Are these GH and KH levels ok ??

[candymancan]

Hey guys... I just started using a DIY co2 reactor (yeast and sugar) and I noticd my PH went from 7.4 to 6.6-6.8 (its hard to tell the diff between the 2) and I read to check the CO2 levels you can check the PH and KH and use some chart I found online to get a general idea of the CO2 levels..

Anyway, my readings were this

KH took 6 drops to turn yellow
GH took 9 drops to turn green..

Are these ok ? With my KH reading and PH being at 6.6-6.8.. According to the chart I found my CO2 is on the green or yellow borderline between being not enough CO2 or just enough CO2.. Only thing is I have driftwood in the tank and that lowers the tap water from 7.8 to 7.2 I dunno though if that would affect this CO2 reading

How to measure co2 in a planted tank | Aquariums Life

 

[Rivercats]

Your Kh and Gh readings are fine. As long as you have a Kh and Gh of 4 then your plants have all the calcium and magnesium they need and you have enough calcium to keep your ph from crashing.

We already talked about the CO2 so I won't bother with that question.

 

[candymancan]

Thanks rivercats.. I don't know much about GH and KH :-/

 

[Rivercats]

For the most part I only monitor my Kh and Gh as I like to keep my tanks right around 4 for both. I do use RO water in some of my tanks to keep the Kh and Gh where I want them. Plus remember your Ph will be lower during the day after the CO2 has been on for some time but if you take a Ph reading in the morning before lights and CO2 comes on you'll find it rebounds right back up.

 

[candymancan]

Just checked from the tap, GH is 7, KH is 5.. So 7 vs 9 and 5 vs 6

 

[Rivercats]

You can have items such as rocks, substrate, and DW among other things that can raise or lower both Kh and Gh in a tank. Plus remember as buffers get used in the tank your Kh drops which is why doing weekly WC's are so important... they add new buffers back into the water if you have hard water.

 

[candymancan]

Yea Im going off that CO2 chart.. I dunno if its accurate since im using DW.. According to the chart my CO2 levels were 45-28 45 being if my ph was 6.6 and 28 being 6.8 as I couldn't really tell the diff between the colors.. 45 being in the red and 28 being in the green.. So am I safe to assume that my CO2 levels were ok ? Or do you think they were too high ?

I tested my 55g, which isn't getting CO2 its heavily planted though, and as you know it has a large piece of driftwood and a coral rock in it and a 24 inch bubble wall.. My PH was 7.2-7.4, the KH was only 3. According to the CO2 chart my co2 levels are only 3-5PPM in the 55g I don't even dose liquid co2 in that tank. The DH in that tank was 5

Going to check my 30g now.

 

[Rivercats]

In your PM you said the fish were at the surface so that indicates you level is too high.

 

[candymancan]

Question...

Ok since I turned off the CO2 and turned my airstone back on.. I have watched my PH and KH for the last 3-4 hours.. Like you said the PH went back up.. After like 2 hours my PH was 7.2, now its at 7.6, from the 6.6-6.8 I was reading when I had the CO2 on.. My KH also dropped it was 6 drops, now its 5. According to the CO2 chart my co2 levels are now 3.8PPM

My question though is... If I use my high pH test kit I get a very light tan color... it doesn't look like 7.4 or like 7.8... If I take the top off and look down through the tube against the white background then it looks orange 7.8.. But I dunno... What do you think it is based on this picture ? Is it neither 7.4 or 7.8, and its actually 7.6 like the low test kit says or does that look like its 7.4 ? If one test says 7.4 and one 7.6 then I guess I should break even and say its 7.5 ? lol My 30g reads the same way... low kit says 7.6, high kit doesn't look like 7.4 or 7.8

 

[Rivercats]

QUOTE:"If one test says 7.4 and one 7.6 then I guess I should break even and say its 7.5 ?"

That's exactly what you do.