Hi,
I haven't written in a while so bear with me. I am going to purchase some
Hardness Test Kits and would like some input from this newsgroup. I'm
contemplating purchasing the LaMotte Alkalinity (kh), Calcium Hardness (gh),
and Hardness (total). Would I be overdoing it by purchasing all three?
Hardness is sometimes confusing for me. I understand carbonate hardness
(kh)is also called 'alkalinity' and that I add baking soda to increase the
kh and stablize the ph. I understand that calcium hardeness (gh) is also
called 'general hardness' and I am just now experimenting with raising the
gh with gypsum which does not raise my ph of 7.4. Do I need to know the
total hardness (what symbol is it?) and what do I do with that info? add
something?

What gets confusing is when I look thru my catalogs at the test kits shown
and they show alkalinity (ok), carbonate hardenss (ok), hardness (gh or
kh?) calcium (is this a hardness test or just for reef aquariums?), total
hardness(?). Can anyone decipher the question marks for me?

Thanks,
Barbara