Congochromis sabinae "super red"

[gerald]

In the API hardness test kit I have (ancient!) each drop of indicator used is 10 mg/l GH or KH hardness, NOT German degrees hardness.
So 9 drops of GH indicator would be 90 mg/l (as CaCO3 equivalent) which is about 5 degrees GH.
Do the newer API kits use indicator reagents calibrated to 1 drop per 18 mg/l (one degree)?

Tested the water again today, this time I have a kH and gH test kit from API.

pH: 5.3
µS: 791
PPM: 444

kH: 2* (two drops turned the solution as the test kit indicated)
dH: 9* (nine drops turned the solution as the test kit indicated)

 

[slimbolen99]

Here's what the chart looks like.

Here is a copy of the user manual that came with my test kit...
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/downloads/KH-GH-test-instructions.pdf

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
That looks right, 1 drop = 1dKH, from that impeccable source, Wikipedia

One German degree of carbonate hardness is equivalent to about 17.848 milligrams of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per litre of water (17.848 ppm). Both measurements (mg/L or KH) are usually expressed "as CaCO3" – meaning the concentration of carbonate expressed as if calcium carbonate were the sole source of carbonate ions.

cheers Darrel

 

[Chad9471]

I am having an extremely difficult time getting my pH down. Right now my water is,
General hardness: 5
TDS: 87
pH: 7.2

I have a pair of Congochromis sabinae and 6 rasboras in a 10 gallon planted tank.
I am trying to use peat and driftwood as wel as some pH down but i cant seem to break the 7 pH barrier.
I do water changes every 3 days at about 25% half tap water half RO.
Anyone have any other sugestions how to get my ph to at least 6.5.

 

[gerald]

Have you measured KH (= Alkalinity, aka carbonate hardness)? That's the part of "hardness" that keeps pH high. If Alkalinity is more than a few degrees (on the KH scale), then every time you change water, you're adding more alkalinity to neutralize the pH-Down. Also if you're on public water they may add NaOH or other base to keep the pH high for corrosion control. If so, then more RO or rainwater is your best bet. If KH is low (3 degrees or less, then TIME may do the trick. I find that pH in new tanks stays high the first couple months, then drops as the tank & substrate ages. GH and KH are each 2 to 3 degrees in my tap water.

I am having an extremely difficult time getting my pH down. Right now my water is,
General hardness: 5
TDS: 87
pH: 7.2

I have a pair of Congochromis sabinae and 6 rasboras in a 10 gallon planted tank.
I am trying to use peat and driftwood as wel as some pH down but i cant seem to break the 7 pH barrier.
I do water changes every 3 days at about 25% half tap water half RO.
Anyone have any other sugestions how to get my ph to at least 6.5.

 

[Chad9471]

Thank you i will check that out. Everytime they lay eggs they never make it and i think it has to do with the pH being high all the time. Before i started trying to make it lower after finding ideal conditions it was a ph of 8.2 so im working on getting it lower.