Borate test kit from Salifert

[AUSpool]

I found this after searching for something completly unrelated and wonder how it would go. It can't be any worse than the test strips which would probably cost me almost the same. I'm still in the process of getting one.

Chemistry And The Aquarium: The Salifert Boron Test Kit Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog

Each drop of titrant amounts to 0.5 ppm boron. I could easily match the color to within 2 drops, so the uncertainly of the titration itself is about +/- 0.5 ppm or so. The color continues to change on overshooting the titrant, so it is clear (at least to me) when enough was enough.

The Salifert directions suggest that if the pH is at the high end (above 8.3) or low end (below 8.1) of the acceptable test range for the water sample (7.9 – 8.5), then you can apply a 10% correction to the final value (down for low pH, up for high pH).

The sample needs to have a pH of 7.9-8.3 burn some airation should get a sample to 8.3. What does everyone think, would it work for a pool?

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Unfortunately there is almost no information online about this company and their products. A good deal of the companies website is "Under Construction" and there is no MSDS information available on their products. It appears to be a Dutch company (or, at the very least, their homepage translates from Dutch). Honestly speaking, I would not buy anything from a "company" that looks like this. Based on what little information is available, their test is looking at boron concentration below 10ppm. Pool water borates are at least 5X higher than that. Dilution alone will introduce a lot of error to the testing.

So, at first glance, I think you'll find it to be a complete waste of time and money.

 

[AUSpool]

Thanks Matt,
To be honest I've never looked for a web site and/or tried to find their MSDS's for their products but it certainly would be nice to have all that and more available online. I've used Salifert kits and compared to other kits in the same market they were one of the best I have used and thought to be one of the market leaders from both Aussie and US marine aquarium forums which for my involvement in the marine aquarium industry was a few years back now (~5yrs).

 

[JoyfulNoise]

Thanks Matt,
To be honest I've never looked for a web site and/or tried to find their MSDS's for their products but it certainly would be nice to have all that and more available online. I've used Salifert kits and compared to other kits in the same market they were one of the best I have used and thought to be one of the market leaders from both Aussie and US marine aquarium forums which for my involvement in the marine aquarium industry was a few years back now (~5yrs).

Ok. I know nothing about the marine reef aquarium market so if you're confident in their products then I can't say much beyond the error rate increasing with dilution. I'm not sure aeration if the water sample will get your pH up but, if you had the Taylor base demand reagent on hand, you could easily adjust the pH with that as it is just sodium hydroxide that's designed to move the pH up in a water sample for pH testing. You'll also likely need to dechlorinate your test sample as a number of indicator dyes breakdown from exposure to strong oxidizers like chlorine.

Let us know how it goes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006

 

[AUSpool]

Thanks so much for your input Matt but I fear I've waisted your time. Looking back on that article it has no specific date but was produced for a 2003 publication.

All the usual places I used to shop don't have them and with a problem with aging reagents Im reluctant to order from somewhere I've never used before. From the start boron is an odd thing to offer a test kit for. Almost all aquariums long term water quality is managed through water changes, serial dilutions, and I think boron could easily be managed this way without the need for a test kit - I'm thinking there just wasn't a market for them and they've been discontinued.

So I'm back where I was with getting the local water utility to run a complete set of tests and manage the borates with changes in calcium hardness throughout swim the season.

 

[JoyfulNoise]

No worries, Mate! (I'm not Aussie but I play one on the Internet )

It's always OK to ask questions and discuss options. Many people will benefit from the information you have discovered and it will help inform their decisions so it's a positive thing.

Best wishes,
Matt


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk,16k gal SWG pool (All Pentair), QuadDE100 Filter, Taylor K-2006