kh/gh/ph?

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meviva

Aquarium Advice Regular
Joined
Dec 29, 2012
Messages
62
Location
Arizona
I just got a kh/gh test kit and I'm not sure what the readings mean. The tank is 10 gallons. The KH is 6 the GH is 15 and PH is 8. Are the readings bad? How do I fix them? Or do the fish adjust?

Thanks!
 
Nothing wrong with those params. Perfect for cichlids except your tank is too small. Make sure you pick fish that like a higher ph.
 
Honestly, all three are fairly irrelevant tests. Most fish will be fine whatever the results are, within reason. Not saying it is wrong to test them but they are better measurements for trending and not something to worry about on a result by result basis.
 
Water Chemistry

I just got a kh/gh test kit and I'm not sure what the readings mean. The tank is 10 gallons. The KH is 6 the GH is 15 and PH is 8. Are the readings bad? How do I fix them? Or do the fish adjust?

Thanks!

Hello me...

Your tank is extremely small, so you'll need to consider keeping very small fish and keeping the number very small too. Most aquarium fish will do fine in most tap water conditions, so you don't need to be concerned with pH, hardness, etc. Just use a standard water treatment that will remove the chemicals the city puts into the tap water to make it safe for you to drink. Those additives are toxic to fish.

Remove and replace half the tank water every week and it will be safe for your fish. If you change out half the water weekly, you don't really need to test the chemistry unless you like doing it.

B
 
Thank you for the responses. I am getting a 125 gal. half round tank delivered soon (shipping today...keeping fingers crossed). I was checking the 10 gal. just to get an idea how to plan for the 125. I want Angels, Dennison's Barbs, Clown Loaches, Upside Down Cats, Red Tail Black Shark, Black Ruby Barbs...or some other schooling fish, Blue Rams and Honey Gouramis. I'm hoping my reading will be ok.
 
Thank you for the responses. I am getting a 125 gal. half round tank delivered soon (shipping today...keeping fingers crossed). I was checking the 10 gal. just to get an idea how to plan for the 125. I want Angels, Dennison's Barbs, Clown Loaches, Upside Down Cats, Red Tail Black Shark, Black Ruby Barbs...or some other schooling fish, Blue Rams and Honey Gouramis. I'm hoping my reading will be ok.

A ph of 8 is alkaline by any standards and your water is hard. Someone has already mentioned that fish adjust to ph and hardness but to what extent do they adjust. Studies have shown some acidic soft water fish kept in hard water tanks can have long term problems, becoming infertile, egg development and cloggin of the organs like the kidneys. You can keep fish in hard water yes.but if you can match the parameters to those of their natural habitat, where they have evolved to live then it has to be benifical. I actually think everyone should have an ro system. Alot of people will tell you different and this is my opinion only.

As for the fish you want to keep, you could make it work. Pack the tank with lots of drift wood and plants, maybe even abit of pete in your filter box.
 
As for the fish you want to keep, you could make it work. Pack the tank with lots of drift wood and plants, maybe even abit of pete in your filter box.

I am planning on having a lot of plants. I have Eco-Complete for them. I also have a couple of pieces of driftwood to put in the tank. Does the driftwood continue to help after the color dissipates? Does using Fluval peat granules color the water?

Thanks
 
I've never had trouble keeping Amazon species in hard water, including cardinals, rams, various other tetras, etc.
 
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