ok substrate test inprogress.

[StirCrazy]

ok sence I know you want to know Darren,
I started out with water that was a PH of 6.2 and a GH of less than 20ppm and a KH of less than 10ppm (this is well established fish tank water although not salt)
the results as of today are
sugarsand PH ~8.0 GH has increased to 180ppm
KH has increased to 100ppm

Dolomite PH 8.2 GH has increased to 120ppm
KH has increased to 100ppm

what does this tell us?
well lets start with the deff of GH and KH to make this easy to understand.

GH is the measure of desolved salts primarly composed of calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) also knowen as total hardness.

KH is Carbonate hardness (comonly knowen as alkalinity) is a measurement of the capacity for water to nutralize an acid, knowen as the buffering capacity.

now what do my latest measurments mean tome? well my results have showen that the two samples have raised the buffering capacity of a glass of water to the same point, but it shows that the caribsea raised the GH a lot higher. now sence GH primarly composed of calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg)the results seam to imply that the caribsea sugarsand seams to be releasing either more calcium or magnesium into the water. now as I don't have either a magnesium test kit or a calcium test kit I cannot tell which one. if it is calcium that is great and a added bonus besides buffering. if it is magnesium then that means by using caribsea sugarsand you have been unknowingly aadding magnesium to your tanks which hasn't showen up as a problem that I know of. **** now I will say this as a disclamer as Darren was right in saying that I might me making dolomite sound better than sugarsand. if I have it was unintentional of course. I am mearly trying to find out if dolomite is "as good" as sugarsand.****

Steve