[Byron]

Originally Posted by sonflowerjoela

DO YOU RECOMMEND THE API GH& KH TEST KIT?
GH & KH Test Kit - API

API test kits are reliable. But before you waste money on a hardness kit that you may use only the once and never again, let's try to find this out from the water folks. Do they have a website? Water data may be posted if they do. If you find it, post the link and I can take a look.

Test strips are sometimes reliable, but not always, so liquid tests are better. The API pH liquid test kit is good, as is there ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You can get these 4 tests in their Master combination for less than buying each individually.

Once we have the pH for the tap water (remember to shake the water vigorously before testing) we will know more with or without the GH and KH.

[sonflowerjoela]

Originally Posted by Byron

API test kits are reliable. But before you waste money on a hardness kit that you may use only the once and never again, let's try to find this out from the water folks. Do they have a website? Water data may be posted if they do. If you find it, post the link and I can take a look.

Test strips are sometimes reliable, but not always, so liquid tests are better. The API pH liquid test kit is good, as is there ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. You can get these 4 tests in their Master combination for less than buying each individually.

Once we have the pH for the tap water (remember to shake the water vigorously before testing) we will know more with or without the GH and KH.

Thank you again I will get master kit tomorrow.
http://www.munford.com/files/CCR.jpg

I found this on website. See if it tells you what you need to know.
I'm going to read through it also.
I so appreciate your help!!!
All of the fish I got Friday night are still doing well.

[Byron]

Originally Posted by sonflowerjoela

Thank you again I will get master kit tomorrow.
http://www.munford.com/files/CCR.jpg

I found this on website. See if it tells you what you need to know.
I'm going to read through it also.
I so appreciate your help!!!
All of the fish I got Friday night are still doing well.

No help from that unfortunately, it is only concerned with contaminants. Let us know the pH when you test it, we'll go from there.

[sonflowerjoela]

Originally Posted by Byron

No help from that unfortunately, it is only concerned with contaminants. Let us know the pH when you test it, we'll go from there.

Hey Byron,
I emailed the company that my hardness test kit was from, they said it did not have an expiration date.
I just did a hardness test on tap water and it came back 60ppm. I had been testing fish tank water not sure if that makes a difference. I also just retested fish tank water and it was 120ppm. Why do you think it tests tank water different? Anyway I will let you know what all the other tests say tonight. I should get master kit in mail today.
J

[Byron]

Originally Posted by sonflowerjoela

Hey Byron,
I emailed the company that my hardness test kit was from, they said it did not have an expiration date.
I just did a hardness test on tap water and it came back 60ppm. I had been testing fish tank water not sure if that makes a difference. I also just retested fish tank water and it was 120ppm. Why do you think it tests tank water different? Anyway I will let you know what all the other tests say tonight. I should get master kit in mail today.
J

If the tank water is that much harder, there is something calcareous in the tank that is raising hardness by dissolving calcium and/or magnesium into the water. So let's look at your gravel/sand and rock, if any.

What type of substrate do you have? And are there any rocks in the tank?

BTW, the tap water at 60 ppm is very soft, equating to 3.3 dGH. The calcareous whatever in the tank is good in this instance, but we should track it down so we will have some idea of where it may go over time. Currently it seems to be raising the GH from 3 to almost 7, which is fine if that is the limit.

[sonflowerjoela]

Originally Posted by Byron

If the tank water is that much harder, there is something calcareous in the tank that is raising hardness by dissolving calcium and/or magnesium into the water. So let's look at your gravel/sand and rock, if any.

What type of substrate do you have? And are there any rocks in the tank?

BTW, the tap water at 60 ppm is very soft, equating to 3.3 dGH. The calcareous whatever in the tank is good in this instance, but we should track it down so we will have some idea of where it may go over time. Currently it seems to be raising the GH from 3 to almost 7, which is fine if that is the limit.

I'm not sure what the name of gravel is, but it is smooth gravel, I bought from fish store, in natural color. I have 3 pieces of wood in there one is on a marble base and the other 2 are slate stone bases.
There is a small amount of sand under the gravel. I previously had tried live plants that is why I put sand in there. There is one rock in the tank I don't know what is but it came from fish store with a live plant growing on it. Other than that it is plastic plants.

I did talk to a man at water department this morning and he said they do not test for water hardness because our water is not hard. He said ph from tap would be 7.1-7.3

[Byron]

Originally Posted by sonflowerjoela

I'm not sure what the name of gravel is, but it is smooth gravel, I bought from fish store, in natural color. I have 3 pieces of wood in there one is on a marble base and the other 2 are slate stone bases.
There is a small amount of sand under the gravel. I previously had tried live plants that is why I put sand in there. There is one rock in the tank I don't know what is but it came from fish store with a live plant growing on it. Other than that it is plastic plants.

I did talk to a man at water department this morning and he said they do not test for water hardness because our water is not hard. He said ph from tap would be 7.1-7.3

His advice is making sense with your numbers, so we'll accept that and move on.

Marble is calcareous. The unknown rock might be. Slate is inert, and I'm not sure about the gravel without knowing what it is [suppose you don't have the bag?].

As you now have the hardness kit, I would just peridically measure the hardness [each week before the water change] to see if it changes. Having a GH of 6-7 is good with soft water fish and plants, I maintain this.

[sonflowerjoela]

I don't have the bag. I bought it 12 years ago LOL I will call the fish store and see if they can tell me what kind.
The hardness kit is the old one like maybe even 12 years, that is how long I have had this tank. Do you think I can trust this kit?

[Byron]

Originally Posted by sonflowerjoela

I don't have the bag. I bought it 12 years ago LOL I will call the fish store and see if they can tell me what kind.
The hardness kit is the old one like maybe even 12 years, that is how long I have had this tank. Do you think I can trust this kit?

I doubt it. Most test kits do have an expiry, the regents are simply not effective after a period of time. Course, the chemicals in the hardness kit might be differnet, no idea. If it gives the same result as a reliable test, I would be more inclined to use it and trust it; thatès why it is unfortunate the store did not give you the number they had.

For example, I had a pH kit that was maybe 10 years old, well past the expiry. I used it alongside a brand new kit several times on different tanks over a couple weeks, and they always read identical, so I continued using the old one until it was gone, which was not long anyhow.

[sonflowerjoela]

Ok got the test kit:
ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite:0ppm
Nirtrates: 40ppm
PH: 7.4 on high range and 7.6 on ph
So what are the possibilities???