Hanna checkers good or no good?

[Wim-reefer250]

I just wanted to share my problems with the Hanna Ca checker. When my Hanna Ca returns and the problem is solved, I will also inform it. There is no tester which is very accurate, some are too high and others too low. So in order to know the Hanna tester tolerance, I sent a sample to Triton. Hanno indicated that the tolerance is +/- 6%. My own measured value value was 12,5% above the reality. When you need to stay between 430-450 ppm, such tolerance is useless. In order to find the root cause, I already bouth new reagens, because my first reagens was only valid until january 2017. Unfortunately results were identical. Therefore, I assume it is the tester itself. Another minor issue, but also irritating, was that I had to keep the cover closed with my finger, because it never wanted to clip in the close position.
Anyway, I am not anti Hanna because I love the Kh tester and the phosphorus tester is also given more accurate results than other testers (Hanna only have to solve
the switching off timing)

 

[mwilk19]

I use the Hanna ALK and PO4 checkers. I use red Sea for the rest. I have the Hanna Ca checker but the results can be all over the place. I see Hanna is now adding a micro pipette to their new Ca test kits to get an accurate .1ml of tank water. maybe that will help. Honestly, the only way to tell if any of these test kits are accurate would be to test your tank with your kits and at the same time take water samples for a Triton, or any of the other testing companies lab tests.

 

[CaptPatrick]

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

I almost ordered both of them this morning to but thought I should get an idea about them, and glad I did.

 

[blacktippr]

I use the Hanna ALK and PO4 checkers. I use red Sea for the rest. I have the Hanna Ca checker but the results can be all over the place. I see Hanna is now adding a micro pipette to their new Ca test kits to get an accurate .1ml of tank water. maybe that will help. Honestly, the only way to tell if any of these test kits are accurate would be to test your tank with your kits and at the same time take water samples for a Triton, or any of the other testing companies lab tests.

Yup Hanna sent me a insuline Siringe and distilled water instead of my RO , and that did the tric for reliable testing.

 

[mwilk19]

Yup Hanna sent me a insuline Siringe and distilled water instead of my RO , and that did the tric for reliable testing.

So distilled water not RO?

 

[blacktippr]

So distilled water not RO?

That's what they sent me, but I feel what really did the trick is the insuline syringe.

 

[madweazl]

So distilled water not RO?

The instructions call for deionized water and I imagine that is what was sent vs distilled.

Did the test not come with a 1ml syringe?

 

[Kap18512]

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

+1 Hanna for Alk, Red sea for Ca and Mg. The Hanna kit for Ca is more trouble than it's worth IMO.

 

[blacktippr]

The instructions call for deionized water and I imagine that is what was sent vs distilled.

Did the test not come with a 1ml syringe?

I'm sorry it is DI water see the pic , this is the syringe that Hanna sent with their RO water.

 

[mwilk19]

I'm sorry it is DI water see the pic , this is the syringe that Hanna sent with their RO water.

What did you have to do to get them to send this to you?

 

[blacktippr]

Sent an email stating that I was having problems getting the right results from their kit.

 

[DHill6]

Hanna Alk and UL Phosphate, large blue model not the handheld seem to be correct. The calcium checker was blinking 600, double checked it with their calibration vials which tested ok. Since it was unreliable it was placed into the trash. RS tests were inaccurate by 90 to 100 difference. Triton test was sent in at the same time. Elos kits seem to be correct, be careful with the vials, very thin glass.

 

[DHill6]

I spoke with Hanna, ordered more than one tritation refill, used their bottle of water, nothing made a difference. I also trashed a full bucket of TM Pro salt since the calcium was reading ridiculously high, that particular bucket was reading high 600-700 ca according to all test kits I collected to get the correct answer. RS, Nyos, Hanna. Sent the test off to Triton, it read 420. These test kits were retired to the trash. Elos was very close to Triton result.

 

[CaptPatrick]

Inhave tested my water with RS and Api for thenpastn4-5 days, the Ca and Kh have been slowly creeping down but the Mg is reading 1600, I have tried the test more than once each night and don't get any change. Is there something off in my test? How would it get so high in the first place? I use coral pro salt and do a 25% water change every other week.

 

[DHill6]

CaptPatrick, I've read a few others have had very high mg using TM Pro salt. Did you mix the salt before making your water? I ended up buying a new mixing bucket, new mixing pump, didn't make a difference. I noticed a brown residue which shouldn't have been. I contacted Lou at TM USA. He sent a new bucket from their warehouse. I haven't mixed the salt yet to test. Triton recommends TMPro, I've used it for 6 yrs. and this was the first time I had a problem.

 

[DHill6]

I had a problem with RS calcium, phosphate tests, they were off 90-100 compared to the Triton tests. I heard the Elos tests were pretty accurate, so far they seem to be.

 

[john.m.cole3]

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.

I do the hanna phosphorous checker the same way, with 2 vials. I had it shut off on me one time and that's all it took for me to change my ways

 

[mniemann]

I just threw out my Hanna alk checker this weekend. It was telling me 8.1 but salifert and an independent test at LFS revealed it was actually 9.3. Had a similar problem with the calcium checker earlier in the year, now also using salifert for both. Could be the checker itself or reagents but that too big of a swing for me to risk my corals.

 

[atoll]

Be careful as there are now Alk Hanna checkers. They now have a saltwater checker so you don't need to do the calculation to KDH. be sure to specify the saltwater alk checker when buying.

 

[120reefkeeper]

I have the Hanna Alk that measures in DKH and love it . I find it very accurate. I also have the Hanna ULR and I also find that very useful and accurate. All the rest are either Red Sea, or Salifert.