Re: GH and KH

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: GH and KH
From: Thomas Price <tprice at u_washington.edu>
Date: Mon, 20 Jan 1997 14:49:58 -0800 (PST)
In-Reply-To: <199701202032.PAA25065 at looney_actwin.com>

> 
> - ---------- Forwarded message ---------- 
> From: Dan Simon <dan.simon at attws_com> 
> To: "'aquatic-plants at actwin_com'" <aquatic-plants at actwin_com> 
> Subject: KH & GH test kit 
> Date:  Mon, 20 Jan 1997 07:57:27 -0800 
> 
> I purchased the Tetra KH and GH kit yesterday.  I am aware that Seattle
> water is very soft but geez!! I'm starting to wonder if I'm using the kit
> properly. 
> 
> The KH kit says to add the drops until the vial turns light yellow. 
>  After 2 drops its clear and then on the third drop I start to see a 
> faint "yellow-ish" color.  However, there is no color change 
> progression as the instructions indicate.  Is the KH so low that it 
> just isn't registering?
> 

Dan,

  I get about 20ppm alkalinity (KH, (pardon any chemical imprecision :-)))
out of the tap in Seattle.  This agrees with the city water report that I
got last year.  We do have really soft water, accumulated from snowmelt
draining over igneous and metamorphic rocks.  What else would one expect?

Tom