Suggestions on genral water hardness test kit

Hi Dirk.
In your instructions for your fertilizers, you talk about using commercially available general water hardness determination test kits to determine the hardness of one's tap water.
Are there any brands that you can recommend as being good?
Where would they be available? At a LFS?
TIA.

 

Hi Darryn,

I would recommend that you use the Merck water testing kits, but I think that the Tetra kits are also quite good.

However, you are in Cape Town, I see, and then I can state that the water hardness as it comes from the tap is 0 general hardness (dGH) and 0 carbonate hardness (dKH). You do not need to waste your money on any kits.

Kind regards,

Dirk

 

Usually those kits in the petshops are expired by the time you buy them and they are expensive. Well thats the experience that I had.
I bought a cheap TDS meter and it works like a charm.

 

Hi Dirk.
Thanks. That is a great help.
Saving money is always a good thing. LOL
It also makes the calculations in terms of your fertilizers easier as well.
I will be in contact soon to order some from you.
Just waiting to finish up with my lighting.
Thanks once again for your informative (as usual) answer.

 

Hi Lithosza,

A conductivity meter will help you as a broad guideline, but it does not tell you which salts are in the water. You would not know if the reading is caused by Calcium Chloride or from Sodium Chloride for example. For the exact measurement of these levels you do need some or other kits.

Kind regards,

Dirk