seachem reef salt

[joeycadre]

someone told me you need a certain kind of alk test for this salt. i use a salifert test kit, will this not test correctly?

[F35-Joint Strike Fighter]

I use Salifer, no problem at all

[jdieck]

If the salt has high borated that might count toward the carbonate alkalinity reading, if you use a normal kit with high borate salt you need to keep alkalinity on the high side of the range (4 meq/lt) to account for the borate reading, otherwise you need the Seachem kit that also reads Borate as well as carbonate alkalinity.
These articles can help:

The Seachem Borate Alkalinity Test Kit
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/iss...ne2003/chem.htm

Boron in a Reef Tank (and its effect on pH buffering)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2002/chem.htm

[joeycadre]

thanks. i was going to order the seachem test kit soon. i just didn't want to screw up my alk befoire i am able to do so.

i've just heard such good things about this salt and got a good deal on it.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not usually recommend the Seachem borate alkalinity test kit because I believe it is not accurate enough to be useful. The new Seachem salt (unlike the old one) does not have enough borate in it to mess too much with a normal alkalinity test kit, so any brand is fine. I like the Salifert, LaMotte, Seachem, and Hach total alkalinity test kits.