KH and GH parameters

[Debow]

Hello everyone,

So I picked up a API KH and GH test kit and call me stupid but the graph chart is confusing me I added 5 drops and 1 drop to get the colors to turn and at the moment I cant remember which was what (as I'm at work cant retest ) so just looking for a little info from you guys on this. I have been doing really well with all other water parameters, but this has me confused.

[Discus Origins]

It can be confusing because the directions sometimes just don't sound right from the manufacturer lol.

Add one drop at a time, shake after each drop. The number of drops that it takes to change color is the number of German degrees (dh) in hardness. You can convert that to ppm by multiplying the number of drops x 17.83

[Debow]

Okay, so 5 drops= 89.15 and one 1 drop is 17.83 do these numbers look normal to have happy and healthy discus?

[Discus Origins]

You have pretty soft water if that's what is coming out of your tap. Perfect for discus and breeding without having to do too much to change it.

[Debow]

That is tank water that is about 3 days old after a 30% water change. Doing another water change today I usually do every 2 or 3 days. What are some numbers that I should be concerned about. What to watch out for.

[RogueDiscus]

From my understanding, I think the larger number would be the general hardness, and the smaller number is the part of that that is carbonate based.

At the risk of hijacking, I use Nutrafin test kits. Their instructions say to multiply the drops by 10 for KH ppm and by 20 for GH ppm. Are their solutions really that different? My KH aways turns out to be half my GH from my well.

[Discus Origins]

That is tank water that is about 3 days old after a 30% water change. Doing another water change today I usually do every 2 or 3 days. What are some numbers that I should be concerned about. What to watch out for.

Nothing else besides the normal temp, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate that you would for any fish tanks :)


From my understanding, I think the larger number would be the general hardness, and the smaller number is the part of that that is carbonate based.

At the risk of hijacking, I use Nutrafin test kits. Their instructions say to multiply the drops by 10 for KH ppm and by 20 for GH ppm. Are their solutions really that different? My KH aways turns out to be half my GH from my well.

That would mean their test kit doesn't differentiate between KH and GH during the test and tells you to multiply by different numbers to get approximate KH/GH if you only have one bottle that tests for both. API kits would be specific for KH and one for GH.

[RogueDiscus]

Nothing else besides the normal temp, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate that you would for any fish tanks :)



That would mean their test kit doesn't differentiate between KH and GH during the test and tells you to multiply by different numbers to get approximate KH/GH if you only have one bottle that tests for both. API kits would be specific for KH and one for GH.

Sorry. When I thought about it later, I realized my numbers would be confusing. They are two different bottles/titrations. Pink to blue, yellow to blue. They just always end up using the same number of drops. If I get 80 ppm GH, I get 40 ppm KH. Just my water, I think.

[XAnhLe]

You have pretty soft water if that's what is coming out of your tap. Perfect for discus and breeding without having to do too much to change it.

Hello Mark, I'm looking to get into the wild side soon. My water coming out of the tap has a TDS of 81, gH and kH of 3 (53.7 ppm), and a stable pH of about 7.2. Is this good enough for wilds (blue, green, brown), heckel, or altum?

[Discus Origins]

Hello Mark, I'm looking to get into the wild side soon. My water coming out of the tap has a TDS of 81, gH and kH of 3 (53.7 ppm), and a stable pH of about 7.2. Is this good enough for wilds (blue, green, brown), heckel, or altum?

That's perfect, I wish I had that coming out of my tap lol.

[pastry]

This may be an old subject but honestly, right now... great thread. Thanks to OP and responders

[Kyla]

i would just say to watch that low kH doesnt drop to 0 and cause ph swings. i had to buffer my soft tap water with a bit of aragonite to bump the kH up and keep the pH stable.