Hanna for calcium

[Gtinnel]

Just a PITA for me. Not sure why it needed extra steps.
I get a good consistent answer in less than 2 minutes with Salifert. I use the other Hanna’s and they are great, fast and easy. Salifert MG test is just as fast and easy.

When I run out of reagent I may switch to salifert for magnesium. I don't really like the magnesium red sea test.

 

[Pistondog]

Thanks for the reply. I love most of their checkers but I guess there are certain parameters that can't be dumbed down to a simple single reagent test like the other Hanna checkers that I use. I guess I'll stick with the red sea that I've been using. I just always love the opportunity to get another "gadget".

With the hanna calcium checker, as others have said, you use mostly rodi, then add 0.1 ml of sample out of a device. That's 2 drops, if you get 3 because a drop is hanging on the device your results are off. Would not buy again.

 

[Gtinnel]

With the hanna calcium checker, as others have said, you use mostly rodi, then add 0.1 ml of sample out of a device. That's 2 drops, if you get 3 because a drop is hanging on the device your results are off. Would not buy again.

It makes sense that with such a tiny sample size there can be reliability issues because of tiny differences in the sample size. That was one of my concerns and why I started this thread, which I'm now glad that I did before wasting $50.

 

[Kmst80]

So i have been using the Hanna Checker since Tank was new 5 month ago and it read every week high calcium( high 400to low 500).
Now i am nearly out of reagent so i bought the red sea kit coz longterm it is cheaper. Just tested with both twice, red sea reads 350 ppm!!!!!!!!!! bot times, hanna reads 449 and 481 ppm. What to belief now? I have not once dosed for calcium, since hanna always said its high. I dose for alk since that seems to drop quick, magnesium always stays around 1400.
All other testkits are red sea. Salt is red sea pro.
Can it be Hanna Calcium checker is so inaccurate?

 

[gbroadbridge]

So i have been using the Hanna Checker since Tank was new 5 month ago and it read every week high calcium( high 400to low 500).
Now i am nearly out of reagent so i bought the red sea kit coz longterm it is cheaper. Just tested with both twice, red sea reads 350 ppm!!!!!!!!!! bot times, hanna reads 449 and 481 ppm. What to belief now? I have not once dosed for calcium, since hanna always said its high. I dose for alk since that seems to drop quick, magnesium always stays around 1400.
All other testkits are red sea. Salt is red sea pro.
Can it be Hanna Calcium checker is so inaccurate?

I've used the Hanna Ca checker since 2018.

You have to be very precise with your procedure, or your results will be inaccurate.

Mine is always within 15ppm of a Triton ICP.

 

[Gtinnel]

So i have been using the Hanna Checker since Tank was new 5 month ago and it read every week high calcium( high 400to low 500).
Now i am nearly out of reagent so i bought the red sea kit coz longterm it is cheaper. Just tested with both twice, red sea reads 350 ppm!!!!!!!!!! bot times, hanna reads 449 and 481 ppm. What to belief now? I have not once dosed for calcium, since hanna always said its high. I dose for alk since that seems to drop quick, magnesium always stays around 1400.
All other testkits are red sea. Salt is red sea pro.
Can it be Hanna Calcium checker is so inaccurate?

If you have to dose to keep alk stable and you are not dosing calcium then I would think the one that shows your calcium is low is probably right.

Look online at what you salt mixes up to then make a batch of new salt and test it with both kits. See if either come close to showing what the calcium of you new salt water should be. If you have a lfs that would test your water you could do that also. You can also buy bottles of reference solution with know values and test that to see what test you should trust.

 

[flyingscampi]

I just bought a Salifert Ca test kit and they've made it even simpler. They got rid of the large bottle with the inaccurate drops.

I use Hanna for Nitrate (HR), Phosphate (ULR), and KH, and I use Salifert for Ca, Mg. None of these tests requires a colour chart, and that is no accident :)

 

[Gtinnel]

I just bought a Salifert Ca test kit and they've made it even simpler. They got rid of the large bottle with the inaccurate drops.

I use Hanna for Nitrate (HR), Phosphate (ULR), and KH, and I use Salifert for Ca, Mg. None of these tests requires a colour chart, and that is no accident :)

I'm mostly the same except I use red sea for calcium and mag. I use a Trident so I'm only verifying results when testing alk/cal/mag.

 

[PatW]

The Hanna tester has a less than stellar reputation. The problem seems to be the large dilution factor of the sample causes issues of sample size variance. I have Red Sea Pro and it works just fine. I bet that Salifert would be good also.

People get seduced by the numerical readout on Hanna as being “objective”. I like the Hanna ALK but I use Red Sea Pro and Salifert ALK also (not as highly rated as Hanna) and I find that over time, they all tend to produce about the same sample variability. And that is for Hanna’s top rated test. I am not saying this denigrate the Hanna tests and the ALK test is a good test.

The most essential of the Hanna test is the ULR phosphate and/or phosphorous tests. They are the only hobby grade tests that are sensitive enough to low levels of phosphates to be very useful.