Alternate to Hanna checkers?

[A Fish Called Wanda]

$50 is for the checker (if that's the cost now). Reagents are cheaper, like $8 for the alk reagent, which is around 20 tests (1ml per test). For alk and phosphate I would use nothing else. Ca and Mg I still use Salifert.

The "inconsistencies" with the Hanna checkers are really due to not having a standard protocol for running the tests. I always wear gloves. Measure water with a pipette. Rinse with tank water first. Run the negative and test in the same vial (run the negative, remove and add the reagent, mix, and reinsert). I always make sure the "10" is facing forward so I know the test light is going through the same section of glass as the pre-test (negative) light. And I always wipe w/ a lint free cloth before inserting the vial. Etc...

Having a standard procedure removes 95% of the inconsistencies at least. The ULR phosphate checker though is harder. Need to make sure you use all the powder and mix gently so that you don't get microbubbles on the sides. But well worth it for the easy read and relative accuracy.

Thanks for the tip

 

[jcolliii]

I got rid of all of my Hanna devices. I've tried a lot of PO4 kits in particular, and found the easiest to use and easiest to read is the ELOS pro kit. Can do the test itself in 2 minutes, then wait another few minutes for the color to develop. Look down through a black viewer at a blank and a color card that is pretty easy to pick out the differences between. It goes to fairly low concentrations as well. IMO and IME, the ELOS pro is the best kit available. For NO3, I went with the HACH NO3 color disc - even easier to read than the EOLS PO4 kit, but pricey. My Salifert NO3 kit was WAY off and wanted something much better - the HACH kit is that. I would probably say that, while not impossible to misread, it is probably extremely unlikely that you could misread the results. NO3 is the only parameter I test manually now - went Mastertronic.

 

[tharbin]

The reality is that most of the test kits work 'pretty' well, including API. None are lab-quality. The majority of the Hanna Checkers are just colormetric tests just like everyone else's. If you want to pay 50 dollars to have someone else (the photo sensor) read the color chart for you, go for it (I just have my wife look as well if I'm unsure). Just remember that if it gets out of calibration, it's time for a new 'egg'. There is a lot of 'elitism' in the reefing hobby but the reality is we were keeping reef tanks just fine long before the Hanna checkers existed.

That said, I do use one: The Marine Phosphate ULR as the Hanna ULRs are the only ones I know of that read the low ranges we typically maintain today.

So here is what I use (not a recommendation of these over others just another data point for you):
---
Source water chlorine/chloramine - LaMotte
Source water - TDS - HM Digital
---
Ammonia and Nitrite (when needed) - API
---
pH - API
SG - Marine Depot Refractometer
Nitrate - API
Alkalinity - Salifert (because I wanted finer resolution than the API test)
Calcium - Salifert (because my API test expired and the Salifert was in stock)
Phosphate - Hanna Marine Phosphate ULR
Magnesium - Aquaforest

Significantly when I changed from API to Salifert for Calcium and Alkalinity my readings did not change. My Phosphate did change because all I knew from the API test was that it was more than 0.0 and less than 0.25ppm. It ended up being 0.05 do I really need to know that? I doubt it but I don't want to get in trouble with the test kit police around here

The only changes in testing I plan to make is to pick up a new Tropic Marin High-Precision Hydrometer as backup and verification and get a good separate temperature probe, not sure which one yet though.

 

[mindme]

I'm trying to get away from the API test kits. Lots of people rave about the hanna checker and a lot of people hate them and complain about inaccuracies. Either way, $50 a test is kind of a high bar for me. Are there any alternatives that are similar to the hanna checker in that they provide a digital response? I tried to do a google search but trying to type in anything hanna, you mostly get ads for hanna checkers. I feel that they cant possibly be the only ones making a product like this- unless it's still relatively new and patented.

Do some research and you'll find different brands are better/ok in different areas.

I will say, if you ever need to test for copper, you are going to want the hannah. I wasted money on other tests that I couldn't read accurately before doing so.

 

[McCarrick]

The reality is that most of the test kits work 'pretty' well, including API. None are lab-quality. The majority of the Hanna Checkers are just colormetric tests just like everyone else's. If you want to pay 50 dollars to have someone else (the photo sensor) read the color chart for you, go for it (I just have my wife look as well if I'm unsure). Just remember that if it gets out of calibration, it's time for a new 'egg'. There is a lot of 'elitism' in the reefing hobby but the reality is we were keeping reef tanks just fine long before the Hanna checkers existed.

That said, I do use one: The Marine Phosphate ULR as the Hanna ULRs are the only ones I know of that read the low ranges we typically maintain today.

So here is what I use (not a recommendation of these over others just another data point for you):
---
Source water chlorine/chloramine - LaMotte
Source water - TDS - HM Digital
---
Ammonia and Nitrite (when needed) - API
---
pH - API
SG - Marine Depot Refractometer
Nitrate - API
Alkalinity - Salifert (because I wanted finer resolution than the API test)
Calcium - Salifert (because my API test expired and the Salifert was in stock)
Phosphate - Hanna Marine Phosphate ULR
Magnesium - Aquaforest

Significantly when I changed from API to Salifert for Calcium and Alkalinity my readings did not change. My Phosphate did change because all I knew from the API test was that it was more than 0.0 and less than 0.25ppm. It ended up being 0.05 do I really need to know that? I doubt it but I don't want to get in trouble with the test kit police around here

The only changes in testing I plan to make is to pick up a new Tropic Marin High-Precision Hydrometer as backup and verification and get a good separate temperature probe, not sure which one yet though.

This is really helpful to hear. I've read so many posts about how basically if you're not using a Hanna checker, then you're doing it wrong. I got the salifert test for nitrate since I'm reading high and I wanted to double check- I tested with both the API and salifert and got the same results. For my refractometer, I'm just using one from agriculture solutions and I havent seemed to have any problems with it. My readings match up with the predicted amount of salt I need to put in.
Does anyone know if acetic acid (vinegar) would raise nitrates? I never had a problem with nitrates until I built a sump and installed it. I waited a few days to ensure it was cured but afterwards my nitrates shot up like crazy. The acetic acid is what the silicone caulk releases as it cures.

 

[OscarHaglund]

There are some hanna checkers to avoid, the calcium and nitrate come to mind

Nitrate hr is good

 

[hbash]

red sea kits will end up costing you about the same. i use both the red sea and hanna egg checkers. can confidently say my hanna PH egg checker is definitely not accurate..

salifert is cheap but tried and true by many reefers over the years.

I have the Hanna pH egg and their standard to test it and it has been 100% correct with standard so I think you must have either a bad checker or reagent.

 

[shakacuz]

I have the Hanna pH egg and their standard to test it and it has been 100% correct with standard so I think you must have either a bad checker or reagent.

leaning towards bad reagent. i have the “calibration kit” for ph for it and it reads within the range

 

[hbash]

leaning towards bad reagent. i have the “calibration kit” for ph for it and it reads within the range

I read 8.0 with the standard kit…