help with water levels

[mollymom]

Hi all, help! I have a 50 gal. tank, up for about 8 weeks. Have air stone and spray bar. Hardness is: 300 ppm/Alkalinity: 300 ppm+ and pH is 8.4 or higher.
Weekly water changes at 25%.However I don't know the best way to lower the PH and alkalinity of my tank. The water is also very hard; we are on a well and even then a water softener. Green spot algae is a problem. At first there was plant growth, but now they have leaves that are darkening, and one of my mollies is not happy; probably won't make it. Danios and guppies are fine, but don't know what to do, any help offered will be appreciated.
thanks.

 

[Cactuspixie]

Hi all, help! I have a 50 gal. tank, up for about 8 weeks. Have air stone and spray bar. Hardness is: 300 ppm/Alkalinity: 300 ppm+ and pH is 8.4 or higher.
Weekly water changes at 25%.However I don't know the best way to lower the PH and alkalinity of my tank. The water is also very hard; we are on a well and even then a water softener. Green spot algae is a problem. At first there was plant growth, but now they have leaves that are darkening, and one of my mollies is not happy; probably won't make it. Danios and guppies are fine, but don't know what to do, any help offered will be appreciated.
thanks.

Personally, I wouldn't tamper with the ph other than to add a piece of driftwood. The source of your problem is more likely to be one of your other parameters. What are your test results for ammonia nitrite and nitrate?

 

[mollymom]

Hi, I got test strips and they don't have the ammonia level. (I've been told test strips aren't accurate enough.) The nitrate is 0ppm-safe...The nitrite is 0ppm-safe. I have three pieces of driftwood already. One has Christmas Moss and the two others have nothing on them, though will soon. Yet the driftwood pieces are very small, they are about 6-7 in. long and about 1 in. around.

 

[Old Scales]

Strange that your molly is the one not doing well. Livebearers(guppies, mollys, swordtails & platys come from waters in the wild that are slight brackish and about 10 to 15 dKH hardness. Your water should be pretty good for them IMO. Beware the water softener. It could be using some weird salts that may be doing something. Check what media is uses. What does your untreated well water test at? Definitely get you an API master test kit. Good luck, OS.

 

[bud29]

Hi, I got test strips and they don't have the ammonia level. (I've been told test strips aren't accurate enough.) The nitrate is 0ppm-safe...The nitrite is 0ppm-safe. I have three pieces of driftwood already. One has Christmas Moss and the two others have nothing on them, though will soon. Yet the driftwood pieces are very small, they are about 6-7 in. long and about 1 in. around.

I would definitely try to get an API FW master test kit. Strips are more expensive in the long run and are notoriously inaccurate.

Also, something to look into is the 0 ppm nitrate reading. Plants eat nitrate, so in a planted tank you definitely want at least some NO3. The 0 ppm reading could be due to one of 3 things:

-uncycled tank
-plants absorbing all NO3
-bad reading

I am guessing it is #3 as you are using strips. Unless you have lots of fast-growing plants, nitrates generally do not hit 0.

 

[mollymom]

Hi all, thanks so much for your answers and opinions. Okay, so I bought a API master test kit...I am currently reading the directions and will let you know what my water conditions are. Also I'm sad to say the molly died.
Thanks again!

 

[mollymom]

Hi all, thanks so much for your answers and opinions. Okay, so I bought a API master test kit...I am currently reading the directions and will let you know what my water conditions are. Also I'm sad to say the molly died.
Thanks again!