Assistance with GH & KH

Roody

AC Members
Sep 13, 2009
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Florida
Just got the test kit in to measure my levels and below is my readings. My tank has african cichlids in it. Can anyone give me some insight into this and let me know what the best way is to lower these levels? Levels listed below are based on instructions chart included in package.

Thanks.

KH - 125.3ppm
GH - Not positive on this one. The chart only lists up to 12 drops which is 214.8. It took 13 drops for me to get the color of the water to change from orange to green.

Thoughts?
 
For african, no problem..
May not have to mess with KH/GH testing at all for most common African if this is whats coming out tap.
Out of curiosity, what are tank/tap pH?

Are you thinking of doing more sensitive species out of Lake Tang?
 
Your water numbers are great for just about anything, I wish I had your water GH/KH numbers I would have to do anything. My water normally test at KH 161 and GH 650. It takes so many drops to test that I have to 1/4 the test sample in order to get a reading with a reasonable amount of drops then multiply by 4 and then again by 17.9. I even had to run the tables out to 40 drops.

I have to treat my water unless I want dead fish. I bring my Gh and KH about KH 125 and GH 18-36. But lately I have been treating it less so its about KH 135 and GH 180. This so that there is a better mix balance between Potassium and Cal/Mag TDS which is always around 900-1100 no matter where my GH and KH numbers are.
 
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dKH drop
I'm still learning all this stuff. My 175 gal. dKH drops for no reason that I know of from 4.5 to 2.2, ph remains at 7.2, no ammonia, no nitrites and 10 ppm on nitrates. Filters are carbon and ammonia chips, uv filter.I'm not even sure if 2.2 degress of dKH is bad or ok. Have not turned on co2 yet.
 
icon1.gif
dKH drop
I'm still learning all this stuff. My 175 gal. dKH drops for no reason that I know of from 4.5 to 2.2, ph remains at 7.2, no ammonia, no nitrites and 10 ppm on nitrates. Filters are carbon and ammonia chips, uv filter.I'm not even sure if 2.2 degress of dKH is bad or ok. Have not turned on co2 yet.

4 dGH is 71.6 ppm of GH.
1 degree = 17.9 ppm = 0.36 meq/L

After treating my water its about 1-2 dkh or 18-36 GH and my angels love it.
 
For african, no problem..
May not have to mess with KH/GH testing at all for most common African if this is whats coming out tap.
Out of curiosity, what are tank/tap pH?

Are you thinking of doing more sensitive species out of Lake Tang?

I've been in a discussion with blue2frye recently. I am new to cichlids and I made some mistakes when I first setup my new tank. I have a mixture of fish that I am working to weed out. That said I am going to focus on maingano's, acei's and yellow labs.

My pH levels are 7.6
 
Your water numbers are great for just about anything, I wish I had your water GH/KH numbers I would have to do anything. My water normally test at KH 161 and GH 650. It takes so many drops to test that I have to 1/4 the test sample in order to get a reading with a reasonable amount of drops then multiply by 4 and then again by 17.9. I even had to run the tables out to 40 drops.

I have to treat my water unless I want dead fish. I bring my Gh and KH about KH 125 and GH 18-36. But lately I have been treating it less so its about KH 135 and GH 180. This so that there is a better mix balance between Potassium and Cal/Mag TDS which is always around 900-1100 no matter where my GH and KH numbers are.

Amazing how much work it is keep up with this stuff.
 
Your water numbers are great for just about anything, I wish I had your water GH/KH numbers I would have to do anything. My water normally test at KH 161 and GH 650. It takes so many drops to test that I have to 1/4 the test sample in order to get a reading with a reasonable amount of drops then multiply by 4 and then again by 17.9. I even had to run the tables out to 40 drops.

I have to treat my water unless I want dead fish. I bring my Gh and KH about KH 125 and GH 18-36. But lately I have been treating it less so its about KH 135 and GH 180. This so that there is a better mix balance between Potassium and Cal/Mag TDS which is always around 900-1100 no matter where my GH and KH numbers are.

Yikes, that looks like liquid rock. I guess I'll consider myself lucky. My well water comes out at pH 7.6, KH 80ppm and GH 170ppm, outgassing raises the pH to about 8. The KH dips down during a fishless cycle, but remains rock steady after the cycle completes. I really don't need to add anything, but I threw a bag of crushed puka shell into my canister on my Mbuna tank.
 
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