is needed.

You can’t use an inaccurate kit to check the accuracy of a quality probe.

The science community uses standards to determine the accuracy of tests.

In this case, you’d want 7 and 10 pH solutions. Individually sealed is best.

 

[Uncle99]

What do you recommend for calcium and magnesium?

Salifert or Aquaforest.
Both use a dramatic easy to see colour change so Hanna’s colour meter is not required.

 

[Dom]

You can’t use an inaccurate kit to check the accuracy of a quality probe.

The science community uses standards to determine the accuracy of tests.

In this case, you’d want 7 and 10 pH solutions. Individually sealed is best.

I use calibration fluid on the probe monthly.

 

[Miami Reef]

I use calibration fluid on the probe monthly.

Perfect. If the probe reads the standards accurately, then you can assume accurate results.

Buying quality standards is prudent. What brand are you using now?

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I'm moving on from Red Sea testing to Hanna and want to know if there is anything else I should order besides the device itself?

I'm ordering pH, ALK and CA to begin.

Great ones are Nitrate (high), Phosphate ULR, and Alkalinity. Alkalinity is much cheaper using Salifert, but Salifert doesnt disclose that the numbers on the long syringe rub off at the 1.0 mL very easily. So, you can tape the 1.0 mark and get that kit to save money. Reagents arent cheap either. If you test a few times a week, expect an ongoing expense there.
Calcium- just use Salifert. Its so easy and the color change is absolutely unmistakable. I use a ph meter because my tank is in basement.

 

[Dom]

Perfect. If the probe reads the standards accurately, then you can assume accurate results.

Buying quality standards is prudent. What brand are you using now?

I'm using the PinPoint probe and meter.

 

[Dom]

Great ones are Nitrate (high), Phosphate ULR, and Alkalinity. Alkalinity is much cheaper using Salifert, but Salifert doesnt disclose that the numbers on the long syringe rub off at the 1.0 mL very easily. So, you can tape the 1.0 mark and get that kit to save money. Reagents arent cheap either. If you test a few times a week, expect an ongoing expense there.
Calcium- just use Salifert. Its so easy and the color change is absolutely unmistakable. I use a ph meter because my tank is in basement.

Yes... I have received a lot of negative feedback on the Calcium test and expect I will go with Salifert when I run out of reagent for the Red Sea kit.

 

[Peace River]

I have many of the Hanna eggs as well as their Marine Monitor in my water mixing station. I agree with the comments that the pH and Mag meters do not see to be the best option.