What the heck is going on?

**fraggle** · 12-27-2008, 10:50 PM

Ok, I've had a test kit, didn't buy it new, got it from a friend who had given up on fish. Only problem was that the pH only went from 6.2-7.4 so only new if it was in that range, tap water always showed 7.4 so knew it was higher than that. I'd been using pH down and had never had any problems, then I ran out of it and the kids had dumped stuff in the tank and I had to do an emergency water chagne with no pH down. Everyone always said not to use it anyway and that they adjust to the pH, they seemed to, only lost my kuhli loaches everyone else was fine.
Ammonia and Nitrite have always showed 0 since I got the kit (about 8 months ago)
Nitrate was always about 10.

I have 55G tanks. Cannister filters. Vac gravel and change 50%-70% water every week. Due to do it again today.

Well I've just bought an API master test kit, checked the water last night. Think that the other kit I had must have been dodgy or something!!!!!!

Ammonia and Nitrites were still 0, but nitrates were 40.
Since it has a high range pH I checked the water, it bottomed out at 7.4 so I checked with the normal range, that bottomed out at 6!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I checked my tap water.
Ammonia was 1
Nitrite was 0
Nitrate was 5
and pH topped out at 7.6 on normal so tried high range and it topped out at 8.8!!!!!!!!

I also got a KH/GH test kit, and my KH was 2 so 35.8ppm and GH was 8 so 143.2ppm

So do I need to go and get one of the "proper pH" stuff to add before I do a water change as I think that going from pH 6 (or less, it bottomed out!) to 8.8 (or more since it topped out!) will be a bit much

**bushwhacker** · 12-28-2008, 12:24 AM

trying to adjust your ph with chemicals isworse than leaving it alone, try taking a bowl of your tap water and let it sit overnight then test it. make sure your reading the test cards correctly too. i know i had to read the nitrates test 3 times befor i got it right

**fraggle** · 12-28-2008, 01:05 AM

Well I've retested again on everything (I tested about 3 times last night, LOL think I've got the hang of reading the cards). Think I'll do the water change since it's due anyway and I haven't had any trouble anyother time doing it. It's weird because the other pH test said that the tank water was 7, not 6 and thetap water maxed out at 7.4 still.

**Gemini** · 12-29-2008, 10:11 AM

Fraggle, I'm not sure where you are, but I know where I am the PH is 8.0 and the KH is 300ppm last time I took water to get tested. If its hard where you are it is really hard to correct without using an RO kit or similar.
A stable PH is much better than a fluctuating one.

**fraggle** · 12-29-2008, 08:44 PM

My water isn't hard Gem, it's soft, KH is only 35!!!! I only got the new API test kit the other day, and apart from the Ammonia and Trites test, the levels were different, the pH on the old test said it was 6.9 the new kit is telling me it's 6, the old kit said Trates were under 10 the new ones telling me they are 40, and I never had the KH/GH test kit before so I never knew what they were.

**Northernguy** · 12-29-2008, 08:54 PM

Check the date on your test kits,that could be the problem.
You could also take a sample elsewhere and have it tested.Do a comparison.

**Gemini** · 12-30-2008, 05:53 AM

Originally Posted by fraggle

My water isn't hard Gem, it's soft, KH is only 35!!!! I only got the new API test kit the other day, and apart from the Ammonia and Trites test, the levels were different, the pH on the old test said it was 6.9 the new kit is telling me it's 6, the old kit said Trates were under 10 the new ones telling me they are 40, and I never had the KH/GH test kit before so I never knew what they were.

Sorry fraggle I must have missed the "."
How old is your old kit??