Please Help Me

[MollyFresh]

I just bought the Api Gh+kh test kit and am having problems with the Gh

Whenever I put The drops in, i need to look in the tube to see the color. I'm still not sure how green it needs to be, Myn starts off yellow than turns into a green-yellow then turns green. But I'm not sure when i stop putting drops in, as soon as it turns green completely? or the very first hints of green at all? Either way i'm never sure and its making me mad.

Not only that but...

My water conditions are:

Gh: Not sure, but it starts to turn green at drop 3 and is only really noticeable at drop 5 so 50-90 ppm
Kh: Tap water is 107 ppm
Ph: Around 8.0 ppm

Plus 178.5 PPM OF SODIUM! Naturally in my tap water. by the way, would this throw off test results? Should i look at the saltwater chart for high range ph instead? cuz then it would be 7.8 and not 8.0

My concerns are, I have 3 platies, I want them to be in natural water conditions. Therefore, I want Medium-Medium hard, neutral to slightly alkaline water.
Being that i have softer,more alkaline water, I need to no WHY it's like this. Do any of you no how my tap water could be this way? And how i can fix it?? I want to raise Gh while lowering ph.

My male platy is harassing the female and he is like... tale hitting the female and nipping her, do you now what this means? and if the aggression is water quality?

I heard crushed coral works, but im hesitant to put a substrate in that effects the water until i know exactly what it does entirely. If you have any suggestions on products i could buy to fix this please let me no

Any advice welcome, Thanks <3

also, if you want pictures of the gh container, at 3,4, and 5 drops, i till let you know so you can decide better yourself

Love

-Mollyfresh

 

[MollyFresh]

help

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I don't know why your pH is so high. A way to lower pH is driftwood.

I am far from an expert on the subject. If I were you, I would remain a bit more patient. This thread has only been open for about an hour. Folks will be along shortly. It may take a few days to get all the information you want/need.

 

[MollyFresh]

What about C02 injection with epsom salt? will that Increase my GH and lower ph without touching Kh?

 

[MollyFresh]

bump

 

[Louiseness]

It seems your PH is a bit high but to be honest, platies aren't too fussy about their water as fish go, they're pretty easy beginner fish.

As for the nipping, male livebearers like platies are known for harassing the females when they want to breed, so I'd bet on that before anything else.

 

[MollyFresh]

What about the soft water?

 

[Louiseness]

What about the soft water?

A thread from this very forum HERE gives a bit more info about acceptable water for platies, not sure if that helps your particular problem though.

 

[fluttermoth]

I think the platies will be fine in the water you have, as long as it's free from ammonia and nitrite

 

[gillicous]

What about the soft water?

plats are a very hardy fish and will do well in many water conditions they are very commonly used for setting up your tanks at the start mine are in ph6.9 soft water in cornwall and are thriving/breeding very well .You will find the male chasing the female constantly if it gets to harassment you might have to consider separating them or increasing the m-f ratio hope this helps