Test kit comparison

[Budman's Corals]

How are these testing instrument compare to Red Sea's kit
Are they just as good ..Anyone?

Hanna HI 758 Checker HC Calcium Photometer HI758










Hanna HI 755 Checker HC Alkalinity Photometer HI755

 

[mcarroll]

I think both would give perfectly satisfactory results if used properly. So to answer directly, "Yes, just as good."

However, IMO both Hanna and Red Sea kits are both a bit harder to use than Salifert's. This can be a fairly personal choice. (You should be able to find YouTube videos of each of the tests being run.)

Some people really don't like the drop-wise tests so in this case Hanna is a no-brainer. Likewise if you're color-blind at all - Hanna's do the color interpretation for you. Also, some people simply like the concrete number you get from a computerized tester.

I think the Red Sea's hand-titrator is a bit of a gimmick, but if you are someone who legitimately has trouble handling the tiny syringes that usually come with these kits or trouble swirling the reagents for some reason, then it could be helpful.

On the Hanna side, computerized testers come with their own "needs" you'll have to deal with. Care of the glassware and handling the reagents properly are crucial elements of using their kits that many people don't get right the first time.

-Matt

P.S. FWIW, I have used all three successfully.

 

[Wrx5803]

I never used hana but love the redsea pro test kits. They are easy to use and the color goes from pink to blue. Not much easier then that.

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[Budman's Corals]

I think both would give perfectly satisfactory results if used properly. So to answer directly, "Yes, just as good."

However, IMO both Hanna and Red Sea kits are both a bit harder to use than Salifert's. This can be a fairly personal choice. (You should be able to find YouTube videos of each of the tests being run.)

Some people really don't like the drop-wise tests so in this case Hanna is a no-brainer. Likewise if you're color-blind at all - Hanna's do the color interpretation for you. Also, some people simply like the concrete number you get from a computerized tester.

I think the Red Sea's hand-titrator is a bit of a gimmick, but if you are someone who legitimately has trouble handling the tiny syringes that usually come with these kits or trouble swirling the reagents for some reason, then it could be helpful.

On the Hanna side, computerized testers come with their own "needs" you'll have to deal with. Care of the glassware and handling the reagents properly are crucial elements of using their kits that many people don't get right the first time.

-Matt

P.S. FWIW, I have used all three successfully.

Thanks for your reply,

I use the hanna for phosphate and the red sea for cal/alk/mag, i kinda like only adding powder to the hanna rather then drops then powder then slowly add drops while stirring, sounds like im lazy but hanna seems to be a little quicker rather then the 3 minute waiting(which most time i forget and the hanna resets) oh that makes me .... seems like the price for both are similar.. I know alk is a parameter that has to be watched carefully,is there a monitor that gives u a reading constantly

 

[Budman's Corals]

I never used hana but love the redsea pro test kits. They are easy to use and the color goes from pink to blue. Not much easier then that.

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Red sea is good,but want alot faster method rather then 5 drops this powder this then slowly drop..

time is money ..lol

 

[Paul C.]

Have one, and could never get a accurate reading. I use my Red Sea for cal and a Hanna for Phos and Alk. From my understanding you need to use their RO water for the test. Think i used mine maybe 6 times and gave up on the thing. Readings had a huge range, even when tested back to back. I mean something like 450-560.. Just dont trust it...

 

[Budman's Corals]

Have one, and could never get a accurate reading. I use my Red Sea for cal and a Hanna for Phos and Alk. From my understanding you need to use their RO water for the test. Think i used mine maybe 6 times and gave up on the thing. Readings had a huge range, even when tested back to back. I mean something like 450-560.. Just dont trust it...

WOW.. Thanks for your input..

sometimes i get a swing on the hanna phos reader back to back, sometimes it .02 then .10 im like what the heck..
it seems like powder for the hanna phos is different in each pack i open up and pour,but that could just be me...

 

[mcarroll]

I think Paul is talking specifically about the Hanna Calcium kit....as long as your RODI water is as good as you think, it'll work fine. Pretty sure store bought distilled would be good too. Plain RO probably isn't enough.

IMO, their Ca kit is the most fussy of all the Checker line we tend to use. FWIW.

Still, if you aren't getting good results it's because there are smudges/scratches on the vial, some powder didn't make it into the cuvet, something wasn't measured right, etc... Watch Hanna's videos, especially on opening and emptying the pouches...if you do as they do, you will get the results.

Their other kits are much less tedious/picky.

-Matt

 

[mcarroll]

Red sea is good,but want alot faster method rather then 5 drops this powder this then slowly drop..

time is money ..lol

I think familiarity/practice is what mostly dictates speed in testing..but I do think Salifert has the quickest process. Hanna may be close. (Assuming we're talking about Alk...)

-Matt

 

[Budman's Corals]

I think familiarity/practice is what mostly dictates speed in testing..but I do think Salifert has the quickest process. Hanna may be close. (Assuming we're talking about Alk...)

-Matt

Now Alk with read see is very easy only liquid drops its just the calcium that mixes powder drops then more drops

 

[Wrx5803]

I wont argue speed with a redsea kit but as far as trusting it and having solid measurments when doing multiple test I feel confident in it. And besides whats 6 min waiting for a p04 result. You can test your alk and.calcium in that time. I dont mind waiting I do it in the morning when I have my coffee before work. Kid is asleep and I can take my time

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[Wrx5803]

I think alot of people that use redsea for the first time feels it is complicated but after doing it 100 times it is very quick and easy to remember

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[Budman's Corals]

I think alot of people that use redsea for the first time feels it is complicated but after doing it 100 times it is very quick and easy to remember

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I agree with that,I dont even use that thing that holds the syringe..also got the numbers down where i dont even look at chart

 

[Paul C.]

Alright Budman. I dusted the Hanna kit off.. I'll give it one more try. There was a post about this a few months back, and basically got told i wasn't doing something correctly then. Red Sea tested at 390. First Hanna test read 422. Acceptable in my eyes. Not to bad, roughly a 9% difference. I did a second test, and it read 456. Thats almost a 15% difference.

Now I dont know how many of you chase numbers, but for me the difference between 390 and 422 isn't anything i'd react to. But a second test, that is so far out of what i'd call a normal range tells me not to use this piece of equipment.

 

[Budman's Corals]

Alright Budman. I dusted the Hanna kit off.. I'll give it one more try. There was a post about this a few months back, and basically got told i wasn't doing something correctly then. Red Sea tested at 390. First Hanna test read 422. Acceptable in my eyes. Not to bad, roughly a 9% difference. I did a second test, and it read 456. Thats almost a 15% difference.

Now I dont know how many of you chase numbers, but for me the difference between 390 and 422 isn't anything i'd react to. But a second test, that is so far out of what i'd call a normal range tells me not to use this piece of equipment.

Are you testing now or was them the results

 

[Paul C.]

Yes i found, and dusted it off. Tested and those were the results. Last night my cal was 380. I dose cal at night, so 390 i feel was a very good number that the Red Sea came up with. I would live with the 422, but a second test at 456 seems a lil too far off for me.

 

[mcarroll]

Now I dont know how many of you chase numbers...

Good point! Some people worry too much. :)

Besides, consistency with the same test kit (and the next same one you buy) is what it's all about.

At the end of the day, brand-to-brand comparisons are barely relevant and really not helpful. What we need to know is not whether there is precisely 380 ppm Ca in the water...the equipment to know that is too expensive for home use anyway. What we need to know is whether we have 20 ppm less Ca than we had yesterday...which all these kits will do.

(And the Hanna Ca meter is def. not for everyone...why not sell it? :))

-Matt

 

[glb]

Good point! Some people worry too much. :)

Besides, consistency with the same test kit (and the next same one you buy) is what it's all about.

At the end of the day, brand-to-brand comparisons are barely relevant and really not helpful. What we need to know is not whether there is precisely 380 ppm Ca in the water...the equipment to know that is too expensive for home use anyway. What we need to know is whether we have 20 ppm less Ca than we had yesterday...which all these kits will do.

(And the Hanna Ca meter is def. not for everyone...why not sell it? :))

-Matt

I agree. The consistency is more important than the actual number, within reason.


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[KoleTang]

If the checker is being inconsistent try a new battery and use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the vial before putting it in the checker.

I use salifert for Ca, but I'm sure Red Sea is just as good. I don't see a reason to use Hanna for Ca. I do use Hanna for Phosphorous (because other kits are hard to read) and Alk (because I test it so often).