Electronic test kit for Ca, Mg and Kh

The "best" are VERY expensive...
"accurate" is relative.. How accurate?

Lately companies are putting out "automated" cal/mg/kh test kits.. that allow you to tie it to dosing pumps to dose as needed.. Neptune Trident, KH director,etc.. to name drop..

But the answer you may be looking for is Hanna Checkers..
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aqua...rs/hanna-checker/saltwater-hanna-checker.html
I see they have a mag for freshwater but don't see one for salt..
But their alk/cal ones are great..

Those listed are all "accurate enough" for our needs for the most part..
 
I HATE the Hannah tests and do NOT find them accurate at all. I honestly think one is better off taking $50 out back and burning it as opposed to buying a Hannah device.

I have the Alk checker (new one) and have been through numerous communications with their customer service. I have been sent regents, calibration solutions to check, and even had them take my unit in to check. The issue with their calibration is the range that it gets the unit to within. The unit no matter what tests low though fairly consistantly low so I can use it BUT no way should it be used alone IMHO.

I have learned it is typically 1.5-1 DKH too low to what the tank actually is. That .5 is a large swing IMHO though when I try to leave things at 8.3 exactly in my tank. At this stage I have given up on it and pretty much use either salifert or my new favorite the Lamotte kit which is SUPER easy to read.
 
I HATE the Hannah tests and do NOT find them accurate at all. I honestly think one is better off taking $50 out back and burning it as opposed to buying a Hannah device.

I have the Alk checker (new one) and have been through numerous communications with their customer service. I have been sent regents, calibration solutions to check, and even had them take my unit in to check. The issue with their calibration is the range that it gets the unit to within. The unit no matter what tests low though fairly consistantly low so I can use it BUT no way should it be used alone IMHO.

I have learned it is typically 1.5-1 DKH too low to what the tank actually is. That .5 is a large swing IMHO though when I try to leave things at 8.3 exactly in my tank. At this stage I have given up on it and pretty much use either salifert or my new favorite the Lamotte kit which is SUPER easy to read.

This isn't typical at all. Sorry if you've had a bad experience, but Hannah checkers are the best hobby-grade tests you can get, *particularly* the Alk checker. It sounds like you are going wrong somewhere with the test. The vial can't have any dust or fingerprints on it, so you should wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth before EVERY time it is going back into the checker, which is twice for the Alk test.
 
This isn't typical at all. Sorry if you've had a bad experience, but Hannah checkers are the best hobby-grade tests you can get, *particularly* the Alk checker. It sounds like you are going wrong somewhere with the test. The vial can't have any dust or fingerprints on it, so you should wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth before EVERY time it is going back into the checker, which is twice for the Alk test.

Been there and gone through it all. I have also had skype calls with CS from hannah.

And I would not say it is far from typical. Stories abound about how bad they are. They might be the best hobby grade electronic test but with the bar so drastically low that is not a great confidence boosting statement...
 
Been there and gone through it all. I have also had skype calls with CS from hannah.

And I would not say it is far from typical. Stories abound about how bad they are. They might be the best hobby grade electronic test but with the bar so drastically low that is not a great confidence boosting statement...

The only one that had a bad rep was the calcium checker before they started including the 0.1ml pipette.
 
I HATE the Hannah tests and do NOT find them accurate at all. I honestly think one is better off taking $50 out back and burning it as opposed to buying a Hannah device.

I have the Alk checker (new one) and have been through numerous communications with their customer service. I have been sent regents, calibration solutions to check, and even had them take my unit in to check. The issue with their calibration is the range that it gets the unit to within. The unit no matter what tests low though fairly consistantly low so I can use it BUT no way should it be used alone IMHO.

I have learned it is typically 1.5-1 DKH too low to what the tank actually is. That .5 is a large swing IMHO though when I try to leave things at 8.3 exactly in my tank. At this stage I have given up on it and pretty much use either salifert or my new favorite the Lamotte kit which is SUPER easy to read.

I find Hanna checkers to be garbage as well. Almost ruined my tank. Never again.
 
I had purified water just for the vials and even ordered in kimtech science wipes since they are static and lint free to keep vials clean. All to no avail.

Couple that with the fact that the test has a +/- of 10 PPM (.56 dkh converted) for older PPM machine and +/- .3 for newer DKH but both ALSO have a +/- 5% of reading accuracy so that has to be lumped on top of that number. Sure one gets ranges with titration as well as no hobby grade is close to 100% by any means but these tests are worse then titration IMHO.

I think they are VERY easy to use and would love to promote it for that but the inaccuracy of the testing overshadows that. We get it for testing...
 
I found Hanna testers to be a giant PITA and sold them. I fail to understand why people like them. But to each his own. Just not my cup of tea.
 
I found Hanna testers to be a giant PITA and sold them. I fail to understand why people like them. But to each his own. Just not my cup of tea.

Some definitely are. Calcium and phosphate come to mind. I own alk, cal and phos. I use my salifert calcium kit because its way less of a PITA then hanna. Phos, I haven't found anything better so I use the hanna even though it is a PITA. Alk is really easy, and I've found the 2 I've owned to be very reliable/accurate.

Just my experience. "To each his own"
 
I found Hanna testers to be a giant PITA and sold them. I fail to understand why people like them. But to each his own. Just not my cup of tea.

I don't enjoy titration and judging colors. The ALK and ULR Phosphorus checkers are super easy and quick. I find a quick twist in a microfiber cloth before each reading makes them great.

The Calcium Checker is a little bit more of a PITA since there are several steps, but as long as you keep the vial super clean you are golden. It requires 0.1ml of sample water which used to be near impossible to do, but now they include an easy-to-use pipette specifically for it.
 
Back
Top