Magicide Posted December 25, 2005 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 I have been doing KH tests for a few weeks now and the results are always so high as to be completely unbelievable. I have a pH of 6.6 which I know to be correct. The KH according to my Hagen test kit is 150 ppm (15 drops x 10 per drop). Using the CO2 calculator this shows me as having a 63.3 ppm CO2 reading which should be lethal. Instead the fish are completely happy with none gasping for air. Can anyone tell me what could be throwing off the KH readings? I'm thinking it might be a faulty test kit but I don't have another one on hand to check this with. The other thing is my PO4 readings. On the Hagen test kit it has been maxing out the PO4 readings for the kit since the day I got it. At first I did multiple emergency 50% water changes and added a Phosphate absorber in my filter but the now with 10 water changes behind me the level still reads maxed out and the fish aren't showing any of the effects of excess phosphate levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 26, 2005 Report Share Posted December 26, 2005 (edited) Magicide, what is your tap water KH and pH? If you calculate the CO2 level based on these two readings, it should be somewhere in the 3-5 ppm range. If higher, you have a tap water issue, in other words presence of another buffer, most likely a phosphate one. If it is in the above range, then we should look in your tank. Your PO4 level is most likely related to the KH issue, but let's do one step at the time ... Edited December 26, 2005 by Milan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garhan Posted December 26, 2005 Report Share Posted December 26, 2005 I did several KH tests on Edmonton water recently. It consistantly shows a KH of 5-6 degrees. So unless there is something else you are doing to your tank water or have something in your tank leaching out, this would otherwise not make any sense. http://www.epcor.ca/pages/water/WaterQuali...ly/wqdaily.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 26, 2005 Report Share Posted December 26, 2005 ... So unless there is something else you are doing to your tank water or have something in your tank leaching out, this would otherwise not make any sense. Unless he is on well water, and here parameters may greatly differ... Although remote, it's a possibility. So, let's eliminate that one first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Nope, no well water for me. I did the test on tap water and it came out with a KH of 12. Now I'm really curious as to what is causing this and if it can harm my family and I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 How did you come up with 12 now? 15 drops is 8.4 ... or you are saying your tap KH is higher than your tank? Could you please try to do a PO4 test on your tap water as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 When I did it with the aquarium water it needed 15 drops to get the colour change. Using the tap water it needed 12 drops. I tried the tap water twice tonight and the aquarium water has needed 15 drops to change since I first started testing.. I also did a PO4 test on the tap water and it came out negative. I'd love to know why the aquarium water test shows massive levels of PO4 even after so many water changes. Here is a picture of the KH test I am doing. Maybe I'm just evaluating the KH results wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 (edited) OK, so 12 is # of drops. That makes your KH=6.7, which is in order. Now we can move to your tank... Are there any stuff that you are adding to the water, besides tap water conditioner and fertilizers? Something like pH adjusters, acid buffers .... or anything else? Also, what are you using for substrate? EDIT: I can see you have a digital camera handy ... Could you please take a frontal shot of your tank showing all your hardscape ... Helps thinking ... Edited December 27, 2005 by Milan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 The only thing I add besides the water conditioner is the fertilizer. Process of elimination says it's probably over feeding or decaying plants. But I feed them twice a day with NLS and only as much as they can take in a minute without any touching the bottom. As far as the plants go I trim dead leaves as I see them and inspect them all thoroughly every week when I do water changes. Nutrafin Plant Gro - Fertilizer for freshwater plants - Fulfills the nutritive requirements of plants - Complete micronutrient formulation - Supplies aquatic plants with the necessary elements to promote optimal plant growth - Replenishes valuable nutrients - Contains beneficial trace elements - Promotes vibrant colors - 16 fl oz. (473 mL) - 0.15 – 0 – 0 - Guaranteed Analysis: - Total Nitrogen (N): 0.15% - --0.15% Water Soluble Organic Nitrogen (Cheleated agent) - Iron (Fe): 0.26% o 0.26% Chelated Iron - Manganese (Mn): 0.05% o 0.05% Chelated and soluble Manganese - Zinc (Zn): 0.003% o 0.003% Chelated Zinc - Boron (B ): 0.0005% - Copper (Cu): 0.0005% o 0.0005% Chelated Copper - Molybdate (Mo): 0.0007% o 0.0007% Chelated Molybdate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 (edited) Here's a blurry picture of my tank. I need to learn how to change the shutter speed on the camera. Edited December 27, 2005 by Magicide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 (edited) Nutrafin fert is definitely not the culprit ... That's the red label one (Iron Enriched) which does not have any P. From how you described feeding, I would rule that one out too ... It has to be something else, either your substrate, or rock, bogwood, ... Hmmm ... do you by any chance have any tab ferts embedded in your substrate? Your image didn't work for me. It doesn't show. ... You can use flash. It shows hardscape better, but take a shot slightly from an angle to avoid reflection ... EDIT: OK, it's working now ... Good enough ... Edited December 27, 2005 by Milan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Those four pebbles ... where did you get them from ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 (edited) Try the picture again, I was fooling around with it a bit. I don't use fert tabs. The thing that gets me is that even if it was the wood or rock why would the PO4 levels not go down after a water change? It would have to be VERY high to still measure above the test kits maximum levels after so many water changes in such a short time. Those rocks are from the LFS, there's 9 of them scattered throughout the tank. Edited December 27, 2005 by Magicide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milan Posted December 27, 2005 Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 Something in your tank is leaching phosphates badly, and that is affecting your KH as well ... It can't be just a bad test kit. What is your substrate? ECO Complete had some similar issues in the past ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magicide Posted December 27, 2005 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2005 (edited) I have the Geo System White River Gravel in my tank. The rocks are Gray Speckled Beach Pebbles. I have Peat Moss in my filter but it doesn't appear to be decaying so I don't think that's what is causing the excess PO4. Edited December 27, 2005 by Magicide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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