# water testing



## Olivia (May 5, 2006)

Okay,

I tested the water in my tank that at present has 3 bags of Flourite and some driftwood but no plants yet. pH is 7.0 but when I tested KH the test kit showed less than 1 degree of hardness. According to http://www.rexgrigg.com I need to add baking soda to up the KH. Also according to his chart at http://www.rexgrigg.com/co2.pdf, with the pH at 7, I need to up the KH to around 8 so the CO2 can be at the ideal of 20-30 ppm. Correct so far? So now how do I test the CO2 level? I think I remember reading somewhere, somehow testing a glass of aquarium water and then letting it sit for 24 hours and testing again?

I feel like I've been reading so much that I can't remember where I read what! 

Olivia


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

The only way to get CO2 in the water is to put it there. Adding baking soda won't do it. And, low KH is fine for the plants and the fish, unless you have some very specific varieties that require hard water. Don't worry about pH. As long as it is between 6 and 8 you have great conditions. Now, you need to get some fast growing plants in the tank, along with adequate fertilizing using all of the needed nutrients, plus either CO2 or Excel for carbon.


----------



## Olivia (May 5, 2006)

The baking soda was for raising the KH since it is so low. But you're saying I don't need to raise it?

Alright, so I'm going to hook up my DIY CO2 thing and I'm going to go with the EI fertilizing theory. So I might be ready to add plants this weekend? Whew!

To keep up with the fertilizing, etc I need test kits for NO3, KH, PO4, and CO2, correct? So how do I test for CO2 ppm once I start adding it to the tank?

Thanks,
Olivia


----------



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

I'm going to tell you to raise your KH to at least 3, then start injecting C02 once you get your plants. Once you start adding C02 your PH will drop and the KH will not have to be a 8 to get 20-30ppm of C02. Keep using the chart by using your PH/KH levels to get the ppm levels in your tank.

With the EI method of dosing no test kits are needed. You over saturate the water column with ferts then do a 50% water change each week.


----------



## Olivia (May 5, 2006)

Okay, that's more of what I thought I'd need to do. I'll up the KH today and set up the CO2 thing on Saturday. So once I start the CO2 how do I measure my ppm?

Olivia


----------



## bombastus (Apr 1, 2007)

Search the forum for a "dropchecker", you will find there how to measure CO2 concentration.
Good luck


----------



## Olivia (May 5, 2006)

Excellent...thank you.

Olivia


----------



## Riney Key (Aug 24, 2007)

Olivia said:


> Okay, that's more of what I thought I'd need to do. I'll up the KH today and set up the CO2 thing on Saturday. So once I start the CO2 how do I measure my ppm?
> 
> Olivia


Hi there, From what I read, it's a good idea to raise your KH a bit if it's below 3. Water with no alkalinity will most likely be prone to PH swings which is stressful to the fish. As far as I know, KH buffers that. I just had this problem in a small aquarium where I reduced PH to 6.5 and KH to 4 dkh. Then, I started pumping CO2 in there and the PH fell to 6.1 by evening.


----------



## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

As Hoppy said earlier low KH is fine. All my tanks run with 0dKH, some with CO2, some without, and the fish are thriving and breeding. They are soft water fish.

The swing in pH you see with injecting CO2 does not seem to affect the fish.


----------



## Riney Key (Aug 24, 2007)

ed seeley said:


> As Hoppy said earlier low KH is fine. All my tanks run with 0dKH, some with CO2, some without, and the fish are thriving and breeding. They are soft water fish.
> 
> The swing in pH you see with injecting CO2 does not seem to affect the fish.


Well, it affected the one fish in that tank, a Beta. Its skin was turning white and flaky that evening as the PH was dropping. I buffered the tank with well water and raised the PH back to above 6.5. The Beta returned to his normal crisp red coloration by next day. Every book I've read on this subject says PH swings can stress fish. Is it true? Well, that's one experiment I don't want to repeat.


----------



## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Fish experience pH swings in their natural settings. When it rains it changes the pH, if the body of water is spring fed it experiences pH swings. The change in total dissolved solids or in KH is far more likely to harm fish than a pH shift due to adding CO2. So, again, low KH is not a problem. Adding several teaspoons of baking soda to a low KH tank may be a problem due to the sudden shift in KH and TDS. This hobby changes so fast and so often as to what is the best way to grow plants along with fish, you really can't rely upon books. The best way to keep up is to follow a few of the forums such as this one. It has only been about a year since Edward announced here that he found that very low KH was just fine for both fish and plants. Many of us then tried it and found he was correct.


----------



## Riney Key (Aug 24, 2007)

hoppycalif said:


> It has only been about a year since Edward announced here that he found that very low KH was just fine for both fish and plants. Many of us then tried it and found he was correct.


I don't mind low KH. I am actually trying to keep my KH under 8 dkh. My well water starts off at around 20 dkh. I mix this with RO water. Currently, both my tanks have softer water around 6 dkh.

But I can't deny that it has become easier to reduce PH now that the water is soft. If I take a cup of RO water from my Kent Maxxima (KH: 0 dkh) and add five drops of PH Down (contains sulfuric acid), the PH goes from 7.4 to 3.1 almost instantly and stays there. But when I try to reduce PH using the same product in my hard well water, it doesn't go down much from 7.9 and quickly bounces back. I expected this from reading that KH acts as a buffer?

As far as fish and PH swings are concerned, I'm glad to know you're doing well with that. I won't worry about it so much then. Frankly, the PH Down instructions say to avoid lowering PH more than .2 a day in regards to fish health. I've reduced PH far more than that with no visible problems.

I can't deny though that my Beta looked terrible at a PH of 6.1. Before the addition of RO Water and CO2 in this tank, PH levels never dropped below 7.6. I'm currently at 6.8 and the Beta and plants are quite happy. Actually, the Baby Tears are pearling.


----------



## trenac (Jul 16, 2004)

As you have experienced a PH below 6.0 is dangerous to your fish. To keep this from happening you need some buffering capacity, which would intel a KH of at least 3 to be safe (2 is ok). Any drastic change in any water parameter will cause undue stress to your fish, weather it be PH, KH etc. With this said stability in all water parameters is the best for your fish, rather than trying to keep a specific one.


----------

