Alright, so a few weeks ago I tested my tap water with test strips (which is where I just condemned all of my fish), the test strip came out with very soft water with a pH of about 6.5. I was thrilled, as I've been buying spring water for water changes for the longest time, and now I thought I could use my tap water instead of buying water. It also gave me a use for my TetraSafe water conditioner. So several water changes later, with the addition of my Glass Cats that have been mysteriously dieing, I bought the API Master Freshwater Test Kit. I tested the ammonia, which was 0.25 ppm, so I did a water change and tested again the next day, the ammonia was 0; I tested nitrates as well after the water change and they showed up low, like 20-30 ppm. Problem solved and a happy ending right?
Not quite. Just to make sure I took a water sample to Petsmart while I returned my poor cats, and the water test came out with this: ammonia 0, nitrates 400+, pH of 8.4. My jaw dropped. As soon as I got home, I tested everything in my glass cat tank, well nitrates and pH. I found out I had incorrectly read the directions and didn't shake the nitrate #2 solution, and after doing that the nitrates were indeed nearly that high. And pH came out as 8.2.
I then checked my tap water with my test kit for the pH, it came out around 8.2-8.4.
I don't know what to do. That pH is entirely too high, right? As for the nitrates, that is likely my fault because of neglecting to vacuum the gravel more carefully, but is a water change a safe thing to do? I'm so distraught and confused that the test strips could have been so terribly wrong. I feel like I've condemned all my beloved fish to a slow, horrible death if I can't fix this because I've done water changes with my tap water on all my tanks.
Not quite. Just to make sure I took a water sample to Petsmart while I returned my poor cats, and the water test came out with this: ammonia 0, nitrates 400+, pH of 8.4. My jaw dropped. As soon as I got home, I tested everything in my glass cat tank, well nitrates and pH. I found out I had incorrectly read the directions and didn't shake the nitrate #2 solution, and after doing that the nitrates were indeed nearly that high. And pH came out as 8.2.
I then checked my tap water with my test kit for the pH, it came out around 8.2-8.4.
I don't know what to do. That pH is entirely too high, right? As for the nitrates, that is likely my fault because of neglecting to vacuum the gravel more carefully, but is a water change a safe thing to do? I'm so distraught and confused that the test strips could have been so terribly wrong. I feel like I've condemned all my beloved fish to a slow, horrible death if I can't fix this because I've done water changes with my tap water on all my tanks.