Hanna checkers good or no good?

CaptPatrick · Oct 17, 2016

I have the Redsea reef test kit, Mg,Kh,Ca. I feel like I am not getting accurate readings with it. I also have both the Reef and saltwater test kits from API, and when I compare the redsea results to the API they are close but I'm not sure which to trust, for example my calcium will be about 20-30 off between the two. And I feel that with both tests it's kinda guess work. I am trying to set up a doser so I need to have an accurate baseline test with minimum chance of error. Are the Hanna checkers accurate? They seem much easier to test than the titration tests but don't want to spend the money unless they are more consistent and accurate.

Chrisfish · Oct 17, 2016

I don't know about the other Hanna checkers but I have the one for Calc. and its awful, not user friendly and inaccurate readings. :mad:

Tgrove · Oct 17, 2016

Chrisfish said:
I don't know about the other Hanna checkers but I have the one for Calc. and its awful, not user friendly and inaccurate readings. :mad:

I am having the same issue. Using it is a PITA as well.

RobBaglieri · Oct 17, 2016

I have the Hanna Alk and CA. I find them easy to use and accurate as long as you measure carefully. IMO,they are certainly easier than the API and Red Sea kits I have used in the past. Keep in mind, how accurate you need to be? Is it an acceptable percent error if your CA is 420 vs 430 or 440?

MTWiley · Oct 17, 2016

I love the alk checker, the cal checker is a bit more complicated, but not terrible overall IMO.

Jahalu · Oct 17, 2016

Love the alk checker. Use it all the time, and it's been accurate when I occasionally check it against salifert when I get an unexpected reading. I use salifert for everything else, but it's nice to be able to get a quick alk reading.

ksfulk · Oct 17, 2016

Not knowing how you test and your regiment, its hard to give you a hard and fast answer. But here's what I would recommend.

Get the Alk tester - its easy, fast and reliable.
Get the Calcium tester if 1.) you are meticulous in your ability to follow directions, 2.) have a steady hand and 3.)dont "fudge" any of the measurements. I find the calcium checker perfectly accurate, but many people find it difficult because of the multiple reagents and small sample size (0.1mL) of water added to the vial. Then again, Im a chemist, so I do this stuff at work all the time The easiest calcium test out there is the Salifert test. I get accurate results when compared between Red sea, Salifert and Hannah.

john.m.cole3 · Oct 17, 2016

I also use hanna alk and salifert everything else

Acameron2 · Oct 17, 2016

I love my Hana alkalinity checker. And Red Sea for the rest.

CJBuckeyes · Oct 17, 2016

Alk is great. Hanna phosphorus checker is also very good. I am not a fan of the calcium checker.

Oldreefer44 · Oct 17, 2016

Have many and like them. Have found them to be accurate as long as time is taken t follow directions.

A13X · Oct 17, 2016

I have the AlK and Cal. The Cal is touchy, but the AlK is easy to do.

madweazl · Oct 17, 2016

I have the Hanna alkalinity, calcium, and phosphate (ULR) kits. Like you, I was tracking alkalinity and calcium to figure out dosing and was testing daily to get a baseline. Over the course of roughly three weeks, I had dosed alkalinity three times but the calcium levels hadnt changed, best I could tell on the Salifert kit I had at the time. On October 13th, I measure Ca at 460 and alkalinity at 8.0 with the Salifert kits. On October 14th, alkalinity was 8.34 and calcium was 454 with the Hanna kits. I then checked the alkalinity of some freshly mixed Reef Crystals with the basic Red Sea kit I had, the Salifert, and the Hanna with the following results:

Red Sea
dKH 11-12 (higher than 11 but lower than 12)

Salifert
dKH 11.05

Hanna
dKH 11.65

I dont find the Ca test to be difficult. The alkalinity and phophates kits are very easy.

jd371 · Oct 17, 2016

I have the Alk, Ca, and Phosphorus. I use the Alk and Phos all the time, the Ca I stopped using because it was just too tedious to use and it could be user error but the readings I was getting would always be off when compared against Salifert or Red Sea so I've stuck with Salifert for the Ca.

CaptPatrick · Oct 17, 2016

Thank you all for all of your responses, it seems like most everyone is in agreement that the Ca is better off being titrated and the Kh is better with the Hanna. Over the past few weeks I have really gotten into sps, so I have been trying to test every couple days and dose to keep steady. Our local forum just had our early reef conference and I won a two part doser in the raffle so I would like to get that set up. I try to be as meticulous as possible with the testing and directions, I figure if I'm not gonna do it to the T then it doesn't do me any good to test it, so I don't have a problem in that respect, I just want the most accurate tester with the least chance for human error and guessing. I always feel like I am a drop too much or too little with the titration so I end up writing both down but that gives me a fairly large window.

Wim-reefer250 · Oct 17, 2016

I bought a Hanna Alkalinity + Phosphorus + Calcium checker. Alk+Phosph are in general easy and with trustable result. I espacially like the value. With the nitrate tester of red sea I can never judge an exact colour matching, so I more like Hanna figures...
But I cannot use the results of Hanna Calcium. While salifer and sea give 450 as value, I measure >600 with Hanna. I returned it to the shop to recalibrate and now wait until it returns. I already had issues from the start, I wish I didn't bought it. Hopefully I will be able to use it after checkup. I did try it like described, but with bad results. It is the only checker that uses 0,1ml while the others use 1ml. So Hanna calcium might be more delicate.
Another point that I don't understand is that you have to shake the phosphorus bottle 2 minutes and the tested is switching off after 2 minutes... while other Hanna checkers switch off after 10 minutes. They did'n thought well enough about this issue.

madweazl · Oct 17, 2016

Wim-reefer250 said:
I bought a Hanna Alkalinity + Phosphorus + Calcium checker. Alk+Phosph are in general easy and with trustable result. I espacially like the value. With the nitrate tester of red sea I can never judge an exact colour matching, so I more like Hanna figures...
But I cannot use the results of Hanna Calcium. While salifer and sea give 450 as value, I measure >600 with Hanna. I returned it to the shop to recalibrate and now wait until it returns. I already had issues from the start, I wish I didn't bought it. Hopefully I will be able to use it after checkup. I did try it like described, but with bad results. It is the only checker that uses 0,1ml while the others use 1ml. So Hanna calcium might be more delicate.
Another point that I don't understand is that you have to shake the phosphorus bottle 2 minutes and the tested is switching off after 2 minutes... while other Hanna checkers switch off after 10 minutes. They did'n thought well enough about this issue.

It stays on well beyond two minutes for this stage of the test. As for the .1ml of sample water being used for the calcium test, I dont understand the issue. Fill the syringe with 1ml of your tanks water and just use .1ml of it for the test.

Wim-reefer250 · Oct 17, 2016

Maybe you have a more recent version that stays on longer. Remember that you first have to open a package, empty it, then shake 2 minutes. I already open the package in advance and the adding of powder doesn't take half a minute. But after shaking 2 minutes, my checker is already switched off. Therefore, I have to fill 2 bottles with saltwater. The first one for C2 value, the second one with saltwater and powder is already shaken in order insert it quicker. I cannot assume that I am the only client with this problem.

Indeed, there is no issue to add 0.1ml. I do it like the describtion. I fill up to 1 ml and then inject 0.1ml, so I leave 0.9ml. I can assure you that I am not adding to much. So no big deal to add 0.1ml, only the result is far from reality. So I assume that the tolerance on the result is due to the little amount of salt water.

DARTMOOR · Oct 17, 2016

I actually ordered the Alk and Cal checkers this morning without doing my research first and just read this thread. Now I'm regretting ordering the Cal as I figured it would make life easier, not more complicated.. sigh

Salty1962 · Oct 17, 2016

I like my Alk, Ca and Po4 testers. As with anything in this hobby, attention to details gets you the best results. I occasionally cross check with RS tests I have to get a sanity check that things are lined up.