Which calcium and magnesium testers do you use?

[rgauvin]

I need to start testing for Magnesium and calcium and don't know which testers I should look at. I initially started with a basic API kit (I won't make that mistake again). I thought I was going to want Hanna checkers, but their phosphate tester has left me less then impressed and I am not so sure anymore.

I'm currently using a salifert test kit for nitrates and I am very pleased with it.

Which test kits do you guys use and recommend for calcium and magnesium?

[Feivel]

Well, i currently dont have a magnesiumn tester but i do use the Hanna Calcium checker. With this test you have to be VERY VERY precise or you WILL NOT get the desired results as well as having to use distilled water (evaporated and condensed works just as well(pure steam water))  You will not get clear results using RO/DI water. This test kit tests at a 0.0001 (if i remember properly) I called Hanna direct and spoke with them they explained to me a few things. Because it is a very very very precise test everything has to be very very very precisly measured even one drop more or less can have say a 10ppm result change. Very GOOD test, a little finnicky to use. but it sure beats counting drops.

as for the phosphate checker, i wouldnt have gotten a hanna checker for that as a first expensive test. phosphates are hard to track and can be consumed by the algaes present and therefore will have trouble showing up on the test. YES there may be phosphates BUT the algae consumes it as fast as its produced, I.E. You actually have .32ppm phos, algaes consume .3, you will only see .02 on your test and think it is completely normal. Should have just spend the 60$ on a TLF 150 reactor and throw some GFO in there if you were sooo worried about phosphates or algae growths.     

Salifert. Elos and Hanna are, IMO, THE BEST tests to use.

LAST THING: Why are you checking for calcium and magnesium? are you having a problem?

[rgauvin]

no, no problems. I just want to make sure I don't have them

and honestly, my frustrations from Hanna comes with the fact that my alk tester came with a dead battery, and the phosphate tester seems inconsistent. With the first test I may get .02 then I retest the water (still using the same 2 cuvettes with the same samples of water and reagents in it, one with tank water, one with tank water and reagent), and get .00 (2nd test has ALWAYS been zero).

My salifert nitrate test kit, I find easy to read while being consistent (so hopefully it's accurate)

[Hookup]

I use Hana Digital checkers for ALK and CA.  ALK is a no brainier.  CA is easy once you realize your adding six drops of sample (tank) water.

I also use salifert test kits, very simple as well.

@Feivel - I only use RO/DI for Hana CA checker. As do at least two others thatmive seen first hand and countless others posting...  What was your experience with RO/DI that makes it not good for you?

[xenon]

I also use Salifert for Ca/Mg and use Hanna for Alk.

[veron]

ROOKIES, Who needs test kits.

[xenon]

ROOKIES, Who needs test kits.

Ha! I hear ya.

I am stating to test less often and only test when I think something is off.

With that said, test kits are absolutely essential to dial in dosing pumps or when you add a bunch more corals to your system.

[veron]

Just having fun Myself I haven't test for those things for years. Only salinity.

[Feivel]

@ hookup, When i got the tester i followed the instructions, it was giving me 600 640ppm. I went to NjOyRiD's and tested his water and it was also very high. he said it was impossible and showed me from his reefkeeper. I called Hanna Direct and chit chatted with the guy for a bit. I re-assured him i was doing the test as accurately as i could, even having taken tips on the vids online on how to have the bottom of mininscus at the 10ml line (the effect on how water naturaly curves in a bottle) How i would precisly measure the 1ml from the same exact point on the plunger. He advised me that i was doing everything properly and to try distilled water instead of the RODI. After doing so i was much much much closer to my desired results. Even for phils, with his rodi vs distilled and my place rodi vs distilled. The result were both about 100ppm lower.

[kole18]

I hardly test my water,  seems everything pretty much stable.  As well no water change for the last 2 months. All I'm doing add more suppliment & all my stags crazy growing like a grass. But I used hc before didn't like that much, waste of money for me. I ended up selling it & now bought new test kit redsea pro comes w/cal/alk/mag sweet deal for $50 all together at mscape. I'd find pretty straight forward to use just need to use a math bit  all good anyway happy reef keeping folks.

[Hookup]

@Feivel - sounds odd that they recommended Distilled, but whatever works right? 

I went thru about 2 dozen tests when I got mine as the numbers were all over the damn map.. From crazy high to crazy low to right on...   Anyhow, I played with each step trying to fins where the error was by introducing intentional errors and seeing the results.   By far the biggest source of error (+\- 100ppm) was the adding of the sample water.  And it made sense after I discovered it, your adding only 1ml into 10ml of water... Being off 0.1ml will throw your numbers huge as a %. 

The solution for me was to count the drops as they are consistent.  6 drops of tank water was giving me very "expected" and similar results to the salifert baseline tests.  So I switched from adding 1ml and went to adding 6drops and never looked back.

Btw adding more or less powder reagent has no visible effect, so I don't worry about scraping every single spec of purple reagent... RO/DI at 10ml vs 10.2 or 9.8ml also had no effect.


Hana should rewrite their instructions, or better yet, change the formula so the error rate from sample water is eliminated..  If you adding 5ml of sample to 5ml of RO/DI the error rate by component would be dramatically reduced and the test would give more stable results.

[montisaurus]

Hana should rewrite their instructions, or better yet, change the formula so the error rate from sample water is eliminated..  If you adding 5ml of sample to 5ml of RO/DI the error rate by component would be dramatically reduced and the test would give more stable results.

Amen!

[Wooki]

I need to start testing for Magnesium and calcium and don't know which testers I should look at. I initially started with a basic API kit (I won't make that mistake again). I thought I was going to want Hanna checkers, but their phosphate tester has left me less then impressed and I am not so sure anymore.

I thought I would chime in on the Hanna checkers.  I'm using the Hanna Phosphorus (not phosphate) Ultra low range checker and couldn't be happier. (One can convert the numbers from P to phosphate easily).  It is easy to use, gives consistent results for me at least.  I have tried a few tests kits for phosphate and was never satisfied because I could never match the colors.