# GH/KH off the scale?



## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

I just got an API test kit for GH and KH (API brand... drops, not strips)
and holy mackerel do I hope I'm doing something wrong.... 

according to the instructions: fill the test tube with 5 ml water, then start adding one drop at a time, shaking the test tube after each drop... the water in the test tube should initially be BLUE. 
after X number of drops the solution should turn YELLOW... there's a chart:
1 drop= 17.9 PPM, 2 drops= 35.8 PPM, etc... up to 12 drops. (12 drops=214.8 PPM GH/KH)

My Office uses public/city water, we also have a filter unit for drinking water.
(essentially a hard wired water cooler with a big filter on it)
So far I've tested the water in my tank, the straight tap water and water from the water cooler.

with each drop THE SOLUTION TURNS DARKER BLUE.... 

after adding 20 drops (remember, the chart only goes up to 12... 214.8 PPM) the test tube is still a lovely shade of deep blue... and getting darker with each drop. no yellow at all.

is it possible I've got THIS much junk in my water????? it seems to me if the water is THAT hard I should see chunks flying out of the tap... could have skipped the substrate and wait for the gravel to settle out of the tap water....  

does anyone else get readings like this? the kit is brand new, I've tested each sample multiple times... I just never imagined my water could be THIS hard.
Incidentally, I got this test in the first place so I could get a better estimate of how much Co2 I'm getting in PPM.... with the GH/KH so far off the scale I don't know how to estimate the Co2 PPM.

Thanks in advance for any help/info.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

bump.... does ANYONE here use APC's GH/KH test kit?


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

You can test beyond 12, but 90% of us don't have water that hard. Just use half as much tap water, top the rest off with DI H2O and consider each drop to be 2KH resolution.

Check your cities water report; post up a link if they have it online. Also, find out what the filter is using; not everything alters hardness.

More importantly, Test the test kit. Make yourself up a 4KH solution (100mg of baking soda in 1L DI H2O), or buy one. I recommend making one; a scale is a great tool, and it's $20-30 that'll save you money in ferts and KH solution long-term. If the test kit isn't at least giving you 3-5KH, then it's got some serious issues. For finer testing if it is accurate, use twice as much solution and consider the resolution to be .5KH per drop.


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

Hi, Dan... 
THANKS for that info... I'll pick up some Distilled water and test the kit.
it seems I MAY have very hard water... here's the online report:
http://www.ewg.org/tap-water/whatsinyourwater/MN/Spicer/1340010/

I'm still checking the specifics on the filter here at the office, 
will report back. 
Thanks again for the help and info!


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## Big_Fish (Mar 10, 2010)

I found the specifics on average water hardness for my town...

265ppm ...... :Cry:

taken from http://www.kandiyohi.com/stay/documents/Spicer.pdf

Water Information 
Water Source: Wells 
Storage Capacity: 665,000 gal. 
Pumping Capacity: 776 gal./minute 
Average Demand: 250,000 gal./day 
Peak Demand: 450,000 gal./day Base charge $40.00; Usage Charge: $4.95 per 1000 / gallons
*Total Water Hardness: 265 ppm* 
Industrial Water Rate: Base charge $35.00 ; $.73 per 1,000/gallons


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## Philosophos (Mar 1, 2009)

Wow, pretty nasty water. I wouldn't go spawning apistos in that or anything. 

It may not limit you so much as you think with plants though. Do what you need to make it soft now, but once you know you have a tank stable, experiment with pure tap and see what happens. I've been finding that plants aren't so picky as we make them out.


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