Doin A 50% Water Change

[rabbut]

By the look of it the OP is using test strips. I would not trust the results as far as I could throw them. It is VERY unusal to have a GH that is rqual to the KH and IMPOSSIBLE to have a KH above the GH, as the GH reading Includes the KH. KH measures Carbonate salts in the water. GH measures the Carbonate and Magnesium salts in the water. The pH, Nitrite and Nitrate readings of most strip test kits will give a different value for each strip used on teh same water sample in most cases. Personally, I find test strips as accurate as asking my next door (non-fish-keeping) neibour to just make up random numbers for the results Get a pH, KH and GH tested by a good Liquid Drop test kit, and you get very different and more accurate results for them. Also, arguably the most important stat, Ammonia, is missed by all strip test kits I've used.

All the best
Rabbut

 

[swaddell13]

well i tested the water outta my bottle water and it was good... 0 all around and 6 ph, but if u really think thats it ill get a diff tester.

could it possibly be the proper ph 7.0 im using, or maybe the Tank Buddies anti fungus medicine? perhaps the melafix? all these have been added within the last week

 

[rabbut]

Propper pH 7 is a waste of cash and makes the pH swing IME. Bacterial meds, that you are treating for, are usually causrsed by stress. pH swings are widely considered one of the main caursers of fish stress, allong with people tapping on the glass, and Ammonia/Nitrite above zero... I would stop using the stuff, as it's really a dangerous product unless you happen to fully understand the pH, CO2 (+ other acidic compounds, CO2 actually forms Carbonic Acid in water) and the KH link...

If your using bottled water, why? Most bottled water has a hardness that is way too low or high for aquarium use, and again can be very dodgy to use, just like pH adjusting chemicals... If you have a real need to use it, I'd look at the other options as well, as they'll likely be better suited to your situation...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[swaddell13]

no i just tested bottled water, i use tap water, as far as the proper ph goes, my tap water has very high ph but the tank water was very low so i thought getting this stuff would even it all out, guess not

 

[Bignose]

By the look of it the OP is using test strips. I would not trust the results as far as I could throw them. It is VERY unusal to have a GH that is rqual to the KH and IMPOSSIBLE to have a KH above the GH, as the GH reading Includes the KH. KH measures Carbonate salts in the water. GH measures the Carbonate and Magnesium salts in the water.

Not quite impossible. KH is a measure of the carbonate equivalents water has. GH is only a measure of the concentration of calcium and magnesium. If your water had a bunch of NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate, backing soda) dissolved in it you could have a high KH and a low GH. Now, calcium and magnesium do also function as proton acceptors, so a concentration of calcium is equivalent to a concentration of carbonate, which is why the two numbers are linked.

For natural water, it is highly unlikely that KH will be higher than GH, but not impossible. But, KH and GH do not measure the same thing and one is not a subset of the other.

 

[swaddell13]

so how do i lower it

 

[rabbut]

By the look of it the OP is using test strips. I would not trust the results as far as I could throw them. It is VERY unusal to have a GH that is rqual to the KH and IMPOSSIBLE to have a KH above the GH, as the GH reading Includes the KH. KH measures Carbonate salts in the water. GH measures the Carbonate and Magnesium salts in the water.

Not quite impossible. KH is a measure of the carbonate equivalents water has. GH is only a measure of the concentration of calcium and magnesium. If your water had a bunch of NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate, backing soda) dissolved in it you could have a high KH and a low GH. Now, calcium and magnesium do also function as proton acceptors, so a concentration of calcium is equivalent to a concentration of carbonate, which is why the two numbers are linked.

For natural water, it is highly unlikely that KH will be higher than GH, but not impossible. But, KH and GH do not measure the same thing and one is not a subset of the other.

I stand corrected

Before you look at lowering your pH, GH or KH Swaddell13, you should get more accurate test kits. Strips just aren't worth the money tey are printed on. Also, in most cases it is not nessisary to lower the pH/GH/KH in a tank, unless you are wanting to spawn a specific species of fish... Which brings me back to the un-answered questoion, why do you want to low your pH/GH/KH?

All the best
Rabbut

 

[swaddell13]

gh/kh cuz i thought they where too high for comfort haha but if you insist the new test kit ill try and get my hands on one but without a job cash is strapped

 

[rabbut]

Most fish will be fine in strait tap water in most instances, assuming you acclimatise them to the tank correctly I personally don't think you need to be lowering the values in your instance

 

[Steve69]

Keep your fish in yes they will freak out a bit but they get over it and learn it's not scary. Getting fish useto this will cause them less stress then moveing them every time you clean the tank. I have done a 80% water change and cleaned décor with my fish still in the tank not problem.

Ditto. I do a 100% water change everyday on my Discus tank and my fish are nice and healthy!

are they not flapping around on the gravel if your taking all the water out?

No gravel. Gravel has no place in a Discus tank.

Keep your fish in yes they will freak out a bit but they get over it and learn it's not scary. Getting fish useto this will cause them less stress then moveing them every time you clean the tank. I have done a 80% water change and cleaned décor with my fish still in the tank not problem.

Ditto. I do a 100% water change everyday on my Discus tank and my fish are nice and healthy!

I am going to disregard that smiley face, as you obviously know nothing about keeping and growing out juvy Discus.

Correct Hence the confused face. Thanks for the `witty` reply.