Blog post JBL PROAQUATEST - simple yet laboratory standard - Part I gave you an initial outline of our water tests in the form of test strips and colour comparison tests. In this part I will introduce you to our colour change, turbidity and permanent tests. Let's start with the first one.
Colour change tests
Pour water from your aquarium into a vial and add the indicator until the colour changes. The colour change will vary depending on the test, e.g. with the JBL PROAQUATEST KH carbonate hardness from blue to orange. The number of drops used until the colour changes equates to the level of the measured value. If, for example, 5 drops are used before the colour changes from blue to orange, your carbonate hardness is 5 °dKH.
JBL PROAQUATEST KH Carbonate hardness - Quick test to determine the carbonate hardness (KH) in freshwater/marine aquariums and ponds. When setting up a new aquarium measure daily for the first week, afterwards measure once a week.
JBL PROAQUATEST GH General hardness - Quick test to determine the general hardness in freshwater aquariums & ponds. When setting up a new aquarium measure daily for the first week, afterwards measure once a week.
JBL PROAQUATEST Ca Calcium Quick test to determine the optimal calcium content in marine aquariums for healthy and vigorous coral growth. The recommended value in marine aquariums is 390-440 mg/l. The test does not work in freshwater, as calcium is a component of the general hardness and is present in freshwater in much smaller amounts than in seawater.
JBL PROAQUATEST Mg-Ca Magnesium-Calcium - Quick test to determine the optimal magnesium/calcium content in marine aquariums for healthy and vigorous growth in corals and calciferous red algae. The recommended value in marine aquariums is 1200-1600 mg/l.
JBL PROAQUATEST CO2 Direct - Quick test to determine the carbon dioxide content (main nutrient for plants) in freshwater aquariums. Test once a week if your plants are not growing or growing badly, or if your fish are dying.
JBL PROAQUATEST POND Check pH/KH - Quick test to determine acidity and pH stability in garden ponds. The pH value should be 7.5-8.5 without much fluctuation. The KH stabilises the pH value and should be at least 4 ° dKH. KH values below 4 °dKH mean the pH value is not stable and is fluctuating intensively between 6 and 12. These strong fluctuations affect all the living organisms in the pond!
Turbidity test
Here you mix reagents with your aquarium water to create a cloudy, whitish liquid, which you then pour gradually into a scaled test tube until the cross under the test tube is no longer visible from above. Then you can read off the scale how much potassium is in your water.
JBL PROAQUATEST K Potassium - Quick test to determine the ideal potassium content to monitor fertilisation in freshwater aquariums. Too low a potassium content often leads to stagnant plant growth, even when the other factors such as CO2, iron and light are present. You can increase the K content by using fertilisers such as JBL PROFLORA Ferropol or JBL PROSCAPE K MACROELEMENTS .
Permanent test
This includes JBL PROAQUATEST CO2-pH Permanent . Here you put an indicator into a transparent container that is attached to the inside of your aquarium pane. The indicator reacts with the CO2 from your aquarium water and changes colour depending on the amount of CO2. You can compare the new colour to the scale stuck on the pane and thus read the CO2 content of your aquarium water 24 hours a day!
Finally
there is one test left in the range that actually belongs to the colour comparison tests. JBL PROAQUATEST O2 Oxygen - Quick test to determine the current oxygen content in freshwater/marine aquariums & ponds and to decide whether measures should be taken to increase the oxygen content. Oxygen is the elixir of life for most living organisms in water and is therefore very important. The warmer the water, the less oxygen can be dissolved in the water. Have a look at our blog article on this topic JBL TV #48: Fish also need to breathe - measuring and increasing the oxygen content (O2) .
We’d like to end by giving you a few tips on how to carry out the water tests:
- Always hold the bottles with the indicator liquids vertically. Then the drop size is always the same.
- Always discard the first drop, as it is not always the full size.
- After the first drop, keep a slight pressure on the bottle so that no air is drawn in and all subsequent drops come evenly.
- Always place the vials on a white background so that you can see the colours better during colour change tests. Always rinse the vials thoroughly with tap water after testing (distilled water would be better).
- If your test comes with a comparator block, use it! Manually moving the vials on the colour charts WITHOUT the comparator block will result in a different colour perception, as the plastic block shades the liquid part of the vials.
You can read more about this topic in the JBL TV #27: Testing aquarium water - this is how it works .
Do you need a new syringe or measuring spoon? Have you dropped a test tube and broken it? No problem, we can help you. The JBL component set for water tests removes the need to buy the entire water test. All test reagents are also available separately as a REFILL and all colour charts are bundled in the JBL PROAQUATEST range colour charts .
If you want to know more about this topic, then take a look at our Themeworlds Aquarium and Pond: Water tests or The water tests – all parameters .
