Why my Ammonia is high and my pH level crashed again?

[PattyCakes81]

The number of drops you count until the water in the tube changes colour (the GH goes from orange to green, can't remember the KH colours) is the degrees of GH (or KH), roughly. So for the GH, if it takes 6 drops to turn from orange to green, the GH is 6 dGH. This equates to 107 ppm. You multiply dGH by 17.9 to get ppm, and divide ppm by 17.9 to get dGH. Same goes for KH. I personally like the smaller numbers, I sort of know what they mean now, but either scale is fine.

The colours are sometimes a bit faint, but hold the tube over something white (a sheet of paper) and look down into the tube (un-stoppered obviously, lol); I find this easier with the GH and KH tests. The change to green will be very apparent. Over time the regents do weaken, not sure how long; my old kit which I had had for several years was very hard to discern colours.

With the GH at 6 (or 7), next week only add 1 level teaspoon. Test the tank water next day. You want 4 or 5 dGH and no point wasting stuff and raising it higher, with soft water fish.

Byron.

Thanks Byron! With the test tubes changing color, I count the drops until the water just changes to the other color, right?
On the KH test it says bright yellow, how bright. On the GH, as soon as it turns green, correct?
I think am going to retest. Will post results.

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[PattyCakes81]

Retested the GH and KH:
GH 6
KH 1

How fast does KH get used?

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[Byron Amazonas]

Retested the GH and KH:
GH 6
KH 1

How fast does KH get used?

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The earlier test was likely inaccurate. I had to do several tests when I first started using the API GH and KH test until I figured it made sense. These numbers make sense to me, knowing your NYC numbers and knowing you have added 1 tablespoon of Equilibrium.

Equilibrium only raises GH; it does not mess with KH or pH, which is exactly why it is so ideal for what you and I use it for--adding hard minerals minimally for the plants.

GH will lower but I cannot detect it with the API test. I ran tests for a couple weeks and frankly was surprised that the GH did not go down (with this test) between water changes in spite of the plants using the calcium--and I know they are, because without the GH my swords within a week will begin to show calcium deficiency. In my case, I slowly raised the GH to 5 dGH by adding E over a couple weeks. Then doing a half-tank water change with GH at 0.5 dGH out of the tap, the GH lowers in the tank to half, or 2.5 dGH; I add 3 level tablespoons of E after the water change [this is in the 115g tank], and next day the GH is back to 5 and remains there all week. Once you get the GH to say 5 dGH, you will use small amounts until you have worked out what it will take to maintain consistency week to week. Provided you do similar water changes (50%) every week, and add identical amount of E, it will not vary.

The KH will not likely change, as you are not doing anything to affect it. And that is fine. To your earlier post about the colours. Dopn't worry about the KH; I never test this as I know it is near zero and that makes no difference in my situation. The GH colour is initially orange-ish; it does seem to darked just before it changes to green. But the first drop that changes it is very noticeable, it is definitely green. Hope this helps.

Byron.

 

[jpappy789]

The only concern I would have about that low of a KH is the stability of your pH since you're already in the lower 6's it seems...a lot of processes in aquariums acidify the water (e.g. nitrification, respiration), and you don't want the pH to end up crashing...

There are other buffering mechanisms, but carbonates are a big one. IMO it certainly wouldn't hurt to add some buffering capacity...

 

[Byron Amazonas]

The buffering issue is certainly a valid one, but there are several factors that play into this. I have maintained many tanks of fish over 25+ years with very soft water out of the tap having no KH at all, or so minimal it might as well be zero. Only once have I ever used any form of deliberate buffering, and that was with dolomite in tanks for livebearers. The selection of fish must be suited obviously, and maintaining soft water fish under these conditions should not pose any problems, generally speaking.

Weekly water changes and live plants will serve as a "buffer" themselves. In a tank with no plants and just fish, I would be concerned over the pH. I have found that my tanks tend to stabilize themselves biologically, and with weekly 50% water changes I have no issues. The pH has remained stable for months, even years, and it varies from tank to tank. I test it periodically just before a water change, and looking back over my charts [I test every tank, I have 6 or 7 running] it is evident that each tank is remaining stable. Some are below 6 [having no test that goes below 6 I've no idea what it may actually be] while a couple remain at 6.2 or 6.4 and have for months now.

I have never lost fish to anything other than disease, and this stupidly introduced by my own carelessness in not quarantining sufficiently.

Byron.