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Test Kits
Carbonate & General Hardness
click to see accesories$22.00

What is General Hardness ? General Hardness is a measure of all the dissolved salts in the water. These salts are principally composed of Calcium and Magnesium.
Why analyse General Hardness ?
The concentration of dissolved salts affects the osmotic regulation systems in fish. In addition, General Hardness influences Calcium levels in the blood. Before adding new fish test for General Hardness. The General Hardness should be the same as the original habitat of the species being kept.
What is Carbonate Hardness ?Carbonate Hardness (commonly referred to as Alkalinity) is a measurement of the capacity of the water to neutralize an acid, known as the buffering capacity.
Why analyse Carbonate Hardness ?
Carbonate Hardness stabilizes water pH. It is an important source of energy for Nitrifying bacteria that eliminate Ammonia and Nitrite. In addition, Carbonates are used by plants for photosynthesis when Carbon Dioxide is absent.

Instructions
To Test For General Hardness
1. Fill test tube
to the 5ml line with water to be tested.
2. Add 1 drop of GH reagent into test tube. Insert cap
hold with finger and shake well to mix. A pink colour should result. Attention! always use the cap, Avoid skin contact. If the colour of the mixture changed to blue after adding the drop, the Hardness measure is below 20mg/l.
3. Continue to add one drop at a time and shake after each addition. Count drops and stop adding drops when colour changes from pink to blue.
4. Multiply the total number of drops by 20 to determine the General Hardness in mg/l (ppm) as Calcium Carbonate.
To Test For Carbonate Hardness
1. Fill test tube to the 5ml line with water to be tested.
2. Add 1 drop of KH reagent into test tube. Insert cap,
hold with finger and shake well to mix. A blue colour should result. Attention! always use the cap, Avoid skin contact. If the colour of the mixture changed to yellow after adding the drop, the Carbonate Hardness measure is below 10mg/l.
3. Continue to add one drop at a time and shake after each addition. Count drops and stop adding drops when colour changes from blue to yellow/ lime.
4. Multiply the total number of drops by 10 to determine the General Hardness in mg/l (ppm) as Calcium Carbonate.
These instruction are as a guide only, for full Instructions and Safety advice see the booklet included with test kit.
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