help with AP test Kits

[CHINABOY1021]

hey guys, i've just bought a aquarium pharmaceuticals master Liquid test kit.

the PH,Ammonia,Nitrite tests went well.

but I dont understand the GH + KH tests.

the instructions told me to keep dropping drop solution into the test tube until colors appear.

but it was unclear, it says:

(for GH)
after first drop is added, solution will turn orange. if the water contains only 1* dGH, the solution will turn from clear to its green endpoint after the first drop is added.

i bascially followed the instructions, but after the first drop, the water did not turn orange. after a few more drops it began to look orange. a few drops after that, it started showing green.

there was no color guide so i had no idea what shade of green was the end point. what's up with these kits. and yes i did put the test tube on a white surface and looked down from the top. like the instructions told me to.

thanks

[brianfl]

Sometimes, you need to double the water they are asking for and then divide the results by two. By what you did, it is pretty evident your gh is pretty low. I've had that problem as well in the past with different waters. Generally, quite soft water won't register on the first drop; I think sometimes it is due to the treatement the local water company uses. I have always went by the assumption of how many drops it takes to change colors (from orange to green or whatever the color combination is). If it was 3 drops it took to change the color, your gh should be 3 degrees.

[CHINABOY1021]

thanks for the quick reply.!

[blade929]

although i live in england i have the exact same kit as you have
chinaboy fill your test tube to the 5mm mark then add your first drop this should turn orange if it turns green straight away then you have very soft water, but i doubt it. then add one drop at a time (shaking the test tube every drop) until it turns from orange to green. when this happens you will have counted the number of drops say 10, if you look on the last page (23) in my book there is a chart that you match the number of drops to ppm, 10 being 179ppm good luck.............blade

[wetmanNY]

Blade's got it! My water is so soft the titration test changes color with the first drop.

[blade929]

very soft wetmanNY, mines 200ppm but im hoping to reduce this with some water softening resin.

[CHINABOY1021]

thanks a lot guys. i figured it out.

tested some distilled watter and some tap. good results.