General stocking questions

[Jared Learn]

No, don't quit! Nobody understands this at first (if ever) but all you need is a number for your GH to compare with the fish requirements on Seriously Fish. And you only need this once. You have already made good choices - a reasonable size tank, avoiding superstores, not trying to change your water parametrers, doing research...you will be fine.

Thank you I appreciate the help and the encouragement I'm not going to quit just trying to figure this all out

 

[Jared Learn]

Okay so am I more reliable fish store for testing is closed today so I went to the other store and had my water tested. Unfortunately they were strips but here are the results GH 180 KH 40 and pH 6.5 to 7. My test strips said most of the same thing. But when I test my pH with the liquid test it's showing like 7.8 to 8.am I not letting my water sit for long enough before I test my pH because that's a big difference

 

[Jared Learn]

It's worth noting that my test strips show a pH closer to what their strips were showing and not anything close to 8

 

[seangee]

Okay so am I more reliable fish store for testing is closed today so I went to the other store and had my water tested. Unfortunately they were strips but here are the results GH 180 KH 40 and pH 6.5 to 7. My test strips said most of the same thing. But when I test my pH with the liquid test it's showing like 7.8 to 8.am I not letting my water sit for long enough before I test my pH because that's a big difference

Water companies often add stuff to increase the pH, mostly to prevent corrosion of the pipes. Let it stand for 24 hours before testing it.

 

[Jared Learn]

Water companies often add stuff to increase the pH, mostly to prevent corrosion of the pipes. Let it stand for 24 hours before testing it.

Ok that's good to know thank you. Do you mean to also take a sample out of my aquarium and wait 24 hours to test that as well?

 

[Essjay]

The water in your tank has already stood since however long it was since you filled it and since your last water change. So you don't need to wait 24 hours before testing tank water.

 

[Jared Learn]

Ok that's good to know thank you. Do you mean to also take a sample out of my aquarium and wait 24 hours to test that as well?

Ok that's good to know thank you. Do you mean to also take a sample out of my aquarium and wait 24 hours to test that as well?

The water in your tank has already stood since however long it was since you filled it and since your last water change. So you don't need to wait 24 hours before testing tank water.

That's what I thought thank you.

 

[Jared Learn]

Liquid API test is still showing 7.8 pH while strips continue to show a different pH weird.

 

[Byron]

Liquid API test is still showing 7.8 pH while strips continue to show a different pH weird.

Tests can vary, but there are other things to consider. Are you filling the test tube just to the line, and adding only three full drops (I know how easy it is for a fourth to come out with another)? Which test is the API, the normal or the high pH--this makes a difference as the two do not read equally.

Are you testing tap water here, or tank water (keeping in mind the 24 hour wait for fresh tap water, or sometimes vigorous agitation for a few minutes can result in similar more reliable results)?

On the GH difference, was the water sample you took to the store tap water or tank water?

 

[Jared Learn]

Tests can vary, but there are other things to consider. Are you filling the test tube just to the line, and adding only three full drops (I know how easy it is for a fourth to come out with another)? Which test is the API, the normal or the high pH--this makes a difference as the two do not read equally.

Are you testing tap water here, or tank water (keeping in mind the 24 hour wait for fresh tap water, or sometimes vigorous agitation for a few minutes can result in similar more reliable results)?

On the GH difference, was the water sample you took to the store tap water or tank water?

Both were tank water being tested. I'm using the high range pH test

 

[Jared Learn]

Both were tank water being tested. I'm using the high range pH test

And no I'm being very precise about the drops that I put in

 

[Byron]

Both were tank water being tested. I'm using the high range pH test

OK, this may explain things. First, do not use the high pH test, use the regular. As I said they do not provide identical results for the same water.

Second, there may well be something calcareous in the tank that is increasing the GH, as I believe another member mentioned earlier in this thread [I had assumed you were testing tap water on its own]. If the substrate is composed of calcareous sand or gravel or you have such rocks in the tank (calcareous includes marble, limestone, aragonite, dolomite, coral, shells) they will continually and slowly dissolve mineral (calcium and magnesium) into the water, raising the GH, probably KH (though this might be scarcely noticeable) and pH. This can also occur from some plant substrates, and some plant additives--I just mention this to have a complete picture. Could also be other additives that might do this, just thinking out loud.

When you test the tap water on its own for GH, does it agree or is it closer to the water authority's level?

 

[Jared Learn]

Okay I will definitely try the regular pH test. There's nothing in there that I put in there that should adding anything to my tank. The substrate I got from a local fish store to straight up bagged pea-sized gravel. The decorations are store bought. And as far as I can tell the tap water tests pretty close to the tank water.

 

[Jared Learn]

OK, this may explain things. First, do not use the high pH test, use the regular. As I said they do not provide identical results for the same water.

Second, there may well be something calcareous in the tank that is increasing the GH, as I believe another member mentioned earlier in this thread [I had assumed you were testing tap water on its own]. If the substrate is composed of calcareous sand or gravel or you have such rocks in the tank (calcareous includes marble, limestone, aragonite, dolomite, coral, shells) they will continually and slowly dissolve mineral (calcium and magnesium) into the water, raising the GH, probably KH (though this might be scarcely noticeable) and pH. This can also occur from some plant substrates, and some plant additives--I just mention this to have a complete picture. Could also be other additives that might do this, just thinking out loud.

When you test the tap water on its own for GH, does it agree or is it closer to the water authority's level?

Sorry to bother again for the millionth time. Did the regular pH test came up 7.6 which is the top end of that test. it could be that but I'm more inclined to believe that it's the 8 that the high range pH test is reading. The thing that puzzles me is the two strip tests that both came up with similar pH which was 7 ish were two different brands so that's weird too.

 

[Naughts]

Sorry to bother again for the millionth time. Did the regular pH test came up 7.6 which is the top end of that test. it could be that but I'm more inclined to believe that it's the 8 that the high range pH test is reading. The thing that puzzles me is the two strip tests that both came up with similar pH which was 7 ish were two different brands so that's weird too.

I have a similar thing. I use liquid Api and get 8, my daughter uses api strips and gets 7, the water is the same source. Tap water tests 7.6 on liquid tests. I still don't know which is right but sometimes if you look at a test strip later on the reading changes to a higher colour so I'm inclined to rely on liquid tests.