Salifert Alkalinity Marine Test Kit is a marine water test kit for measuring alkalinity, also known as carbonate hardness or KH, in small increments. It is designed for reef and marine aquarium keepers who want to monitor this important water parameter to help maintain stable pH conditions for corals and calcareous algae.

Calcium alone cannot form the skeletal material of corals or support calcareous algae growth. Carbonate and bicarbonate are additional important constituents, and both play a major role in stabilising pH within the proper range of 8.1–8.4. This pH-stabilising effect is also known as buffering.

Key Benefits

• Measures marine-water alkalinity or carbonate hardness (KH).
• Helps identify small but important changes in alkalinity before they become larger fluctuations.
• Measures in small steps of 0.1 meq/L or 0.3 dKH.
• Uses a sharp colour change to make the test result easier to detect.
• Provides approximately 100–200 measurements per kit.
• Supports regular monitoring of the carbonate and bicarbonate buffer components used by corals and calcareous algae.

How to Use

Use the Salifert KH/Alk test to check the alkalinity or carbonate hardness of marine aquarium water regularly. The test is straightforward to use and provides a sharp colour change while measuring in increments of 0.1 meq/L or 0.3 dKH, allowing important small changes to be detected.

Use test results to monitor whether alkalinity remains stable. Where alkalinity or carbonate hardness decreases, carbonate and bicarbonate are the major buffer components that should be added for correction. A properly formulated buffer should provide a long-lasting corrective effect without upsetting the system pH.

Suitable For

• Marine aquariums.
• Reef systems containing corals.
• Marine tanks with calcareous algae.
• Keepers monitoring KH, carbonate hardness or alkalinity as part of routine marine water testing.

Specifications

• Parameter tested: alkalinity / carbonate hardness (KH).
• Measurement resolution: 0.1 meq/L or 0.3 dKH.
• Colour endpoint: sharp colour change.
• Approximate number of measurements: 100–200.
• NSW alkalinity: approximately 2.7 meq/L, or approximately 7.5 dKH when expressed as carbonate hardness.
• For a stable system, alkalinity or carbonate hardness should be similar to NSW or slightly higher.
• Preferred maximum fluctuation: no more than 5%, equivalent to a maximum fluctuation of 0.14 meq/L or 0.4 dKH.

What's Included

One Salifert Alkalinity Marine Test Kit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Salifert Alkalinity Marine Test Kit measure?
It measures alkalinity, also called carbonate alkalinity, carbonate hardness or KH, in marine aquarium water.

Why is alkalinity important in a reef aquarium?
Carbonate and bicarbonate are major buffer components that help stabilise pH in the proper range of 8.1–8.4 and are important constituents for coral skeletal material and calcareous algae growth.

How accurate are the test increments?
The Salifert KH/Alk test measures in steps of 0.1 meq/L or 0.3 dKH, which are smaller than the stated preferred maximum fluctuation of 0.14 meq/L or 0.4 dKH.

What alkalinity level is stated for NSW?
NSW has an alkalinity of approximately 2.7 meq/L, or approximately 7.5 dKH when expressed as carbonate hardness.

How many tests can this kit perform?
The kit can perform approximately 100–200 measurements.