Abbreviations for Test kits?

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MantisX

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Messages
141
Location
Roxboro, N.C.
Rex, these are the parameters you told me to shoot for.
Nitrates 5-10 ppm
Phosphates 0.5-1.0 ppm
Potassium 10-20 ppm
Iron 0.1-0.25 ppm

Are these 4 individual test kits or will one test kit do more than one of these tests. What im asking is which pertains to GH KH etc. I found a complete test kit on ebay but I dont want to buy until I know which kits I need to do every single test needed for a planted aquarium.
 
The only things I test for are kH, gH, pH, nitrates and phosphates. I prefer the Wardley's narrow range mid-range test kit for pH, Aquarium Pharmaceuticals for gH and kH and Red Sea for nitrates and phosphates.
 
I will get the complete set from aquabid then, So I can get you some numbers to make my tank better! :lol: How often do you test your water?
 
I test pH, gH, and kH about once a week. Nitrates and phosphates about three times a week. But I do that because my tank is high light and can burn though lots of macros.
 
and when testing your water, keep a log of the results. I find a simple spreadsheet works great for this. I went overboard with mine and actually have it calculate the CO2 levels, and plot out a line graph.
 
Hi Rex. I got my test kits today and tested my GH and KH. The Kh was 71.6 and the GH was pretty much the same. My ph is 6.8. Please tell me my steps from here.

Thanks
 
Well your CO2 levels are good. Have you tested for nitrates and phosphates yet? Your hardness levels are fine.
 
Ut oh. I think I forgot2 tests :(. Back to Ebay. Ill get those numbers to you asap. How could you tell my co2 levels were good? Im a lil confused. What does kh and gh tell me about my water? I read the lil slip that came with them but it didnt say exactly what kh and gh tested for. Glad to hear its normal so far though.
 
MantisX...

KH is often referred to as carbonate hardness which is an indication of the levels of various carbonate compounds dissolved in your water. This number (while not a direct measurement) can be a good indicator as to the levels of CO2 in the water.

GH is often referred to as general hardness....an indicator of the total amount of certain dissolved compounds (salts, etc.) in the water.
 
I recently purchased the complete flourish line and after adding I rechecked the water. It was basically the same levels. Is this good?
 
Nothing in the normal Flourish line is going to change what you have tested for. pH, kH, and gH.
 
None of the Flourish products will affect your KH or Ph too much. But be careful not to over dose or you could get an algae spanking. Adding CO2 can drop your ph, though I don't think Excell will do that if your using that to supplement your CO2. Baking soda, oyster shells, or Crushed Coral can raise your KH and Ph. KH is a measurement of carbonate and bicarbonate concentrations dissolved in your tank's water. Flourish Iron might affect your GH, but probably wouldn't much. GH (or general hardness) is primarily a measure of calcium and magnesium concentrations in the water. All of these levels are important for fish and plant health... here is a site to read up on http://www.drhelm.com/aquarium/chemistry.html HTH :)
 
Cool, thanks for the link. At this point everything is doing great except for my stagnant pearlgrass. I think im gonna uprooot it and replant the more active stems.
 
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