Alkalinity vs dKH

[MarkD40]

Bought a new Seachem alkalinity test kit. It works by the titration method. It states that it tests for "total alkalinity" "which in the marine tank should be 4-6." I keep reading that dKH sould be 8-12. I am confused. Am I testing for something different?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Alkalinity is a test for how much Carbonate there is. dKH and Meq/L are measurements of Alkalinity.

 

[rustybucket145]

So an Alkalinity test doesn't really test alkalinity?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Pretty much. At least for the purposes of Reek Keeping. It is much easier to think of it this way without going into extreme detail. For example, we use Alkalinity test kits and Calcium test kits to make sure everything is ideal and balanced. Usually when one of these two is a little off, we have to add one or the other to get it back in line. Randy Holmes-Farley could give you the best description of it in his forum. But here is a definition of Alkalinity via Wikipedia.com - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkalinity

 

[MarkD40]

Thanks Travis!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Alkalinity (meq/L) and dKH are exactly the same things when measured with an aquarium test kit. They are just different units, like inches and centimeters.

1 meq/L = 2.8 dKH = 50 ppm calcium carbonate equivalents.

My recommendations are to maintain 2.5-4 meq/L = 7-11 dKH = 125-200 ppm CaCO3 equivalents

I discuss them in detail in these articles:


What is Alkalinity
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2002/chemistry.htm

The Units of Measure of Reefkeeping
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-08/rhf/index.php

 

[rustybucket145]

Excellent... It is all so clear now.... And it only took a Chemist from Genzyme to explain that simple analogy.

Thank you Randy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

Justification for a Higher Education...

Justification for a Higher Education...

wow randy, you sound pretty much very well edumacated, time to hit the book's...:reading:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

Good luck!