the most useful Hanna testst?

[Ballyhoo]

I was getting such lousy and inconsistent phosphate tests with seachums and ISP strip that my causing me to make mistakes, LFS told me to get the Hanna phosphite tests and I got to say I'm impressed. If somebody really wants to nail down important parameters for mix saltwater mixed reef tanks, what other Hanna tests would be worthy of the costs, ? Thank you.

 

[reefsaver]

Hanna's Alkilinity Colourometer is a must IMO. The only downside is that the Reagent expires but it is very cheap.

 

[Koty]

In an order of importance and increasing time intervals: Alkalinity, Phosphate ULR, Nitrate HR, Ca, Mg. Regarding Mg I just got the kit recently and I got “high” value compared to the RedSea kit I always used. However I found it to be rather accurate after testing the Fauna Marin standard: only 10 ppm difference.

 

[Ballyhoo]

In an order of importance and increasing time intervals: Alkalinity, Phosphate ULR, Nitrate HR, Ca, Mg. Regarding Mg I just got the kit recently and I got “high” value compared to the RedSea kit I always used. However I found it to be rather accurate after testing the Fauna Marin standard: only 10 ppm difference.

so you have invested in five hanna test kits?

 

[VintageReefer]

I have, and rate in my opinion of importance and ease

First - Alkalinity - A+++++++ super super easy, fast, accurate

Tied for second - Phosphate and Nitrate

Third - Magnesium

Fourth - Calcium - difficult/complicated, many people report inaccurate/ inconsistent.

 

[Koty]

so you have invested in five hanna test kits?

Yes. As I avoid water changes I am doomed to carry many tests. I also test Potassium (Salifert) that is slowly consumed in my tank and pH (TM). I also do not do ICP tests

 

[anizato]

Alkalinity DKH Colorimeter HI772 Hanna Checker - Marine Water​

Phosphorus Ultra Low Range Colorimeter HI736 Hanna Checker - Marine Water​

Salifert Calcium Aquarium Test Kit​

Nitrate - API

AF Magnesium Test Kit​

alternatively Hanna recently released the

Marine Master Bluetooth Multiparameter Photometer HI97115​

which is a pretty sweet deal.

but of all the devices... THIS is the best one I have ever invested in:

MA887 Digital Seawater Refractometer - Milwaukee​

 

[Ballyhoo]

well, this is all very helpful. I guess I know where I will be investing in my testing.


btw, hard learned experience, strip tests for phosphate were worthless, always reading zero causing me to add small amounts of phosp to my tank. And it just couldn't be that the test kept coming up zero, so I bouggt Hanna per LFS and was shocked to see what the reading really was. I'm in a bit of pickle as far as water changes go now.
bit of a hard lesson

 

[VintageReefer]

The Milwaukee refractometer makes things so much easier also

It’s cheaper on Amazon. The green one is same as the black but less money

https://a.co/d/1kZMP9J
Reflecting on this, this is a luxury item. A normal refractometer is cheaper and also accurate. The test kits are more important

 

[anizato]

well, this is all very helpful. I guess I know where I will be investing in my testing.


btw, hard learned experience, strip tests for phosphate were worthless, always reading zero causing me to add small amounts of phosp to my tank. And it just couldn't be that the test kept coming up zero, so I bouggt Hanna per LFS and was shocked to see what the reading really was. I'm in a bit of pickle as far as water changes go now.
bit of a hard lesson

what was the reading of your PO4'3 when you finally used the Hanna Checker?

 

[Septurn]

Hanna's Alkilinity Colourometer is a must IMO. The only downside is that the Reagent expires but it is very cheap.

So true

 

[Dragen Fiend]

For me its currently:
Hanna- Alk, phos ULR and nitrate
Salifert- calcium and mag
Dr. Meter pen- PH

 

[gbroadbridge]

I was getting such lousy and inconsistent phosphate tests with seachums and ISP strip that my causing me to make mistakes, LFS told me to get the Hanna phosphite tests and I got to say I'm impressed. If somebody really wants to nail down important parameters for mix saltwater mixed reef tanks, what other Hanna tests would be worthy of the costs, ? Thank you.

I have all of them except for Magnesium.

The only one I still use is the LR Phosphate checker.

All the rest are sitting unused in a box and I switched back to Salifert.
Cheaper, quicker and as accurate as anyone needs

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I recommend the Hanna ulr phosphorus tester if you want to keep low levels of phosphate.

Most other things I’d test in other ways.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I guess I'm of the few using the hanna salinity checker, but that thing is invaluable to me.

 

[Reeferbadness]

For me, Hanna Alk, Phos Ultra Low and Salinity Readers are best at those 3 things. Calcium, not so much (always had wild swings in readings). I use Salifert for Calcium and Nitrate tests. I also have a Trident which i use for most test data (Alk, Calcium, Magnesium) but use the others to double check accuracy about 1x a week.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

I was getting such lousy and inconsistent phosphate tests with seachums and ISP strip that my causing me to make mistakes, LFS told me to get the Hanna phosphite tests and I got to say I'm impressed. If somebody really wants to nail down important parameters for mix saltwater mixed reef tanks, what other Hanna tests would be worthy of the costs, ? Thank you.

I have the ALK, the calcium, PH, nitrate, and phosphate kits. So so worth the money. The calcium test is a little more complicated than the others, but once you get it down, it’s not bad.

 

[Uncle99]

Hanna ULR tester! It can read the sample colour change, I simply cannot see a different.

Most other tests fine as the colour change is easy to match.

Hanna CA gave me results fluctuations of 50-150ppm, so it for me is useless, the sample size is just to small.

Hanna Salinity. Worked, then numbers starting getting unusually high. Refractometer has never once ever let me down if calibrated regularly.

 

[Ballyhoo]

what was the reading of your PO4'3 when you finally used the Hanna Checker?

let's just say well it wasn't over .80 . But I will be doing some aggressive water changes within next month. I did a 13 gallon change yesterday in my 52 gallon or 54 gallon system and I still have a ways to go. I'm telling you I followed the strip test and I kept doing them over and over again and they always gave me a zero reading, and I just knew that couldn't be right because I was adding 1 milligram of phosphate daily. so LFS owner told me @ aquatic warehouse that Hanna is the only test kit for phosphate that he finds reliable. But he does believe Salifert to be reliable for most other testing requirements. I've gone to a few different LFS's and maybe gotten too many different opinions. It was another coral store or LFstore that told me to add the 1 milligram of phosphate because I was at zero with his Salifert kit . so too much advice from too many different sources for newbie can lead to problems.
edit, I will add LFS store number one who sold me the hanna kit, I was asking him this morning what other hanna to buy today and just to show you how honest he was he was advised that I only need Hanna for phosphate. He could've sold me Hanna for every element. . so even after that massive water change I'm still at .56. Yeah I got some work to do.

still no algae's though

 

[gbroadbridge]

I guess I'm of the few using the hanna salinity checker, but that thing is invaluable to me.

You're not alone.

I only use EC devices for salinity measurement.
If used correctly, the Hanna Salinity checker is more reliable than most others.