What is in the testing reagant?

[Carsten]

The installation instruction states that I can safely put the alkalinity test wastewater back into the aquarium.
Now I am curious: What is in the testing reagent that makes this considered safe? Is it just hydroxic acid?

And how much dilution are we talking about for every test? I would like to run the math on how much my 100 gallon water volume is impacted by this?

 

[Danny]

The installation instruction states that I can safely put the alkalinity test wastewater back into the aquarium.
Now I am curious: What is in the testing reagent that makes this considered safe? Is it just hydroxic acid?

And how much dilution are we talking about for every test? I would like to run the math on how much my 100 gallon water volume is impacted by this?

It is a very mild sulfuric acid. I don't know the dilution information but I have been using it to test for well over 2 years now if you include me using it with my KH Carer as well as the iV. I do 4 test a day and for several months I was doing the 4 test a day with both the KH Carer and the iV. I think the Alkatroinc also uses the same thing and is the same concentration as the iV uses. Mine has gone back into the tank after testing. I do also dose a KH buffer along with All For Reef and have not had any issues doing this.

 

[Carsten]

Thank you!

Sulfur acid then requires bacteria to break it down completely, but that should not be an issue if the reef tank is mature.
Will think about this a bit but makes sense now why we say "should be fine". Basically, I would offset with a little extra dosing of my three-part KH solution.

 

[thom_smith]

True. But but the concentration by weight is 0.01% sulfiric acid. So don't expect any significant impacts to dosing.

 

[Carsten]

Tested it ... on my 90 gallon water volume it lowered the PH by about 0.3 and dkh 0.1.
Added 10 ml liquid soda ash, and and got the same results two more times.

So ... empirically (not scientifically) I will go with that for a while. Add 10 ml after every iV test.

(and yes this is likely overkill but I like stability )

PS. Worth noting - I tested with my hannah test kit as I am not yet ready to trust the iV fully.

 

[thom_smith]

Tested it ... on my 90 gallon water volume it lowered the PH by about 0.3 and dkh 0.1.
Added 10 ml liquid soda ash, and and got the same results two more times.

So ... empirically (not scientifically) I will go with that for a while. Add 10 ml after every iV test.

(and yes this is likely overkill but I like stability )

PS. Worth noting - I tested with my hannah test kit as I am not yet ready to trust the iV fully.

Don't know how you tested but that seems like a significant impact and makes me believe test was flawed? How much reagent did you add to draw that conclusion? It only uses between 12.7 and 21.6ml of 0.01% sulfuric acid per test. The math doesn't add up to that large an impact on 90 gallon volume. I wouldn't increase soda ash by that much just yet. Let's check the methodology first.

 

[Carsten]

It added 18ml with the last test. And you are right if this is 0.01% then the math doesn't add.
Well, that is why both the iV and talk dosing is all by hand for now. Let me try a few more days of the same routine and I check back.

 

[rogueaquariums]

It is a very mild sulfuric acid. I don't know the dilution information but I have been using it to test for well over 2 years now if you include me using it with my KH Carer as well as the iV. I do 4 test a day and for several months I was doing the 4 test a day with both the KH Carer and the iV. I think the Alkatroinc also uses the same thing and is the same concentration as the iV uses. Mine has gone back into the tank after testing. I do also dose a KH buffer along with All For Reef and have not had any issues doing this.

Hydros I believe says it is safe if your tank is larger than 50g where it will dilute without any issues.

 

[Danny]

Hydros I believe says it is safe if your tank is larger than 50g where it will dilute without any issues.

My tank is a 42 gallon hex tank and 8 have been emptying it back i to the tank for at least 2 years since I did use a KH Carer before the iV and X10 combination. I even used both together for a few months.