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ELOS Carbonate Hardness (Alkalinity) Water Analysis Test Kit

ELOS Carbonate Hardness (Alkalinity) Water Analysis Test Kit

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Most reefkeepers know they need to measure and maintain alkalinity levels within an aquarium but not entirely sure why it is one of the most important chemical parameter to monitor with our tanks.

In this weeks [CVtv] episode Jeremy of CoralVue discusses alkalinity and how to test for it using the ELOS Carbonate Hardness Water Analysis kit.

Elos KH (Alkalinity) Test Kit

Alkalinity is essentially a means of quantifying the stability of pH in a solution, such as aquarium water. It is a specific measurement of the concentration of various negatively charged ionic compounds (anions) such as carbonates, bicarbonates, borate and hydroxides in water.

If left unchecked, the alkalinity will drop below a critical level and pH begins to fluctuate more wildly than is normally suggested (a daily pH shift of +/-0.2 is normal in marine aquaria), causing stress to our tank inhabitants.

In a marine aquarium, the alkalinity should be between 7° and 10° dKH (German carbonate hardness).

It is recommended that Reef Tanks have an alkalinity between 7 and 10 dKH.

Here is how to quickly and accurately determine the buffering capacity of your aquarium water using the ELOS AquaTest KH.

STEP ONE

Rinse the test vial in running water, then rinse the vial several times with aquarium water. Once fully rinsed, fill it with 5 milliliters of aquarium water the included syringe for increased accuracy.

Be sure to rinse test kit vial before and after use.

STEP TWO

Carefully shake the reagent bottle before use. Add the KH-Test reagent drop by drop (be sure to keep a running count of the drops) and swirl the test vial after each drop in order to mix the liquid thoroughly. Continue to add drops of reagent until you have obtained a stable change of color from CYAN to YELLOW. Don’t forget to close the reagent bottle immediately after use.

Shake reagent before each use.

When starting the test, the solution will turn cyan color.

This step is complete when the solution changes from cyan to yellow.

STEP THREE

Wait 30 seconds until the color is stable and take note of the number of drops.

Please wait 30 seconds after solution turns to yellow to ensure accuracy of color.

STEP FOUR

Divide the number of drops by two to obtain your alkalinity reading. Each drop of is equal to .5 dKH. So, if your test kit needed 18 drops to change color from Cyan to yellow, then your alkalinity is 9 dKH.

Each drop of reagent is 0.5 dKH

Interpreting ELOS Carbonate Hardness Test Results

Now that you have an accurate reading of the alkalinity in your tank, you can create a game plan to either increase or decrease it depending on the results you obtained.

If your alkalinity is too low, then you will need to raise it via supplementation. In essence you are adding a highly alkaline solution so you can slowly raise the total alkalinity in your tank. It is recommended that you only raise the alkalinity in your tank by 1 dKH per day.

It is recommended to only increase alkalinity by 1 dKH per day.

ELOS KH buffer is a safe and efficient way to raise the alkalinity in your tank to an optimal value. ELOS offers both liquid and powder solutions. The ELOS ExpertLine 6 Concentrated KH buffer is a powder solution that can be dissolved in RO water and then applied to a high flow area of your tank or sump.

ELOS ExpertLine 6 Concentrated KH buffer is a powder solution that can be dissolved in RO water and then applied to a high flow area of your tank or sump.

Or, for those that don’t want to bother with powders ELOS also offers the Prima Line 03 KH buffer in a convenient liquid solution.

ELOS also offers the Prima Line 03 KH buffer in a convenient liquid solution

There are different trains of thoughts when it comes to solving the issue of high alkalinity. Some folks prefer the hands-off method where they allow alkalinity to naturally come down to an optimal value gradually over a long period of time. Others prefer a more hands-on method and will do small and frequent water changes until the Alkalinity has reached an acceptable level.

If your alkalinity is too high, small frequent water changes are a safe way to lower it.

Interpreting ELOS Carbonate Hardness Test Features

Having a reef tank is about maintaining water at optimal levels. ELOS AquaTest Kits are designed, manufactured and tested, to standards that are unparalleled in this industry.

All ELOS AquaTest kits provide the following key features:

Calibrated droppers to ensure that EVERY drop administered is exactly the same. You can do 1, 2, 3, 4x the test and the result will be always the same! Each predefined drop will produce 0.03 ml of regent.

Each drop is calibrated to dispense .03ml of solution.

ELOS sends random samples of each batch produced to the National Institute of Standard and Technology otherwise known as NIST to validate the test reagents for accuracy and consistency. This ensures us that every future ELOS tests are the same accurate test as in the past. No other test kit in the market is NIST certified!

No other test kit on the market is certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

All test kits feature a clearly printed expiration date and every reagent bottle has a batch and lot number printed on it!

All test kits feature a clearly printed expiration date and every reagent bottle has a batch and lot number printed on it.

All ELOS test kits include multi-language instructions and all reagents are clearly labeled – Along with the written material you will also find illustrated instructions as well as professionally calibrated color charts, making every ELOS test kit easy to understand and use.

ELOS test kits include multi language instructions

All ELOS test kits include clearly labeled components.

Along with the written material you will also find illustrated instructions as well as professionally calibrated color charts.

If you have any questions on the ELOS Alkalinity test kit, please head over to www.coralvue.com/support and submit a support ticket.

If you have any comments or tips to share with fellow reefers, feel free to leave them in the area below. If this is your first time joining us, hit the subscribe button as every week we release a new video related to reefing.